Knowledge Portals and Knowledge Management Tools

Chapter 11: Knowledge Management Tools and Knowledge Portals

Portals: The Basics

Portals are considered to be virtual workplaces that:
Promote

secured knowledge sharing among different categories of end users access to stored structured data unstructured data
2

Provide

Copyright TIES

Organize

Chapter 11: Knowledge Management Tools and Knowledge Portals

Portals: The Basics (contd)

Web-based

applications providing a single point of access to online information emerging tool for

An

Simplify access to data stored in various application systems Facilitate collaboration among employees Assist company in reaching customers
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Chapter 11: Knowledge Management Tools and Knowledge Portals

From Information to Knowledge Portal

Evolution of the Portal Concept

Focus on how it will be used by the knowledge workers A key component in the knowledge management architecture Allow producers and users of knowledge to interact
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Chapter 11: Knowledge Management Tools and Knowledge Portals

Evolution of the Portal Concept (contd)

Knowledge portals provide two kinds of interfaces:

The knowledge producer interface

The knowledge consumer interface

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Chapter 11: Knowledge Management Tools and Knowledge Portals

Portals and Business Transformation

Portals can meet (or transform) Todays Business Challenges Shorter time to market Staff turnover More demanding customers and investors Explosion of key business information in electronic documents Speed by which the quantity and kinds of content is growing

Chapter 11: Knowledge Management Tools and Knowledge Portals

Benefits of Knowledge Portals

Productivity Locating Documents Collaboration Better Decisions Quality of Data Sharing Knowledge Identifying Experts E-mail Traffic Bandwidth Use Time in Meetings Phone Calls Response Times Redundant Efforts Operating Costs Time to market
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Chapter 11: Knowledge Management Tools and Knowledge Portals

Key Infrastructure Components of Knowledge Portal

Business intelligence (knowledge)

Content management (dynamic) Data management (structured)

Data warehouses and data marts (analytical)
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Chapter 11: Knowledge Management Tools and Knowledge Portals

Layers of Knowledge Portal Architecture

Chapter 11: Knowledge Management Tools and Knowledge Portals

Categories of Portal Tools

Gathering Categorization Distribution Collaboration Publish Personalization Search/navigate

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Collaboration

Collaboration tools create a KM system that supports information sharing and reuse Enable multiple users work together in a coordinated fashion over time (and space) via the portal

Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

Sydney, Australia
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Chapter 11: Knowledge Management Tools and Knowledge Portals

Types of collaborations

Asynchronous collaboration having no time or space constraints. Queries, responses, or access occur anytime and anyplace Synchronous collaboration interaction that occurs immediately (within few seconds). It can use audio, video, or data technologies
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Collaboration Toolset

Comfortable e-mail systems A Web browser Simple search functionalities Collaboration services with a multipurpose database Web services Indexing services for full-text search of documents Well-organized central storage locations

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Content Management Categorization and Publishing

Use metadata to define types of information

Categorize similar documents into named groups

Directory/Indexing capability to automatically manage growing warehouses of enterprise data

Provide dynamic taxonomy maintenance

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Intelligent Agents Gathering and Personalization

Software that executes a range of tasks autonomously (e.g., comparing, learning, searching) Discover previously unknown relationship details between organization and customers
Analyze customers demand priorities by learning from their purchasing experience

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Chapter 11: Knowledge Management Tools and Knowledge Portals

Intelligent Agents Services

Customized online customer services Profile customers based on records

Integrate customer profiles into group marketing activities

Predict customer requirements Negotiate prices and payment schedules Execute financial transactions on customers behalf
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Critical Issues for Knowledge Portals

Responsiveness to user need Content structure in large systems Content quality requirements Integration with existing systems Scalability Hardwaresoftware compatibility Synchronization of technology with the capabilities of users

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Chapter 11: Knowledge Management Tools and Knowledge Portals

Portal Vendors
Vendor
Lotus/IBM

KM Portal Product
Lotus Raven 1.0 (in beta)

Feature Summary
Intelligent taxonomy QuickPlace collaboration tool Assigns value to data based on how often it is used Portal replication Facilitates content management

Best Uses
Self-creating and refining taxonomies Personnel resources linked to data sources Advanced collaboration Easy portal repurposing Rapid application development with associated KM packages

Open Text

MyLivelink Portal 1.0 with Livelink 8.5.1 KM software

Integrated work flow Quick integration of features Quick portal deployment

Integrated KM Document management and work flow Custom collaboration spaces (personal, project, or enterprise)

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Vendor Plumtree

KM Portal

Feature Summary

Best Uses Easy and extensive content and application integration Scalability Advanced security Trainable taxonomies Various data access Customization and extensibility Usability Tracking site statistics Content streaming to wireless devices
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Plumtree Automatic population Corporate E-mail, voice, and Portal 4.0 wireless notification Integration with LDAP directories E-room tools

Woolamai

WebMeta Quick integration Engine Flexible portal interface 1.0 Knowledge taxonomy adapts to data views Data-mining functionality Web site statistics

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