zondag 21 oktober 2012

The Knowledge Map and its application

An important tool for an efficient and transparant organisation



NL: info@informatieland.nl, www.informatieland.nl, Tel:0031(0)206428987

The Knowledge Map of Informationland is an important tool to get the knowledge and experiences of an organization organised. It shows who is having which experience and where it is applied. It maps out the people, the processes and  projects. As a result of its application it creates transparency and efficiency. Its use will accelerate the innovation process and contribute importantly towards sales and client relations. The use of Social Media will become much more effective with the aid of the knowledge map as well. 


This short video explains the Knowledge Map and its application.

The two main occurrences of the knowledge map are
1) the detailed map giving access to people, processes and projects
2) the management dashboard with a representation of knowledge intelligence
 
 
The knowledge map plays an important role in knowledge management and is key in its business case. The added value can be found in the three main areas of an organisational structure:


       On an operational level: there where the core processes take place and knowledge is shared most directly with great benefits
       On a tactical level: where team leaders and middle management responsibility involves development, innovation and training
       On a strategic level: where the MT and the board make strategic decisions based on a good understanding of the current levels or demands of knowledge, experience and abilities.


The Informationland 4 step process to come to a good knowledge map is as follows:
1       we develop high level taxonomy structures of each of the relevant areas of the organisation
2       we create from the structure an online questionnaire with easy mouse-clickable questions that let people map themselves within minutes
3       All data collected will be presented in valuable tables and graphs for interpretation and management decision making
4       The detailed map and the management dashboard are made from the full dataset, so that right from the start the map is complete and valid.



Lets have a look at the functionality of the knowledge map.

The home page is an active interface with tag-cloud navigation as well as free text and name search. It lists the latest messages and topic related requests.
Via the taxonomic structure one can navigate quickly and easily, drilling deeper in the organizational knowledge structure. The result is a shortlist of people (projects or processes) that are directly linked to that combination of experiences. From that result any individual or group can be contacted. The individual profile shows the person’s profession, role, location etc. It also shows the list of knowledge fields from the taxonomy, related to that person. Visitors of that personal profile can simply update their own profile by clicking on the me-too button next to each field. Important is the listing of people with a similar profile. This encourages to combine, connect or share along the right lines. boosting innovation, efficiency and organisational learning. The map has a knowledge base section for sharing documents.

Important is the management dashboard that is derived from analysing the knowledge map data. It compares specific topics in totals, but also benchmarks values after adjustments for size or character. This dashboard is the ultimate  management decision tool and vital for strategic planning and orientation. The powerful comparison on geographical areas as well as partner or market orientation is key in the decision making process of many organisations. Also, the knowledge map data are usable in other BI or GIS systems.


We had great achievements creating client interfaces for large professional organisations. The knowledge map functionality in combination with Social Media technology made the interface a strong alternative for client interactions in the service industry. Calculating the projected added value and creating the plan towards realisation is one of Informationland’s specialisations.
 
For any further information please contact us at the following adresses:

UK:
20c Linkfieldstreet
Redhill, RH1 6BW, Surrey
Tel:0044(0)1737-289825
Mob: 0044(0)7849926137

NL:
Geervliet 177
1082 NP Amsterdam
Tel:0031(0)206428987
Mob:0031(0)654967413

Boyd Hendriks