Page 219 - DCAP208_Management Support Systems

Management Support Systems

Notes

Task Illustrate the process of identifying knowledge with example.

13.1.2 Knowledge Acquisition

After determining the knowledge gap, the next step is to close the knowledge gap by applying
knowledge acquisition or knowledge import. Companies import a substantial part of their
knowledge from outside sources. Relationships with customers, suppliers, competitors and
partners in co-operative ventures have considerable potential to provide knowledge – a potential
that is seldom fully utilized. Firms can also buy knowledge which they could not develop
themselves by recruiting experts or acquiring other particularly innovative companies.
Knowledge acquisition is quite simply the process of acquiring knowledge that is available
somewhere. For an organization, this might entail capturing knowledge from existing
documents. It could mean capturing the tacit knowledge of its people into its repositories. Or it
might mean identifying external sources of either process/technology expertise or market
intelligence so that this knowledge can be purchased.

13.1.3 Knowledge Application

After acquiring knowledge, it must be applied in an organization. Knowledge application
means making knowledge more active and relevant for an organization in creating values.
Knowledge application deals with the fact that employees continually apply their knowledge to
their working situation. We have to make local knowledge usable in global application.
Organizational knowledge needs to be employed into a company’s products, processes and
services. If an organization does not find it easy to locate the right kind of knowledge in the
right form, the organization may find it difficult to sustain its competitive advantage.

13.1.4 Knowledge Sharing

After applying the knowledge in an organization, the next step is knowledge sharing. The
sharing and distribution of knowledge within an organization are a vital precondition for
turning isolated information or experiences into something which the whole organization can
use. The most important step is to analyze the transition of knowledge from the individual to
group or organization. In knowledge based economy, knowledge itself is not power, when
knowledge is shared, it become power.

13.1.5 Knowledge Development

Knowledge development is a building block which complements knowledge acquisition.
Its focus is on generating new skills, new products, better ideas and more efficient processes.
Knowledge development includes all management efforts consciously aimed at producing
capabilities which are not yet present within the organization or which do not exist either inside
or outside it.

Notes Traditionally, knowledge development was anchored in the company’s market
research and in its research and development department; however, important knowledge
can also spring from any other part of the organization. This can provide the company
general ways of dealing with new ideas and utilizing the creativity of the employees.

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