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Corporate portal: A tool for knowledge

Management synchronization

Synopsis of the case:
The case focuses on a particular tool of KMS that is the corporate portal; we identify
comprehensive view of definitions and characteristics of this tool, role of corporate portal
features in the various stages of the knowledge management process, and describe major barriers
limiting of its adoption and use by organizations and their some perspectives for a success. It
describe corporate portal as emerging tools that provide sustained competitive advantage to an
organization.

Facts of the case:
Developing corporate portals and building the critical mass of users required to make
them successful is not an easy task. Today world is knowledge world, the most valuable asset of
an organization is knowledge. So all the organization are trying to build up the network and
information system to manage their knowledge. The adoption of technology and two way
communication makes easy to manage knowledge. The organization always search for
knowledge at right place at right time to make good decision, and these knowledge will get
through proper manage knowledge management system.
Before describing the Knowledge management system lets describe what is knowledge?
Knowledge is information plus experience. Knowledge is capability to act effectively.
There are two types of view:
Information technology view: knowledge is processed information that can be used for
decision making.
Strategic management view: it is state of mind. Its a capability and process. Individual
expand their knowledge for better decision.
Knowledge management is continuous process. KM applies systematic approaches to find,
understand and use knowledge to create value. The framework may be different from
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Corporate portal: A tool for knowledge
Management synchronization
organization to organization but the purpose of developing KMS is to help to make better
decision. It involves following process:
Knowledge creation/ generation: the potential source of information for an organization
is their employee, customer feedback, supplier and other external stakeholder.
Teamwork, R & D helps organization to generate information.
Knowledge codification: this is the process where tacit (knowledge inside mind) is
converted into explicit knowledge (written document). It helps an organization to transfer
and share knowledge.
Knowledge application: most of the organization fails because of not they have not
information and knowledge but because of overload of knowledge. They are not learning
to apply the available suitable knowledge. The knowledge should be apply in such a way
that it will create a value.
Knowledge transfer and sharing: knowledge is dynamic when the knowledge is codified
in document then it can be easily transfer. It focus on collective knowledge that
organization possess to make decision.
Corporate tool is knowledge sharing tools that helps an organization to share their available
knowledge to concern party. There are two types of corporate portal:
Extranet portal: it provide a knowledge to solved particular problem. Suitable for
business to business, e-commerce business.
Intranet portal: it focus on knowledge management and communication. It try to manage
the content of knowledge.
A portal provides a single platform to share knowledge.
It manage corporate intellectual capital.
Gmail, search engine, Facebook are some of emerging intranet corporate portal.
By analyzing critically, why organization enroll portal, its because of they need real time
knowledge to make effective decision. It guide the action of employees.
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Corporate portal: A tool for knowledge
Management synchronization
The primary objective of the analysis was to confront the information provided by portal
vendors (Corporate features, eventual benefits) with the reality of early adopters, the case
focused on the following issues:
Main characteristics and features of corporate portals;
Benefits associated with its implementation, focusing on the potential role portals can
play in managing knowledge processes effectively;
Challenges facing organizations in the implementation phase.
This case generalized the finding the implementation of corporate tools in eight companies
(case) they are: Hewleet Packard, Ford motor, STMicroelectronics, GlaxoSmithKline, General
motors, BT, Procter and gamble, Eli Lilly. These eight companies are different in their nature,
their service, structure, business model, business strategy but they implement portal for
knowledge management.
The feature of corporate tool are:
Collaboration: it helps an organization to collaborate with other for purpose of
exchanging information.
Publishing: it supports for sharing knowledge in written form like HTML, PDF
Taxonomy: it supports to manage similar type of knowledge in same group. It improves
searching of knowledge, to control data, personalization and transfer of data.
Search: the documented created by employees, customer, and competitors any have in
different place. It supports in searching of those document.
Integration: it supports integration of knowledge and makes easily available the desire
information.
Supportive tools to implement corporate tools are:
Security: the knowledge that has been stored should be made secure from un-
authorization access. It is one major challenge for an organization.
Proofing: profiling makes easy for searching information.
Scalability: the KMS should be flexible and it can be changeable according to
requirement
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Corporate portal: A tool for knowledge
Management synchronization
Problem/Challenges as written in case:
Knowledge is increasingly being recognized as a vital organizational resource that
provides Competitive advantage. Managing knowledge assets can be a challenge for every
organization. Corporate tools helps to synchronize and support knowledge process. As we early
discussed different process on knowledge management. There are different challenges in each
process that need to be tackle and must respond effectively.
Challenges in knowledge management process:
It stated that frequency of communication need to increase to generate information.
Proper communication channel should be built which is time consuming and need more
resources.
Managing the protocol and bandwidth for exchanging information is difficult.
Data filtering is challenging.
It allows easier access to corporate information.
Managing proper Storage of the knowledge. Some time the system may overload by
knowledge so proper management of knowledge is most critical thing.
Difficult to determine the correct audience of knowledge. It may generate ineffective
knowledge dissemination.
By placing all the knowledge in portal makes poor knowledge awareness to their
stakeholder.
High cost for distributing the knowledge. Network should be build and it needs huge
amount of investment and resources.
Security on knowledge becomes challenge for most of the organization.
The article describe major three factor that possess challenge for adoption of corporate portal are:
Managerial context: corporate portal technology uses artificial agents. The manger are
concern with the cost effectiveness for implementing and maintain portals. The cost of portals
include, hardware costs, software license costs, software development costs, design costs, system
integration costs and maintenance. Introducing portal is becomes strategy for an organization to
have competitive advantage
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Corporate portal: A tool for knowledge
Management synchronization
Technical context: there are huge amount of knowledge and information with the
organization but they are not able to identify which knowledge is important for them. If the
desire information is not available at require time then developing a portal will not help
organization. While developing portal, organization must plan and need to design that will be
compatible with system
Social context: the social environment within which people operate also impact the effective
use of corporate portal. The organization culture determine the sharing of knowledge. The way
how information is being sharing among employee and the medium they are using determine the
quality of life.
Some of the advantage that organization may have by implementing corporate portal tool for
managing knowledge are:
The portal helps an organization to stay connected with employees, supply and their
customer.
It helps to make better decision and improved communication.
It helps to set global integrations and standardization.
It helps for effective information search and helps to establish new communication
channel.
It improves collaboration and foster team work in organization.
It helps to share information in large audience at once.
It motivate an employee and gives access to internal information.
Overall it helps every organization by providing the necessary knowledge that certainly
helps an organization to make right decision and it will reduce the cost for sharing
knowledge
Solution found in the case:
As we discuss early there is so many problem and challenges that create because of
implementing corporate portal. Instead of so many challenges some of the organization built
successful corporate portal for knowledge sharing. They are effectively sharing their knowledge
and that helps to them to gain competitive advantage. There need to be a proper collaboration
between the system and those who uses it. If the needed information cannot be derived from the
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Corporate portal: A tool for knowledge
Management synchronization
system at the time of need then theres no use of adopting the knowledge management system. In
order to address above discussed problem we have drawn some solutions in how to define,
implement and execute effective portals. To address those problem some of recommendation/
solution are:
Top management support: A CEO who recognizes the value of knowledge and who
actively supports the knowledge team, it motivates other employee and generate the sense of
management support to them. It helps to establish knowledge sharing culture in organization that
will certainly help to manage Knowledge management system.
Motivation and commitment for adoption of these technologies: the organization must
determine which technology is suitable for them. For this purpose the top management level
must discuss with employees. They must motivate employee through internal or external
motivation program.
Linking knowledge and business processes: organization need to identify the link
between knowledge and the bottom line business benefit; new measures of performance and
appropriate rewards. The portal should present an ideal environment to integrate the business
process aspects with knowledge processes and actively supports the worker in using and adding
to knowledge resources by establishing standards for information collection, processing, and
presentation.
Information sharing culture: Creation of a culture that supports innovation, learning and
knowledge sharing helps to manage knowledge management system. This is usually supported
by appropriate reward mechanisms. Organization need to support new idea and must share these
idea in organization.
Learning from failures: Companies must review their successes and failures, assess them
systematically, and record the lessons in form that employees find accessible. Organization need
to follow up their action and need to take proper action.
A technical infrastructure need to build that supports knowledge work. Various
information system like MIS, DSS, ERP , Simulation need to integrate with knowledge
management system.
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Corporate portal: A tool for knowledge
Management synchronization

Implication of finding and possible suggestion:
The purpose of knowledge management must not be to just become more knowledgeable,
but to be able to create, transfer and apply knowledge with the purpose of better achieving
objectives. If the organization implement the corporate tool properly they will able to reduce
costs, provide potential to expand and grow, increase value and/or profitability, improve products
and services, respond faster change in market. These corporate tool helps an organization to
establish knowledge sharing culture and we know knowledge is creation of innovation. It
certainly help an organization to be innovative. It helps to build collaborative environment and
team work. The strategies, methods and tools of knowledge management need to change in
timely manner.
Some of recommendation for an organization who want to implement corporate tool for
knowledge management are:
The corporate tool must be built on existing technology, system and resources so that it
helps to reduce some cost.
Why the organization, what knowledge, is important, it should be clear and that need to
base on the requirement of customer. Such that they need to identify the business
problem. Successful implementation of knowledge management requires a clear
identification of the business problem to be solved and an alignment of the knowledge
management project with overall business objectives.
The organization must build KM team for effective management of KM.
Organization need to perform knowledge audit and must identify which information is
most essential for organization growth. Knowledge mining software allows query results
to be sorted and clustered according to a set of pre-defined categories that are applicable
to the target business
KM system must link with the people. The KM system must generate the require
information at right time. Team work is essential for successful implementation of
knowledge management.
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Corporate portal: A tool for knowledge
Management synchronization
The organization must build collaborative culture in organization, they must welcome
new idea and need to ready for change. . It involves cultural changes in the way
employees perceive the knowledge they develop.
Involvement of top management is essential for developing KM system. Senior executive
commitment is essential and executives can play an important role in defining the key
problems to solve and the corporate objectives to meet.
Proper security should be maintain in the KM system.