Knowledge Management, Technology and Mass Customisation
Dr Yoosuf Cader.
In the past the most critical limiting factor for organisational growth was land followed by capital. In the global information age, the critical limiting factor for growth is the management of the rate of change in the environment that would have been unimaginable 15 years ago. In order to respond to these dynamic changes the most important resource required by organisations would be technology, information and knowledge. However, that alone would be insufficient if the organisation does not learn to manage information and knowledge effectively. Organisations must leverage these important resources to achieve their objectives. This includes providing value for their customers - and other stakeholders - and doing it more effectively than their competitors.
What then is information and knowledge management? What is the big picture? Where does it all fit in? I found most of the literature on information and knowledge management disjointed. For example, the information technologists would write on the IT infrastructure, the operational managers on continuous improvement and operational techniques, the marketing professionals on marketing knowledge (mass customisation concept), and so on. But no one has put it all together. I have found a way of schematically representing how the 'whole is greater than the sum of its parts' in terms of organisations being effective in the 21st century.
I have schematically represented the big picture in what I call the 'Information and Knowledge Management Organisation tree'. Imagine the organisation as being represented by a tree. The core (or trunk) of any organisation is their information systems resource that is enabled by the power of computing and telecommunications technologies. No organisation will survive without this critical resource that enables them to deal with the rate of change in the environment.
Some of the organisational objectives (the fruits) of an organisation are sustained competitive advantage, market share, knowledge-based innovative products or services, customer and stakeholder satisfaction/delight, and knowledge that benefits human welfare.
To achieve an organisation's objectives, various knowledge inputs (the branches) are required. These include marketplace knowledge, macro- and micro-environmental knowledge, product or service knowledge, customer information and knowledge, and value-chain knowledge, etc. Other non-marketplace knowledge includes research and development knowledge, knowledge of automation, knowledge of operational techniques, etc.
The roots of the information and knowledge management tree represent the mission of the organisation. Above all, the mission has to be well managed. More importantly one has to be faithful to the mission of an organisation in every sense of the word. This is why organisations such as British Petroleum and Senco (a US based nail manufacturer) consider themselves as being in the knowledge management business. As a consequence they are effectively leveraging information and knowledge to create wealth for their organisation and value for their stakeholders. They are doing this more effectively than their competitors.
What then is information and knowledge management? What is the big picture? Where does it all fit in? I found most of the literature on information and knowledge management disjointed. For example, the information technologists would write on the IT infrastructure, the operational managers on continuous improvement and operational techniques, the marketing professionals on marketing knowledge (mass customisation concept), and so on. But no one has put it all together. I have found a way of schematically representing how the 'whole is greater than the sum of its parts' in terms of organisations being effective in the 21st century.
I have schematically represented the big picture in what I call the 'Information and Knowledge Management Organisation tree'. Imagine the organisation as being represented by a tree. The core (or trunk) of any organisation is their information systems resource that is enabled by the power of computing and telecommunications technologies. No organisation will survive without this critical resource that enables them to deal with the rate of change in the environment.
Some of the organisational objectives (the fruits) of an organisation are sustained competitive advantage, market share, knowledge-based innovative products or services, customer and stakeholder satisfaction/delight, and knowledge that benefits human welfare.
To achieve an organisation's objectives, various knowledge inputs (the branches) are required. These include marketplace knowledge, macro- and micro-environmental knowledge, product or service knowledge, customer information and knowledge, and value-chain knowledge, etc. Other non-marketplace knowledge includes research and development knowledge, knowledge of automation, knowledge of operational techniques, etc.
The roots of the information and knowledge management tree represent the mission of the organisation. Above all, the mission has to be well managed. More importantly one has to be faithful to the mission of an organisation in every sense of the word. This is why organisations such as British Petroleum and Senco (a US based nail manufacturer) consider themselves as being in the knowledge management business. As a consequence they are effectively leveraging information and knowledge to create wealth for their organisation and value for their stakeholders. They are doing this more effectively than their competitors.
Presenters
Dr Yoosuf Cader
(Australia)
Lecturer in Marketing
John & Barbara Ralph School of Business and Informatics Australian Catholic University Melbourne Campus (St Patricks)
Australian Catholic University National
John & Barbara Ralph School of Business and Informatics Australian Catholic University Melbourne Campus (St Patricks)
Australian Catholic University National
Dr Yoosuf Cader
Lecturer - St Patrick's
B.Sc Hon(Surrey) MBus(Monash) PhD(Wales)
Member of the Asia Pacific Bioinformatics Network
Founder member of the Australian New Zealand Marketing Academy
Member of the Advisory Board of Raffles Education Group (Malaysia)
Fellow of the Royal Society for the Promotion of Health (UK)
Chartered Biologist (C.Biol) and Member of the Institute of Biology (M.I.Biol) UK
Phone:(61 3) 9953 3162
Fax: (61 3) 9953 3775
Email: y.cader@patrick.acu.edu.au
Dr Cader teaches a range of marketing units and strategic management.
At present he incorporates 'Knowledge Management' within this unit.
He plans to introduce 'Knowledge Management' as a full unit during 2003.
His research interests include marketing, business management in Asia,
the biotechnology industry, and 'Information & Knowledge Management'.
His interests are now focused in innovation and marketing in the biotechnology
industry, where he worked for a number of years.
Another area of interest to him is 'The bridging of Genomic Bioinformatics
and knowledge management.
Lecturer - St Patrick's
B.Sc Hon(Surrey) MBus(Monash) PhD(Wales)
Member of the Asia Pacific Bioinformatics Network
Founder member of the Australian New Zealand Marketing Academy
Member of the Advisory Board of Raffles Education Group (Malaysia)
Fellow of the Royal Society for the Promotion of Health (UK)
Chartered Biologist (C.Biol) and Member of the Institute of Biology (M.I.Biol) UK
Phone:(61 3) 9953 3162
Fax: (61 3) 9953 3775
Email: y.cader@patrick.acu.edu.au
Dr Cader teaches a range of marketing units and strategic management.
At present he incorporates 'Knowledge Management' within this unit.
He plans to introduce 'Knowledge Management' as a full unit during 2003.
His research interests include marketing, business management in Asia,
the biotechnology industry, and 'Information & Knowledge Management'.
His interests are now focused in innovation and marketing in the biotechnology
industry, where he worked for a number of years.
Another area of interest to him is 'The bridging of Genomic Bioinformatics
and knowledge management.
Keywords
- Knowledge Management
- Technology
- Mass Customisation
- Competitive Advantage
- Mission
- Information
- Value Chain
- knowledge-based Innovative products/services
(Virtual Presentation,
English)