ASPECTS OF TOTAL QUALITY MANAGEMENT APPLIED IN ...

Annals of the University “Constantin Brâncuşi”of Tg-Jiu, No. 1/2008, Volume 2,
ISSN: 1842-4856
Take the case of software engineers who publish code in repositories. They do so without
checking for many of the bugs. As a result, they have to update an old version (Version 1) with a
newer one (Version 1.1). When executing a search for the code, a knowledge seeker is bound to
receive matches, many of them small incremental versions over the original code. This is inefficient
and makes the act of consuming knowledge difficult. Little if any effort is undertaken to purge and
delete outdated knowledge, making it difficult to incorporate change in work processes and
procedures. All these issues result in a large repository, which many people think symbolizes more
knowledge. In reality, there is often more junk than knowledge in large repositories.
Like explicit knowledge, tacit knowledge needs maintenance. Consider a start-up
organization. Few individuals run the organization, so everyone knows who has knowledge in a
given domain. Over time, the organization grows, and things become less clear.
IEs can help resolve such problems in multiple ways. Their knowledge in the design of
adaptive and self-repairing systems is pivotal. Consider the design of a printer: Well before the
printer stops working, there are signs that, if measured properly, can call attention to the problem.
These signs can be used as gauges for proactive repair, which would eliminate the downtime and
expense of reactive maintenance.
IEs can also aid an organization in the difficult task of tacit knowledge maintenance. As
discussed earlier, the knowledge map of the organization will be crucial. Before an organization
contemplates downsizing or mergers it should check how the new organization fits into the existing
knowledge map. If it cannot be placed adequately on the map, are there avenues to expand the map?
Which knowledge sectors will be lost? Which will be gained? These are important questions to
consider in order for knowledge, processes, and people to be aligned for optimal functioning of the
organization.
In addition, IEs can aid in the design of flexible systems that will enable growth and
evolution. Knowledge management systems in organizations should accommodate modifications
and updates that account for changes in an organization. For instance, if more people need to use
the system, it should allow for multiple points of access. It should be flexible enough to allow for
varying read and write privileges on various knowledge bases. It should be customizable for
additions and deletions of knowledge without disruption to the core architecture.
Knowledge human factors
A knowledge management system is useful only if it is accepted throughout an organization.
Most knowledge management systems are designed adequately in the aesthetic sense, but they have
not been designed appropriately to account for human work factors. To use a knowledge
management system, people usually have to leave what they are doing, consult a remote system,
and then return to the work. This is inefficient and makes it less of a user-friendly approach.
Moreover, it results in lower usage of the system. Individuals would rather rely on heuristics and
hunches for calibrating decisions rather than consult an unwieldy knowledge management system.
One large software company I'm familiar with has a sophisticated knowledge management
system that houses details on projects, software code bases, contact information for key personnel,
and research and development plans. Over the course of my investigation into the usage of the
system, I uncovered a simple human factor that had not been accounted for: Personnel who worked
off-site and from home seldom used the system. The reason was that the system had an unbearable
response rate to queries when executed over a dial-up connection. None of the designers had picked
up on this because much of the testing for the system was done in-house, where a T1 plus
connection was available. This small detail was a significant human factor that deterred almost 20
percent of the organization from using the system.
IEs have been working on human factors and safety engineering issues for decades. This
knowledge can be used to aid knowledge system design. The goal should be to make knowledge
management part of the work processes. Assimilating it into daily work will lead to a true
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