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Proceedings of the 12th European Conference on Knowledge ...

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4. Learning from o<str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>rs<br />

Jamal El-Den and Xin Zhou<br />

This phase in <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> BPR process is extremely important as a source <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> knowledge for <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> following<br />

phases <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> methodology. The issue here is not what developers learn about <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> legacy system but<br />

how and what knowledge is to be retained as a result <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> this learning process. Clearly, <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> existence<br />

<str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> a support system here which will assist <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> developers to fulfill <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> learning task is integral to<br />

success. Relying <strong>on</strong> existing diverse technological support for communicati<strong>on</strong> is not, in our opini<strong>on</strong>, a<br />

soluti<strong>on</strong> to developing a sound learning from o<str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>rs but a group-support system which provides <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g><br />

different functi<strong>on</strong>s in <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> KM process is necessary. The key ingredients in this step are:<br />

How/what to do with <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> knowledge gained from customers’ percepti<strong>on</strong> <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> business<br />

How/what to do with <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> knowledge gained from users <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> legacy system regarding <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g><br />

processes and how-to do in <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> system<br />

How/what to do with knowledge gained from associates in <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> organizati<strong>on</strong> in regards to<br />

strategies and goals<br />

How/what/which technology should be adopted with <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> introducti<strong>on</strong> <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> new system<br />

The combined KM features and <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> developed group-support system provide answers in this phase <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g><br />

<str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> BPR.<br />

5. Create visi<strong>on</strong> and design new business process model<br />

After successful completi<strong>on</strong> <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> first two phases <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> problem definiti<strong>on</strong> and learning from o<str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>rs, BPR<br />

developers need to c<strong>on</strong>sider creating visi<strong>on</strong> and designing <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> to-be processes. This phase is highly<br />

depends <strong>on</strong> <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> developers’ creativity and imaginati<strong>on</strong> and based <strong>on</strong> <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>, now, available knowledge in<br />

<str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> KB. The visi<strong>on</strong> statement is not about what <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> company currently is, but what <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> company hopes<br />

to become. Teams need to develop a visi<strong>on</strong> <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> what <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>y want <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> new process to be and how <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>y<br />

will achieve it. The visi<strong>on</strong> is developed taking into c<strong>on</strong>siderati<strong>on</strong>s aspects from explicit and tacit<br />

knowledge. As an example, a visi<strong>on</strong> statement may acknowledge that <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> company already meets<br />

industry standards in customer support, while at <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> same time setting goals for moving customer<br />

care to a higher level within a given time period (http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-a-visi<strong>on</strong>statement.htm).<br />

BPR is a strategic acti<strong>on</strong> and requires a clear understanding <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> customers, market,<br />

industry and competitive directi<strong>on</strong>s. Fur<str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>rmore, like any o<str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>r strategic acti<strong>on</strong>, it requires<br />

c<strong>on</strong>sistency between <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> company’s business strategy and visi<strong>on</strong>. Defining business strategy and<br />

developing a strategic visi<strong>on</strong> requires understanding <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> company’s strengths and weaknesses,<br />

which can <strong>on</strong>ly be available if captured, nurtured, transformed and retained in a KB, and <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> market<br />

structure and opportunities (Attaran, 2003) which also depends <strong>on</strong> <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> availability <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> such informati<strong>on</strong><br />

from DB’s and <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> knowledge base.<br />

This phase c<strong>on</strong>sists <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> two stages: understanding <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> selected business processes and creating<br />

visi<strong>on</strong> to redesign <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> new business processes. During <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> first two phases <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> BPR group members<br />

engaged in <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> reengineering process form an understanding <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> current processes and activities<br />

through KB access, discussi<strong>on</strong>s, observati<strong>on</strong>s, and interviews. In o<str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>r words, <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>re is a substantial<br />

accumulati<strong>on</strong>/capture <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> categorized types <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> knowledge (explicit and tacit knowledge) by<br />

developer(s). This tacit knowledge cannot be limited to <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> employees’ know-how, but also <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>ir<br />

thoughts, opini<strong>on</strong>s and ideas. The use <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> informati<strong>on</strong> and communicati<strong>on</strong> technologies can <strong>on</strong>ly partly<br />

help <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> externalizati<strong>on</strong> <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> tacit knowledge, as much <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> that knowledge is transformed by<br />

observati<strong>on</strong>s, skills, body language, physical dem<strong>on</strong>strati<strong>on</strong>, doing, and repetiti<strong>on</strong> (EI-den, 2008). The<br />

externalizati<strong>on</strong> and retenti<strong>on</strong> <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> important tacit knowledge is integral and critical for <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> visi<strong>on</strong><br />

creating phase. Current KM technologies intend to improve, enhance, and/or enable knowledge<br />

externalizati<strong>on</strong> c<strong>on</strong>trary to <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> traditi<strong>on</strong>al fulfillment <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> activities in o<str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>r disciplines through <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> use <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g><br />

technology. This is mainly due to <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> elusive nature <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> knowledge and <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> resulting diverse KM<br />

processes and knowledge c<strong>on</strong>versi<strong>on</strong> activities (EI-den, 2008)<br />

The diversificati<strong>on</strong> <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> KM technologies and products can be used to support this phase. Based <strong>on</strong> <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g><br />

purposes <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>y serve, <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>y can be classified in <strong>on</strong>e or more <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> following categories: business<br />

intelligence, collaborati<strong>on</strong>, c<strong>on</strong>tent and document management, e-learning, knowledge base, portals,<br />

customer relati<strong>on</strong>ship management, data mining, workflow, and search (Luan & Serban, 2002).<br />

Especially, <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> KM technologies such as Groupware Support System (GSS) can be used to capture a<br />

huge tacit knowledge and retain this knowledge for developing a completed visi<strong>on</strong>. The knowledge<br />

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