Maroochy Water Services - Knowledge Management System - Case Study Example

KNOWLEDGE MANAGEMENT SYSTEM By Student’s Name Code+ course name Instructor’s Name University Name City, State Introduction It is essential to give a definition of knowledge and also give a good definition of Knowledge Management (KM) because; this will set a good basis for the preparation of a good knowledge management system. It is crucial to define knowledge on the basis of the organization and how well the knowledge is understood in the first instance due to the fact that “how you define knowledge determines how you manage knowledge” (Allen, 1998). Knowledge is described as some kind of information contained in the head of a person which can only be seen from the actions of a person and the way a person conducts himself or herself. Knowledge also, is revealed though the skills that a person has to conduct themselves in a given way which is also the ability of a person to adapt to the changing conditions that surrounds a person (ARRC 2008). However, knowledge is beyond the concept about information, this is because information is generally explained as data which is aggregated, prepared and processed packed into a more implementable form (Frank, Ulrich 2001). Realization of how important knowledge is to an organization makes it an organizational asset which must be sustained and kept maintained to enable a sustainable and a competitive advantage of the organization towards other competitors. In addition, this has led many firms to preparing and developing a Knowledge Management System, in which they design properly for them to facilitate a proper way of sharing and integrating knowledge to the stakeholders of the company thus making a difference between data and raw information (Liebowitz 2007). In this study, Maroochy Water Services in Australia will be our case study. Maroochy Shire is a rural place of great and natural beauty which makes it a tourist destination. It is located approximately 100 kilometers from Queensland State Capital of Brisbane northwards. The current business environment has increasingly become responsive to the needs of various stakeholders in the business such as the customers, the community and the internal stakeholders. Knowledge in social corporate responsibility and the need of sustainability has become a global business aspect that has increasingly been of great focus to business organizations. The drastic changes in the environment have led to a change of focus by the organization, where organizations have become responsive to changes in the environment. The need to conserve the environment has been of great concern to the organization (AlSondos & Othman 2012). Knowledge Awareness A research has been done in determining the level of consumer’s awareness regarding the use of technologies and the internet in general. There is a limitation of awareness regarding to the use of cookies. The knowledge of managing these technologies is also limited within the public domain. The individuals who do not access the services of the internet regularly have little information in the use and management of cookies. There is a necessity for consumer education in a broader manner regarding the privacy on online information. The fundamentals of privacy are essential towards enhancing the comfort of users when indulging in online business. The advancement in technology has triggered most of the organizations to make intensive use of technologies in undertaking their operations (Ehow.com 2011). Data Protection Businesses deal with information that is critical both to the management and the shareholders. Protecting the information and data from any form of distortion ensures the creation of trust by the business. The financial reporting statistics are well outlined in the financial statements of the organizations and consumers will have trust with the information. In ensuring information is not exposed to threat, protection of data is necessary. Various laws and policies should be put in place in ensuring proper management of privacy of data and personal information. With the advancement in technology, laws regarding the privacy of information should constantly be amended to match with the current situation of information technology. The existence of various human rights bodies that are constantly fighting for freedom of information and the right to receive information should be taken into consideration in developing privacy laws. The concept of security of information is critical within the aspect of information disbursement (Frické 2009) Most organizations including Maroochy, lack a well-established architectural security making them venerable to outside attack. This leaves the network of these organizations exposed to the vulnerability of exploitation by former employees like it happened to Maroochy. The lack of developed security architecture within these organizations puts the Personally Identifiable Information at risk. Lack of experts in the field of information technology within various organizations puts the data management system at risk. Networks in these organizations are often connected directly to the internet or are left open to default configuration without any additional protection. Network safety cannot be identifiable by solely using a firewall. More other measures should be put in place to ensure the security of information and data are safeguarded. This is in line with the proposals provided. There is increased vulnerability of data where security concerns are not taken into considerations in the implementation of the operations of an organization. Software and hardware used for the purpose of data storage is susceptible to the risk of hacking and viruses. This is a security concern that has seen most organizations lose critical and vital information due to lack of security measures put in place (Gattei 2009). Most organizations have experienced the loss of data with the information stored in their software being attacked by viruses. The risk of losing Personally Identifiable Information is prevalent among individuals who store information in portable storage devices like personal computers and flash disks. The portable storage devices can easily get lost or stolen. This means that the Personally Identifiable Information contained in these devices can be retrieved by an unintended personality. It is thus necessary to take critical measures and develop viable means of protecting information contained in the portable storage devices. Through the organization value system, knowledge management is the issue of corporate social responsibility that has been recognized and has been embedded in the organization value system. The organization recognizes the importance of taking care of the community where it operates by ensuring sustainability. The ethical concerns of the business are considered in the organization value system where the employees are required to stick to the required code of ethics embedded in the value system of the organization. The organization is embedded in the culture of innovation in ensuring development of new products and services that meet the customers' needs responsibly. Importance of Knowledge Management Knowledge in customer relations management in Maroochy Water Services is another essential aspect in the current business environment with an increased focus on the needs of the customer by the global organizations. The organization recognizes the importance of focusing on the customer since they are the main source of the organization long term growth. The focus of the customer is also embedded in the organization value system since the customers are treated as the source of the organization long term sustainability in terms of profitability. The organization aims at providing customers with high quality products through integration of modern technology. The organization understands the importance of focusing on the customer in achievement of competitive advantage in the market (Durant-Law 2004). Integration of knowledge through the management of the corporate strategies and the organization strategies is essential since it facilitates the organization value system. The values within an organization are integrated in the organization corporate strategy. Strategic management should reflect the values of the organization to different stakeholders in the organization. For example, the need to take care for the environment as well as the communities operating within the organization is essential. In addition, the organization should consider the needs of the shareholders by ensuring profitability of the organization. Therefore, when developing strategies for the organization, policy formulators should consider the values of the organization in terms of the diverse stakeholders in the organization (Liebowitz 2000). Quality planning and proper knowledge in a project ensures there is proper establishment of a viable project. This involves identification of all activities and tasks that require being undertaken. This ensures there is satisfying of the customer’s expectation. In any given project, there are several factors that are put into consideration and often preoccupy those in the project team. The project team has to ensure timely completion of projects and ensuring the project is within the budget. Every member of the project team focuses on the on delivering complete project. However the vital facto in this process ensuring delivery of a quality project. Quality involves delivering a project which at least meets the expectations of the clients. This is ensured through deliverables and actions that create an excellent product (Haggie et al 2003). Knowledge plays a significant role in the estimation of the quality of a project. Every stage of the development of a project is vital and requires maximum involvement and commitment. Ensuring completion of a project is a necessary condition but not sufficient in the evaluation of the overall project. The designing of each project depends on the requirements established by the clients. The project team, therefore, has to work to ensure the establishment of a product that is relevant in meeting the client’s needs. Knowledge is a tool used to evaluate the performance of the project team. Success of any project depends on its capability to meet the specification of the clients. If any project fails to address the specification and requirements of a customer, then that the project will be considered as having failed. The result of the project, in this case, does not find favour in the client. A quality project ensures the achievement of the requirements of the client and hence quality is pivotal and central to any project. The transformational approach of leadership and knowledge management used by the management at Maroochy was among the best leadership strategy that management in the twentieth century could use in any position. The organization of Maroochy has leaders who could facilitate development and growth of the organization, since it was struggling in its operations, as well as financially. The organization could only achieve changes through involvement of the people. Transformational style of leadership is people cantered, and it aims at developing the people who act as change agents for the organization. Maroochy developed strategies through teams in the organization, which led to acceptance of strategies developed. A shift of the focus of the organization to a customer centric approach would encourage improvement of services as well as achieving new objectives (Laurer et al 2000). As a transformational management, it was able to foster capacity development, which led to development of high commitment among other senior managers, as well as staff at Maroochy. Development of teamwork at the organization was among the winning leadership and management strategies that they developed in ensuring an increase of the employee morale, as well as motivation. In addition, they also facilitated the redefinition of people’s mission and values when they called the All-hands meeting requiring all the members of the staff to read books about change. This led to formation of a break-out discussion, which led to introduction of a new value of compassion into the mission and values of the organization. The value of compassion was introduced to capture the value of people who were working in the organization as well as those working outside the organization. There are many factors that cause changes in an organization, such as drastic technological changes, intensified levels of competition, increasing volatility of the pricing strategies. Although, Maroochy had experienced a tremendous growth in the previous years, the management and leadership had not been able to capture an all-round development, which led to a down turn. A change in management was imperative and Maroochy decided to make a change which steered the much needed leadership at the organization (Gerami 2010). There were mixed reactions towards change in management and leadership of the organization, but in the long term there was increased cooperation and coordination among the people. The management succeeded by stirring people to look beyond their personal interest through questions in meetings to enable them to think of the organization objectives. For example, in some of the many meetings in the organization they asked if any of the senior management members could withstand failure two years down the line. This stirred excitement and brainstorming among the senior management, as well as the strategic management team that led to formation of strategies and plan which was to be used in redeeming Maroochy water services. In conclusion, engaging others people at the organization in decision making and formulation of strategies increased the participation and increased motivation, which increased the workers motivation and morale. This led to increased creativity and innovation in the organization in the planning and strategy process. The formation of 360 degrees review system increased the expectations of the workers demanding them to work at peak performance. They also developed structures, which fostered participation, as well as participation in the decision making process (Shannak et al 2009). References AlSondos, I & Othman F 2012, ‘Requirement for Knowledge Management System’, Journal of Communication and Computer, pp. 263-275, viewed 15 June 2012, EBSCO database. ARRC, 2008, Information Vs Knowledge http://www.rkrk.net.au/index.php/Information_Vs_Knowledge Durant-Law, G 2004 The Knowledge Conundrum. Unraveling the Knowledge Component on Knowledge Management Models . http://www.durantlaw.info/knowledge-conundrum-unraveling-knowledge-component-knowledge-management-models Ehow.com 2011 Definition of Knowledge Management System | eHow.com. [online] Available at: http://www.ehow.com/facts_5016840_definition-knowledge-management-system.html [Accessed: 14 Jun 2012]. Frank, Ulrich 2001 Knowledge Management Systems: Essential Requirements and Generic Design Patterns, Published in: Smari, W.W.; Melab, N.; Yetongnon, K. (Eds.): Proceedings of the International Symposium on Information Systems and Engineering, ISE'2001, Las Vegas: CSREA Press 2001, pp. 114-121, http://www.wi-inf.uni-due.de/FGFrank/documents/Zeitschriftenartikel/ISE2001.pdf Frické, M 2009, ‘The knowledge pyramid: a critique of the DIKW hierarchy’, Journal of Information Science, pp. 96-131, viewed 16 June 2012, EBSCO database. Gattei, S. 2009 Karl Popper's Philosophy of Science: Rationality without Foundations Gerami, M. 2010. Knowledge Management: (IJCSIS) International Journal of Computer Science and Information Security. 7(2), 234-237 Haggie, Knox and John Kingston, Choosing Your Knowledge Management Strategy, School of Informatics, University of Edinburgh Journal of Knowledge Management Practice, June 2003 Laurer, Thomas W. and Mohan Tanniru; KNOWLEDGE MANAGEMENT AUDIT - A METHODOLOGY AND CASE STUDY, AJIS Special Edition Knowledge Management December 2001, School of Business Administration, Oakland University Liebowitz, Jay; Bonnie Rubenstein-Montano; Doug McCaw; Judah Buchwalter and Chuck Browning. Knowledge and Process Management; Jan/Mar 2000; 7, 1; ABI/INFORM Global Liebowitz, R,  Montano , B, McCaw, D, Buchwalter, J Browning, C. Knowledge and Process Management, viewed 21 June 2012, Jan/Mar 2000; 7, 1; ABI/INFORM Global, http://www.adb.org/sites/default/files/pub/2007/Strategic-Framework-2007-2009.pdf Shannak, Rifat O. Measuring Knowledge Management Performance in European Journal of Scientific Research ISSN 1450-216X Vol.35 No.2 (2009), pp.242-253 © EuroJournals Publishing, Inc. 2009 http://www.eurojournals.com/ejsr.htm Read More