Planning and Analysis, Essay Example

Planning and analysis is the first and, in many ways, the most important stage of the knowledge management systems (KMS) and e-systems development process. As Turban et al. (2010) explained, both knowledge management and e-learning use “the same ‘coin of the realm’—knowledge”, which in the case of knowledge management is knowledge used “to improve the functioning of an organization” (p. 321). In the planning and analysis stage, knowledge that has been “collected from both external and internal sources” is subjected to a process of examination, interpretation, and study before being stored in “an organizational knowledge base, the repository for the enterprise’s knowledge” (pp. 321-322). For Turban et al., the process is one of facilitating the integration, sharing, and application of knowledge: knowledge no longer exists simply ‘out there’ in the company’s databases; rather, it is accessible for the performance of any necessary function (p. 322).

For example, Infosys Technologies, an India-based software services company, experienced rapid growth over a period of ten years (Turban et al., 2010, p. 323). In order to effectively manage the large bodies of knowledge within the organization, Infosys implemented the bodies of knowledge (BOK) initiative, “which involved encouraging employees to provide written accounts of their experiences across various topics,” which were then “shared in hard-copy form with all other employees” (p. 323). This approach to knowledge management and e-systems development accords well with Davenport and Prusak (2000), who argued for the importance of “knowledge in action” (p. 6). For Davenport and Prusak, “knowledge can and should be evaluated by the decisions or actions to which it leads” (p. 6). Thus, better knowledge “can lead, for example, to measurable efficiencies in product development and production” (p. 6). In other words, knowledge should guide and inform the actions that individuals and organizations undertake, making them more efficient and productive.