Thursday 2 April 2009

WEB 2.0 TECHNOLOGIES AND ITS ROLE IN ORGANIZATIONS

Introducing to web 2.0:
Web 2.0 we hear about lot these days infact we probably used it talk to friends to gather information and get things done. Defining exactly what is meant by web 2.0 is about to difficult, most people agreed that web 2.0 involves making new improved forms of online connections two or more people between two or more online services or between individual users and software applications(Barnatt 2008).These are the three key aspects of web 2.0 can be isolated as
Interpersonal computing, web services and software as a service.

Interpersonal computing is about using online technology to connect people to each other in social networks or in business teams. The key interpersonal computing aspect of web 2.0 as the things like social networking sites wikis, blogs and online videos. Examples of these are face book for social networking Wikipedia blog sites like blogger and video hosts like YouTube. All these sites allow anybody to add as well as to access the content it allows to leave messages and comments and to exchange digital media like including photo graphs and videos.
Web services are the components of the online functionality that can be plugged together in order to create integrated online offering. For example many companies use the web services of a payments service provider such as world pay in order to allow them easily to take credit card payments online this results the customers interacting with two organizations automatically interlinked by the internet.
Software as a services involves application functionality being offered directly over the internet in turn user data and application can be accessed from any internet enabled computing device. For example Google docs is online word processing spread sheet and online presentation package available for free on web.

Web 2.0 in organizations
As we discussed about the key aspects of web 2.0 now I want to discuss about how theses aspects are used in organizations. Web 2.0 not only helps to talk with friends gather information and things done but also helps in doing your job better to increase productivity drive progress and to see better business result. Web 2.0 also helps employees, customers and suppliers access and share information virtually anytime anywhere using using web as the platform.(IBM 2008). But how can web 2.0 tools help us to improve the company’s productivity and collective intelligence? I will try to explain this by taking an example of an a manufacturing organization.

Web 2.0 for internal usage in the organization:
Web 2.0 can help in building up the collaboration between the employees through training, knowledge sessions and internal recruitment. This can be supported by a recent survey by McKinsey survey, The primary internal usage of web 2.0 among organizations is for managing knowledge and developing the collaboration.(McKinsey 2008).for example Osbrne, is an electrical equipment manufacture adopted internal wiki based solution within the organization to avoid duplicating effort and to improve decision making process.(Brad Kenney 2008).


Web 2.0 for customer usage:
Now a days the organizations are give more importance to the customer centric approaches and they are considering this as their over all business strategy. Web 2.0 can be an effective tool to understand the customers needs and expectations and their suggestions for the improvement of the product or services. Organizations using web 2.0
for customer interactions, an intensive number of respondents indicates that they focused on improving customer service and acquiring new customers, there by the increased strategic role that web 2.0 is set to play.(McKinsey 2008).For example Nokia mobile company hosts a social networking site for their customers where users are free to express their view about Nokia product and their services.(Brad Kenney 2008). This information is used by the company for the further development and improvement in there next generation products.
Web 2.0 for supplier usage:
As the globalization and multi sourcing has become as the part of the organizational vale chains. This however, has make complex value chains, with a vastly increased need for information sharing across the vendors and the multi partners. Here web 2.0 can plays a vital role in giving timely and correct access to the information across the multi stake holders. For example General Motors has developed an eco system between suppliers and the company was based on the social networking. The suppliers and company representatives interact frequently through wikis to discus about the supply issues.(Cliff Saran 2007).
Another good example of using web 2.0 technology is by IBM “bluehouse” it helps to have online meetings and discussions suppose if the employee is far from the office and the client wants to have quick meeting, it can be possible if the employee have an PDA. conference with the client using with an a new host of the IBM called as “bluehouse”. By logging into the “bluehouse” site and can start the web conference by going to the spread sheets with the clients in real time. “bluehouse” gives small businesses accesses to powerful extranet collaboration tools that provide and enhance agility in community capabilities without the need of IT staff for expensive software investment.
Conclusion:
Web 2.0 is the tool which helps to change the way we work. Applying the web 2.0 in the organization is the right move to get the maximum benefits from the individuals and it is the right move for the better future.

References:
(Barnatt 2008) retrieved from the Explaining computers.com, Three key aspects of web 2.0.
(McKinsey 2008) Building the web 2.0 Enterprise: McKinsey Global survey results, retrieved from
http://www.mckinseyquarterly.com/Information_Technology/Management/Building_the_Web_20_Enterprise_McKinsey_Global_Survey_2174.
(Brand Kenney 2008) web 2.0 tools transform Osborne’s management strategies, industrial week.
(Cliff Saran 2007) General Motors Oils Supply Chain with web 2.0 lessons, Computer Weekly.
(IBM 2008) this is a video from the IBM illustrates how web 2.0 technology can be valuable tool for todays businesses, source youtube.

ROLE OF INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY IN KMS:

Knowledge is a broad and abstract notion, in past few years there has been a growing importance in treating knowledge as a significant organizational resource. Consistent with the interest in organizational knowledge and organizational knowledge management, Information system researchers have begun to promoting a type of information systems which is referred as knowledge management system. (KMS).(Alavi & Leidner 2001).
From Wikipedia KMS can be defined as it is a system which manages the knowledge in the organizations, supporting, creation, capture, storage of information. The objective of KMS is to support creation, transfer, and application of knowledge in the organization.

Why we need IT in KMS:
In olden days the knowledge is transferred and shared to one other by the system called as culture, the knowledge is stored as stories and rituals. Theses are passed from the generations to the generations. As the generations developed and the knowledge thrust is increased the sharing of knowledge and the process is needed faster for that IT is used for the fast access and to store more data for a long time. Now technology become as the primary enabler of KMS.

Role of IT in KMS:
Information Technology plays a major role in knowledge management. As IT can support KMS but it depends how these IT tools are used in the system. The success of IT in KMS depends on the people who uses it and for what type of knowledge they are using it and for why they are using those tools either for business objectives or organization development. For example accompany uses video conference as an IT tool for discussing the progress and the problems with the clients this technology can be used only when there is need for it and the people capable and understand to that new technology.(Tellen 2000).

Organizations can attain maturity in KMS only through the healthy mutual coexistence of technology, people and process. The role of IT in organization is to support the KMS by building a free environment within the organization. The best way to apply information technology to knowledge management is probably a combination of two reasons, one is knowing the limits of information technology, and fact that any IT will not develop or support much, if it is not accompanied by a global culture change to wards the knowledge values. Other reason is the availability of information technology that have been expressly designed with knowledge management.(Borgoff & Pareschi 1997).

Information technology made many companies to imagine a new world of gathering knowledge. E-mail and the internet have made possible for professionals to draw on the latest thinking of their peers not considering where they are located.(McDermott 2000).







Model for an IT supported KMS in an organization:


Source: UNESCAP Seminar on knowledge Management, 2005.

This model is partly taken from the UNESCAP seminar on knowledge management, in this model of KMS the technology is using as the one of the part for the development. The technology acts as the mediator form the knowledge generation to the knowledge communication, the technology helps in the capturing the knowledge and storing and retrieving.

Conclusion:
As It can’t assure the complete development of knowledge in KMS until the organizations don’t know how to use these technologies effectively, the changes and the developments in the out environment force the organizations to adopt IT in their knowledge management systems. The right way of IT implementation in the knowledge management system gives great results for the organizations.

References:
(Borghoff & Pareschi 1997) “ Journel of universal computing science”, vol. 3, no. 8(1997),835-842 appeared 28/8/97.

(Dermott 2000) “ knowledge and communities” Retrived from http://books.google.co.uk/books?hl=en&lr=&id=VG0G3clyi0QC&oi=fnd&pg=PA21&dq=information+technology+in+knowledge+management&ots=w3IXyH6jjm&sig=5iodwfcWeCVU6Jo1VRUKZ1XoNfA.
(Alavi & Leidner 2001) review of “knowledge management and knowledge management systems: conceptual foundations and research issues retrived from http://www.jstor.org/pss/3250961
(Tellen 2000) “intranets as knowledge management systems” retrived from http://www.iorg.com/papers/knowledge.html
(UNESCAP 2005) A seminar on knowledge management. Unlocking our knowledge to optimize our work in asia and pacific.

CAN ORGANIZATIONAL KNOWLEDGE BE MANAGED?

Now a days there is an increasing hype around the term “knowledge” many organization recognized knowledge is an important asset which is hidden in the minds of the employees of their organization. They want to use and manage knowledge for the maximum benefit of the organization. I want to explain how this knowledge is going to be used by the organizations effectively and whether that knowledge can be managed, before that I will give brief explanation about knowledge and knowledge management.

Knowledge is the term easy to understand but difficult to explain, many scholars gave many definitions to define knowledge but there is no particular definition for it. It can be define as the facts or conditions of knowing something with familiarity obtained through experience.(Ken Ward 1998). Here we have to think about again what is “knowing something”? Knowing can be defined as having both awareness and judgment.
When the term knowledge comes to organization and the way it is managed in the organization is called as the knowledge management. Knowledge management can be well defined as encompasses management strategies, technology and methods for leveraging intellectual capital and how to achieve gains in human performance and competiveness.(Gatner 1996).

Why we need to manage organizational knowledge?
As the organizations recognize the importance of the knowledge, they think knowledge has to be managed for some of the factors which are as follows
Knowledge is required to meet the increasing competiveness in market places and the rate of innovation is rising, reduction in staffing creates a need to replace informal knowledge with the formal methods, the competitive pressure reduce the size of the work force that holds valuable business knowledge, to diminish the amount of time available to experience and acquire knowledge, increasing mobility and early retirements of the work force leads to loss of knowledge.(Barclay & Murray 1997).

How to manage organizational knowledge:
The business strategy of the organization must acknowledge the requirement to capture knowledge and actively develop the effort. Massive human effort is required as the knowledge exists in people but not in technology, technology only help in the capture of information but it can’t create knowledge. Some of the useful technologies that will help to manage knowledge include search engines, intelligent agents, database management systems and repositories.(Mullins 1999).
When the information is identified, collected and managed it must be transformed into knowledge. This knowledge requires classification, analysis and synthesis. For doing this also human intervention is required. As knowledge is created only by human but not by technology only human being can retrieve information into format that causes it to be easily transformed into knowledge by another human being upon retrieval. Some of the technologies that can be used in this phase of knowledge management process include data mining tools, statistical analysis tools, and decision support system.

The final phase is effectively communicating the captured knowledge, the technology that helps to facilitate communication includes workflow management system,
networking technology, groupware and mobile computing. The captured knowledge has to be communicated easily in any format preferred by the recipients.

I can support above statements by giving an example how knowledge is managed in the imperial manufacturing company. As imperial is a manufacturing company there is a lot of human force is required to manufacture the products. The employees who are in manufacturing department may face many problems with the machinery or with new equipment these problems are noted or recorded by the employee on notice board and displayed in the factories if any employee is familiar with this type of problem and who knows the solution can give his experience and solution. These problems and solutions are recorded in the company data base and maintained for the future generation employees if they face the same type of problem they can access this data base and can solve the problem quickly.

Problems in managing knowledge effectively in organizations:
The first obstruction to successes is dealing with the people who have the knowledge as many business people feel that “knowledge is power” so if they give knowledge they feel as they give up there power. This type of attitude has to be stopped and knowledge has to be shared freely. A more frequent problem is lack of time to capture the knowledge that exist in their employees. For example the sales person may know the competitive information but he is always on the road and needs to close business to make his given targets. But if he is encouraged to give the information about the long term concerns it would be more useful.

Conclusion:
Yes, I say that organizational knowledge can be managed and this can only happen by capturing the information from the environment make over and put into some kind of knowledge repository that is widely available to those who may need it now and in future. By using computer networks tools they can be designed to make it possible for employees to process knowledge effectively.

References:

(Barclay & Murray 1997) “ what is knowledge Management” from the article of “knowledge praxis. Retrieved from http://www.media-access.com/whatis.html.

(Mullins 1999) “ what is knowledge and can it be managed” published in the data administration newsletter. Retrieved from http://www.tdan.com/view-articl