Module 6 Review Questions

Page 442, 1 through 4 (Chapter 11)

1. Definition of Knowledge Management

Knowledge management and collaboration systems are among the fastest growing areas of corporate and government software investment. There are several different, and sometimes confusing statements that claim to be a definition of Knowledge Management' and there are different perspectives on what Knowledge Management is. For example: ▪ KM is about systems and technologies ▪ KM is about people and learning organizations ▪ KM is about processes, methods and techniques ▪ KM is about managing knowledge assets ▪ KM is a holistic initiative across the entire organization ▪ KM is not a discipline, as such, and should be an integral part of every knowledge workers daily responsibilities. Knowledge inherent to business processes, often called corporate knowledge, is any information essential to the daily functions of an organization. Corporate knowledge can be found in company databases, management documents, history files, and inside the minds of employees.

According to Russell Ackoff, a systems theorist and professor of organizational change, the content of the human mind can be classified into five categories: 1. Data: symbols 2. Information: data that are processed to be useful; provides answers to "who", "what", "where", and "when" questions 3. Knowledge: application of data and information; answers "how" questions 4. Understanding: appreciation of "why” 5. Wisdom: evaluated understanding.

The successive stages during which value is created when producing, distributing, and servicing a product. Distinct stages in the value chain may include: (1) receiving and distributing raw materials, (2) converting raw materials into a finished product, (3) identifying customers and distributing the product, and (4) providing customer support. Identifying the value chain allows a firm to refine its operations in an effort to improve quality, add efficiencies, and increase profits.

2. Many companies have installed intranets—or enterprise-wide computer networks with databases all employees can access—as a form of KM. A number of software programs exist to facilitate KM efforts. Some of the leaders in the field include Lotus Notes, Microsoft Exchange Server, and a variety of systems based on XML.

Wikis: Inexpensive way to centralize all kinds of corporate data that can be displayed on Web page Social bookmarking: Allow users to share bookmarks to Web pages on public Web sites Tags on bookmarks help organize and search for information Learning management systems: Provide tools for management, delivery, tracking, and assessment of various types of employee learning and training. Support multiple modes of learning (e.g. CD-ROM, Web-based classes, live instruction, etc.)

3. Systems for knowledge workers to help create new knowledge and ensure that knowledge is properly integrated into business -Knowledge workers-Researchers, designers, architects, scientists, and engineers who primarily create knowledge and information for the organization. Perform three critical roles: Keeping organization current in knowledge. Serving as internal consultants regarding their areas of expertise. Acting as change agents, evaluating, initiating, and promoting change projects.

CAD: Automates creation and revision of engineering or architectural designs, using computers and sophisticated graphics software. Virtual reality systems: Software and special hardware to simulate real-life environments

Example: 3-D medical modeling for surgeons. VRML (Virtual reality modeling language): Specifications for interactive, three-dimensional modeling on World Wide Web that can organize multiple media types. Investment workstations: Streamline investment process and consolidate internal, external data for brokers, traders, portfolio managers.

4. Intelligent techniques: Used to capture individual and collective knowledge and to extend knowledge base To capture tacit knowledge: Expert systems, case-based reasoning, fuzzy logic. Knowledge discovery: Neural networks and data mining. Generating solutions: Genetic algorithms. Automating tasks: Intelligent agents. rtificial intelligence (AI) technology: Computer-based systems that emulate human behavior. Able to learn languages, accomplish physical tasks, etc.

Expert systems: Capture tacit knowledge in very specific and limited domain of human expertise. Capture knowledge of skilled employees in form of set of rules in software system that can be used by others in organization. Typically perform limited tasks that may take a few minutes or hours, e.g.: Diagnosing malfunctioning machine. Determining whether to grant credit for loan.

Case-based reasoning (CBR)- Descriptions of past experiences of human specialists, represented as cases, stored in knowledge base. System searches for stored cases with problem characteristics similar to new one, finds closest fit, and applies solutions of old case to new case. Successful and unsuccessful applications are grouped with case. Stores organizational intelligence: Knowledge base is continuously expanded and refined by users. CBR is found in: Medical diagnostic systems. Customer support.

Neural Networks: Find patterns and relationships in massive amounts of data that are too complicated for human to analyze. “ Learn” patterns by searching for relationships, building models, and correcting over and over again model’s own mistakes. Humans “train” network by feeding it training data for which inputs produce known set of outputs or conclusions, to help neural network learn correct solution by example. Neural network applications in medicine, science, and business address problems in pattern classification, prediction, financial analysis, and control and optimization.

Fuzzy logic systems- Rule-based technology that represents imprecision used in linguistic categories (e.g. “cold”, “cool”) that represent range of values. Describe a particular phenomenon or process linguistically and then represent that description in a small number of flexible rules. Provides solutions to problems requiring expertise that is difficult to represent with crisp IF-THEN rules. Autofocus devices in cameras. Systems to detect possible medical fraud. Sendai’s subway system use of fuzzy logic controls to accelerate smoothly.

Page 475, 1 through 5 (Chapter 12)

1. Decision-Making Levels- * Senior Management: makes decisions based on internal business information but also external industry and society changes; decisions affect long-term and strategic goals and the firm's objectives. * Middle Management and project teams: decisions affect resource allocation, short-range plans and performance of specific departments, task forces, teams, and special project groups. * Operational management and project teams: decisions affect subunits and individual employees regarding the resources, schedules and personnel decisions for specific projects. * Individual employees: decisions affect specific vendors, other employees and most importantly the customer.

Unstructured: requires judgment, evaluation, and insight into non-routine situations. Usually made at senior levels of management. Structured: repetitive, routine, with definite procedures for making the decision. Usually made at the lowest organizational levels. Semistructured: A combination of the two. Usually made by middle managers.

The four stages of decision making: * Intelligence: discovering, identifying, and understanding the problem

* Design: identifying and exploring solutions to the problem * Choice: choosing among solution alternatives * Implementation: making the chosen alternative work and monitoring how well the solution is workingThese four stages are not always consecutive and may well be concurrent or repetitive.

2. The behavioral school of management thought developed, in part, because of perceived weaknesses in the assumptions of the classical school. The classical school emphasized efficiency, process, and principles. Some felt that this emphasis disregarded important aspects of organizational life, particularly as it related to human behavior. Thus, the behavioral school focused on trying to understand the factors that affect human behavior at work.

Information systems perform three vital roles in business firms. Business applications of IS support an organization’s business processes and operations, business decision-making, and strategic competitive advantage. Major application categories of information systems include operations support systems, such as transaction processing systems, process control systems, and enterprise collaboration systems, and management support systems, such as management information systems, decision support systems, and executive information systems.

3. In the pyramid of Management Hierarchy, there are 3 levels, is the Operational level, the Middle Management and the Top Management. Each of these levels have data/information needs... and they're significantly different in their characteristics. As an example, the middle mgmt is concerned with Control (like "what'd be the right re-order quantity in an Inventory Mgmt system) whereas the top mgmt is not concerned with such minute details and is usually interested in top level, highly summarized forms of data/info - their objective is to Strategize rather than Control daily ops. MIS serves the middle mgmt while DSS (as the name suggests Decision Support) is for the Top.

A Model Driven DSS uses various models such as statistical model, simulation model or financial model for decision makings. So, decisions are based on models. A Data Driven DSS emphasizes access to and manipulation of a time-series of internal company data and sometimes external data to aid decision makings. So, decisions are based on analyzed data.

Model management component – consists of both the DSS models and the model management systemData management component – stores and maintains the information that you want your DSS to useUser interface management component – allows you to communicate with the DSS

Decision-support systems: combine analytical models with operational data for middle managers making semistructured decisions

4. ESS rely on graphic presentation of information because it's a much quicker way for busy executives to grasp a lot of information in less time. Because of the trend toward flatter organizations with fewer layers of management, companies are employing ESS at lower levels of the organization. This trend will probably continue as more managers become knowledgeable about the power and flexibility of ESS. Flatter organizations also require managers to access more information about a wider range of activities than in the past. This requirement can be accomplished with the aid of a good ESS. Executives can also monitor the performance of their own areas and of the company as a whole.

Using digital dashboards or a balanced scorecard system, many companies are combining their internal financial information with "additional perspectives, such as customers, internal business processes, and learning and growth." Doing so gives the firm a better picture of what's really happening inside and outside the organization. Verizon Communications uses its digital dashboard DSS to: *Monitor costs * Spot trends and anomalies * Receive up-to-date information on corporate performance * Drill down to see detailed data behind the trends

5. Go back to the previous list of problems associated with meetings and you can determine how GDSS solve some of these problems. 1. Improved preplanning: Forces an agenda to keep the meeting on track. 2. Increased participation: Increases the number of people who can effectively contribute to the meeting. 3. Open, collaborative meeting atmosphere: Nonjudgmental input by all attendees. 4. Criticism-free idea generation: Anonymity can generate more input and better ideas. 5. Evaluation objectivity: The idea itself is evaluated and not the person contributing the idea. 6. Idea organization and evaluation: Organized input makes it easier to comprehend the results of the meeting. 7. Setting priorities and making decisions: All management levels are on equal footing. 8. Documentation of meetings: Results of meeting are available for further use and discussion. 9. Access to external information: Reduces disagreements by having the facts. 10. Preservation of "organizational memory:" Information is available to other groups within organization.You can see from this list that the potential for efficient and effective meetings is increased by using GDSS to promote open and organized decision making in groups. GDSS are best used for tasks involving: 1. Idea generation 2. Complex problems 3. Large groupsAll is not perfect with GDSS, however. Face-to-face communication is critical for managers and others to gain insight into how people feel about ideas and topics. Body language can often speak louder than words. Some people still may not contribute freely because they know that all input is stored on the file server, even though it is anonymous. And the system itself imposes disciplines on the group that they may not like.