Preface for the Third Edition - Read

4. Foundation 51
Coordination in traditional office work is provided by workflow management
systems that implement operative business processes. The lesser structured knowledge
work can be coordinated by messaging systems and Groupware. Consequently,
modeling used to focus largely on data (entity relationship modeling),
objects and classes (object-oriented modeling) and business processes (business
process modeling). Knowledge work requires content- and communication oriented
modeling techniques that define meta-data and provide taxonomies, ontologies,
user models, communication diagrams, knowledge maps and diagrams that
show what objects, persons, instruments, roles, communities, rules and outcomes
are involved in the main knowledge-related activities 69 . Finally, the increased
mobility of knowledge workers requires multiple, virtual workspaces that can be
personalized according to the demands and practices of their users.
This fundamental change in ICT support is backed by a corresponding major
shift in the ICT infrastructure. PCs are no longer equipped with weak resources and
used in an offline, stand-alone mode. Computers have rich resources, provide
information-rich modes of interaction with the user, permanent, fast network connections
as well as highly flexible wireless and mobile connections and comprehensive
communication features. Mobile appliances, such as notebooks, PDAs and
mobile phones are equipped with a wide range of applications.
To sum up, this calls for (1) the systematic, flexible handling of context, (2)
intelligent functions to handle the vast amounts of substantially extended types of
contents, i.e. semi-structured data in the organizational “knowledge base”, and (3)
extended functionality for collaboration. These functions have to be realized in or
seamlessly integrated with the knowledge workers’ personal workspaces 70 .
Economics. Correspondingly, management focus has shifted from a mere periodical
financial focus with its past orientation to a flexible and balanced set of criteria
that show the current status of the organization’s resources, processes, innovation
and performance. The interest thus has shifted from tangible to intangible assets,
from things to flows as Skyrme (2000) puts it, from standards and standard products
and services to common yet customized products and services. Metrics are
required not simply for reporting the production statistics of goods and services,
but to manage the innovation process(es) in the organization. Knowledge management
in this realm provides for more visibility of organizational resources, skills
and knowledge processes and allows for a more systematic strategic management
of (core) competencies in an organization 71 .
Consequently, KM initiatives primarily aim at fostering an organizational and
ICT environment that is suited for knowledge work 72 . The substantially changed
69. See section 6.6 - “Modeling” on page 237.
70. See also section 4.3 - “Knowledge management systems” on page 82 for a discussion of
knowledge management systems and their differences to more traditional information
systems.
71. See section 5.1.1 - “From market-based to knowledge-based view” on page 94.