Improving Knowledge Management
By Wade Goodman, askSam Training Manager
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Knowledge Management seems to be the buzz today. "KM", as I see it referred to all over the Internet, seems to be reaching new levels. But really a quest for knowledge has always been a high priority to almost everyone. There has never been a time in history when the quest for information, enlightenment, knowledge and stuff in general has not been part of the daily routine. So I guess it's safe to say that it's not the collection or seeking of knowledge that's new but the management and amount of it.
The fact is that today we have access to more information than ever before. According to statistics posted by www.cyberatlas.com, The Computer Industry Almanac projected that 945 million people will be on-line this year accessing millions of Web pages, emailing more that 400,000 terabytes of new information and instant messaging 274 terabytes. And, as if that's not enough, www.emarketer.com reports that Harris International estimates that 40% of Internet users are now on high-speed connection. That means that almost half of all Internet users today can access more information in a few minutes than our ancestors could in a lifetime.
We have access to all that information and we haven't even discussed those ancient pieces of information called books. Remember books? I have a friend who actually went to the Library and claims he learned something by reading words on paper not a computer screen. Do you believe that?
The article "Excessive Data Creates Digital Packrats" by Robyn Freenspan which is based on a study by the School of Information Management and Systems (SIMS) at the University of California at Berkeley reports that each person produces --are you ready for this-- almost 800 MB of recorded information per year. That's equal to 30 feet of books!
Plus, they report that print, film, magnetic, and optical storage media produced about 5 exabytes of new information in 2002. Ninety-two percent of the new information is stored on magnetic media - mostly hard disks. To put that number in perspective they estimate that 5 exabytes is the equivalent of all the words ever spoken by humans. Click here to read the full article.
We are digital packrats. But what do we do with it all? Information is a good thing to have but we all know the old saying about too much of a good thing.
The problem is that all this is just information. It's the human brain that turns information into knowledge. Human experience and information fused together make knowledge, and that's what needs managing. The average employee is turning research into knowledge at amazing rates. There is much to be said for the knowledge that rests inside the heads and hearts of individuals Unfortunately very little is said about it. As a result all this invaluable knowledge is easily lost.
We need a Search Engine for our brains. How many employees have left companies with more information passing through a couple of their neurons than in any file folder anywhere in the office? I don't know, but I would bet it's a lot. What happens to all that knowledge? Can you get it back? Sure. But the question is, "what's the cost?".
From a personal standpoint I have worked for askSam Systems for more than 15 years. The amount of stuff I know about the Free From Database Market clogs my brain like hair in the drain. Visions of databases dance in my head. I ooze thoughts of importing, exporting, fields and reports. I wake up at night with ideas about how askSam can make your life better. I have room for very little other stuff in my brain (just ask my wife about my home improvement skills). Quite honestly, it's scary. But that's knowledge. Experience and information.
If I were to leave askSam today, a lot of hard work, research, problems and solutions, tests, experiments, results, how-to's, FAQs, customer relations, policies, pricing, procedures, competive information... well, you get the picture.. goes with me. Could they replace me? I would like to think no, but the truth is they could? But what about the knowledge? What happens to all that experience/knowledge fusion? What's the cost to replace that?
The fact is that nothing can replace 15 years of experience but the knowledge and information systems that we have in place at askSam would certainly make the transition less painful and less costly.
I recently read an article (information) that was forwarded to me that applies (knowledge) to what we are discussing here: "Top 7 Ways a Knowledge Base Program Can Improve Your Office." You might find it an interesting read, I did.
We can't place a value on knowledge but we sure know that knowledge is valuable. Maybe that's why Knowledge Management, sorry "KM", is such a hot topic. And it should be. How are you protecting your knowledge or the knowledge of your business?
May I make a suggestion? I speak to people every day who have real life knowledge management concerns. My job it to assist them in developing a way harness their "info beast". You can probably guess by now my solution of choice -- but I'm not here to sell you askSam. I know, from experience, the importance of information management. It's benefits. It's profits. And, unfortunately, the costs of losing it. Solutions, such as askSam, that can easily provide ways to -- collect research and other information, search it in a variety of ways, archive and extract your knowledge -- can not be ignored. You spend an immeasurable amount of time, effort and money accumulating key information for your life and business. What good does it do you if you can't find it when you need it? Or even worse, if you lose it?
Here's to good management of what you (and others in your organization) know.
Wade Goodman
askSam Training Manager
wade@askSam.com
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Related links:
http://www.asksam.com/four/surf37/kb.asp -- How to create an askSam knowledgebase. To schedule a live, on-line demonstration of how an askSam Knowledgebase can benefit your company or department, click here .
http://cyberatlas.internet.com/
http://www.emarketer.com/
http://cyberatlas.internet.com/big_picture/hardware/article/0,,5921_3102011,00.html
http://businessmajors.about.com/cs/businessthought/a/uc_7_ways_km.htm
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