Knowledge Management System - Case Study Example

Knowledge Management System Student’s Name Institution Table of Contents 1.0 Introduction……………………………………………………………………………………3 1.1 Key Issues from Knowledge Needs Analysis…………………………………………………3 2.0 Knowledge System Design: A Scenario Approach…………………………………………...4 2.1Scenario 1: Skilled Employees………………………………………………………...5 2.2 Scenario 2: Environment Protection…………………………………………………..6 2.3 Scenario 3: Workplace Safety…………………………………………………………7 3.0 Knowledge System Design-Architecture…………………………………………………...…8 3.1 Knowledge Flow Framework…………………………………………………………9 3.2 Knowledge Framework Design for Knowledge Management System………………10 3.3 How the Design System Interact with the KM components…………………………10 3.4 Framework to assess Industry marginal benefit of knowledge management…......11 4.0 Conclusion ………………………………………………………………………………......12 5.0 Quality Assurance……………………………………………………………………………12 6.0 References……………………………………………………………………………………14 Knowledge Management System 1.0 Introduction This report contains a design system for a Knowledge Management System (KMS) for the Telstra. The previous report evaluated a number of issues that were causing problems in the operation of the company. The issues were attributed to the incomprehensible Knowledge Management System which was presenting serious potential risks. For example, departure of skilled and knowledgeable workers resulted to engagement into non regulated business. After briefly reviewing these issues, this report presents, in Section 2, a range of KMS components across the socio-technical spectrum, which could be implemented to address the specific issues. How these components work together and with the current operations is addressed in the Section 3-KMS Architecture. The report aims at showing how the identified knowledge in the previous work can be systematized. The new design will enable Telstra to integrate its operations to meet high quality service delivery. The reports conclude with some recommendations and notes on why this work can be considered as high quality. 1.1 Key Issues from Knowledge Needs Analysis The case study concerns a particular problem situation, however knowledge management is not about fixing failures but about having knowledge processes in place to ensure that business-as-usual is performed in a knowledgeable manner and innovation is encouraged. The case study involves the study of the Telstra reckless way of carrying its tasks. The company was responsible for part of the national roll out of the broadband network in Australia. In the embracement of modern technologies which guarantee faster and efficient connections, the company was laying underground fiber optic cables around the country owing to the many benefits associated with the fiber optic technology in communications. The main issues covered in the case are the irresponsible disposal of optic fibers into the environment as well as inappropriate digging up of telecommunications pits. The threatening issue that prompts media and the government officials to complain is the exposure of the public to the inherent dangers of asbestos material. The dangers of asbestos include health effects such as cancer, asbestosis and mesothelioma (Grace and Butler, 2005). The happening of these issues is attributed to lack of well established knowledge management system. Telstra had retrenched highly skilled workers aiming to reduce its operation’s cost. The company turned to the services of inexperienced temporary workers who could not even communicate comprehensively. In the case study, Mr. O’Farrell indicates that Telstra contractors who had been working on the pit had “no idea” what they were doing. He realized that some of the workers cannot speak English. For instance, he watched the owner of the company communicate with employees from meters away with hand signals, telling them to break up the pits with their hands and putting it into bags. 2.0 Knowledge System Design: A Scenario Approach The KM model is based on the principle that efficient and relevant knowledge management must be aligned with the overall organizational strategy. The Australian Standard AS5037 contains numerous models of KMS. This section presents those components considered to address the situation analyzed in the previous report. The relationship with existing processes is established while discussing these components in chapter 3. 2.1Scenario 1: Skilled Employees. Effective knowledge management is achieved through employees’ skills. The culture and capability of the organization must be able to accommodate this factor. Knowledge management is implemented through the selection of particular enablers. Enablers vary from established disciplines that complement knowledge management such as records management or quality management to tools such as electronic collaborative software (Maier, 2007). Telstra needs to establish an effective human resource department that can hire and retain skilled employees enhancing the company enablers. The current method used to hire employees is ineffective and fails to address numerous issues such as quality assurance. As mentioned above, the company is engaging inexperienced temporary workers in order to reduce expenditures. This strategy indicates that the managers at the top are focused on short term profit. The future credibility fails of the company is at risk. The company requires involving effective ways to recruit new employees. Among the best method is through referrals from current successful contractors, recruiting at vocational schools and universities, advertising in professional publications as well as involving employment agencies. The human resource needs to advertise a detailed description of the job that needs to be filled. This requires exclusive coverage of the entire sector that the employee will be responsible to work (Maier, 2007). A well outline job profile attracts skilled employee from another organization. The applicant should be carefully screened to determine whether they match with the Telstra culture and capabilities. The hiring process for senior managers should be longer and more detailed than lower-level individuals (Maier, 2007). This emphasizes the importance of top management. A good manager should communicate eloquently and able to negotiate as well as articulate issues. Although these business processes are expensive, they can help Telstra to enhance its quality assurance to the public. 2.2 Scenario 2: Environment Protection Telstra engages in a business that is prone to environmental pollution. The knowledge of building the telecommunication infrastructure comes from engineering sources. Therefore, engineers play a crucial role in the ongoing destruction of the environment and disposal of asbestos materials to the environment. In this regard, Telstra should focus on workshop that reinforces engineer’s practices with regard to environmental sustainability as well as their knowledge management. It is essential that environment knowledge is accessible and put to use. This makes engineers more responsible for achieving goals of environment protection (Maier, 2010). Telstra should develop rules, norms and procedures about accountability that the shape credibility of the service delivery. These regulations should also be followed by subcontractors and other agencies that are involved in the telecommunication infrastructure development. Environmental policy-making is outlined in the Engineers’ organizational (Maier, 2010). This organization acts as intermediaries between industries and government to ensure the procedures for protecting the environment. Therefore, Telstra needs to commit itself to form workshop and other forums that train engineers about these issues. Other business processes that Telstra needs to involve are in its operations is a calculation and representation of environmental sustainability. Engineers have to use instruments and software to measure the amount of asbestos disposed to the environment. This involves selection of indicators that meets the environmental standards. If waste disposed to environment is beyond the set standards, this calls for re-evaluation of the entire project management. Knowledge management tools are essential to ensure that complains about sustainability is solved by experts (Maier, 2010). Telstra should dedicate itself to purchasing these environmental measuring tools. The employee should also be explicitly trained. 2.3 Scenario 3: Workplace Safety Telstra and NBN Co have been accused of failing to regulate contractors who are trying to cut costs by flouting standard safety procedures. The case study indicates that the peak union body is pushing the Gillard government to take control of asbestos safety scrutiny, rather than depend on the company’s own quality assurance program. These opinions are triggered by the damaging health scandal that Telstra is unable to provide a permanent solution. In the case study, Telstra takes a long time to carry out an audit of the asbestos incidents across its network. Numerous weaknesses regarding occupational health and regulation are revealed. Comcare, who regulates workplace health and safety act is delaying in taking stringent actions against Telstra. An effective business process that can resolve the issue is to empower the employee with the OSH act information (Rubenstein and Geisler, 2003). For instance, every employee is supposed to protect his own health and safety and that of other persons who may be affected in the process of undertaking the infrastructure development. The duties and precaution of contractors are reasonably illustrated in this act. Telstra is therefore required to enforce the subcontractors to ensure the health and safety of persons near or at the workplace. Also, the company should ensure that information concerning health and safety of persons at the workplace is well communicated between employers and sub contractors. Telstra has a responsibility to identify and eliminate hazards to the health of employees at work place. In this case, it is supposed to identify the asbestos materials that expose employees to health issues. This act requires workplace to be monitored, measured and tested. Telstra is supposed to observe safety monitoring system through taking samples, tests and measurements (Rubenstein and Geisler, 2003). This process is supposed to be implemented by a committee who observes workplace occupational health monitoring process. If Telstra doesn’t apply these rules, employees have the right to refuse to do the job if the act is likely to endanger their health at risk. 3.0 Knowledge System Design-Architecture Under the guidance of the corresponding knowledge management theory, this section proposes an effective process of implementing Telstra telecommunication project. Knowledge cycle is used as a model to show how the above mentioned knowledge management components interact with the designed model. The system will improve the performance of Telstra Company. The system emphasizes on sustainability of knowledge management system as new knowledge need to be stored and implemented (Rubenstein and Geisler, 2003). 3.1 Knowledge Flow Framework There are several challenges that are encountered while developing Telstra knowledge management architectural knowledge flow system. The culture of the sub contractors focuses on non credible means to undertake their work and therefore undermines team work (Zeleny, 2005). This system requires getting people to share knowledge. Also, the process of documenting how decisions are reached is complex. For instance, Telstra have to consult Comcare on issues of occupational health and safety. This hinders the process of integrating knowledge to the final deployment. 3.2 Knowledge Framework Design for Knowledge Management System 3.3 How the Design System Interact with the KM components This system design is result-oriented as it starts slow and grows. The system starts with a problem and end with a solution. Telstra needs to implement these knowledge components as an approach to find a permanent solution for reckless disposal of asbestos to the environment. The system starts by evaluating the current infrastructure development project that is digging the pits and laying down the cables. A committee is formed to enforce the implementation process. Key issues discussed are the components mentioned in the scenario section such as environment protection, skilled labor and workplace safety. Knowledge about the requirement of skilled labor and occupational, health and safety act are captured at this stage. It enables to form an insightful idea of both current and future trends due to the undertaken decision. This stage requires experts such as legal professionals since the discussed issues need to be evaluated. For instance, the process of interpreting occupational health and safety act, the environmental protection acts need professional legal officers. Making a mistake at this stage is costly. The shape of the triangle depicts the seriousness of these stages. Therefore, actions undertaken in the bottom stages of the triangle are irreversible (Zeleny, 2005). The design of KMS blueprint is meant to ascertain the direction taken to address the key issues in the analysis of the knowledge management system. The committee ensures that procedures, rules and guidelines established and outlined in the blueprint are perfectly followed during the implementation process. The interaction of the numerous issues influenced by environment factors such as politics and the economy is managed by post-system evaluation. This stage rectifies the issues that keep on arising during project implementation. 3.4 Framework to assess Industry marginal benefit of knowledge management These dynamics drive the Telstra Company to adopt a knowledge management system to benefit from the end result. Every company is driven by successful project implementation, thus human capital intensive is crucial. The proposed architecture design for Telstra precisely outlines the process of identifying and retaining human capital. Through skilled labor, the company develops a competitive advantage enabling it to deliver high quality services that don’t compromise the life of the employees and public 4.0 Conclusion This report has presented an architecture design for a knowledge management system. The knowledge management life cycle aims to improve the capability of Telstra to involve a knowledgeable strategy. The knowledgeable management approach is end result oriented. Telstra needs a system that is rapid to solve the issues and therefore this system is appropriate since it provide tangible results instantly. Marginal benefits that result from this intervention are reducing environmental pollution, improved workplace safety and enhanced human capital intensive. An effective system relates perfectly between the knowledge management analysis and the implementation process. This paper has shown how Telstra needs to change its current process of operation and adopt an effective approach that provides results instantly. It has shown how the KM components mentioned in the scenario section have interacted with the design to provide effective solutions. The design process involves some stages of implementation are well outlined. 5.0 Quality Assurance This report meets the specific terms of reference. It demonstrates a range of knowledgeable management system components, how they interrelate and how they form a triangular architecture design. The paper has shown how this design can be applied in the Telstra Company so that knowledge is better managed. The paper is well-researched and grounded having been developed from well known resources. 6.0 References Grace, A., & Butler, T. (2005). Beyond knowledge management: Introducing learning management systems. Hershey, PA: Idea Group Pub. Maier, R. (2007). Knowledge management systems: Information and communication technologies for knowledge management. Berlin: Springer. Maier, Ronald. (2010). Knowledge Management Systems. Gardners Books. Rubenstein, A. H., & Geisler, E. (2003). Installing and managing workable knowledge management systems. Westport, Conn: Praeger. Zeleny, M. (2005). Human systems management: Integrating knowledge, management and systems. Hackensack, NJ: World Scientific Pub. Read More