The Development of the The Development of the Siemens Knowledge Siemens Knowledge Community SupportCommunity Support

By: Matt GreavesBy: Matt Greaves

IntroductionIntroduction

The Siemens Knowledge Community The Siemens Knowledge Community (KCS) is a corporate project to initiate (KCS) is a corporate project to initiate and support Knowledge Communitiesand support Knowledge Communities

A Knowledge Community is a group of A Knowledge Community is a group of people who, based on a common people who, based on a common company interest, exchange and company interest, exchange and develop knowledge while providing develop knowledge while providing support beyond the boundaries of support beyond the boundaries of their organizational unittheir organizational unit

The Value of The Value of Knowledge Knowledge Communities Communities Knowledge is a key resource in Knowledge is a key resource in

products and solutionsproducts and solutions Knowledge Communities overcome:Knowledge Communities overcome:

– Organizational/hierarchal boundariesOrganizational/hierarchal boundaries– Business processesBusiness processes– Project specific boundariesProject specific boundaries– Geographic/cultural/language boundariesGeographic/cultural/language boundaries

Use company wide knowledge to Use company wide knowledge to benefit the customers and generate benefit the customers and generate new businessnew business

Value ContinuedValue Continued

Provide benefits such as:Provide benefits such as:– Creation/deepening of new knowledgeCreation/deepening of new knowledge– Detect blind spots within the Detect blind spots within the

corporationcorporation– Identification/usage of synergiesIdentification/usage of synergies

KC generate quicker access to KC generate quicker access to relevant knowledge, and more relevant knowledge, and more efficient solutions to everyday work efficient solutions to everyday work problemsproblems

Lifecycle of Knowledge Lifecycle of Knowledge CommunitiesCommunities

Divided into three important Divided into three important phases:phases:

1.1. The Start-UpThe Start-Up

2.2. Running and ImprovingRunning and Improving

3.3. Winding-DownWinding-Down

The Start-Up PhaseThe Start-Up Phase

Initiating Process – awareness Initiating Process – awareness through individual motivation, through individual motivation, situation analysis, and a situation analysis, and a knowledge strategyknowledge strategy

1.1. PreconsiderationPreconsideration

2.2. Identification and IntegrationIdentification and Integration

3.3. Develop a Community ConceptDevelop a Community Concept

4.4. Setting Up a FrameworkSetting Up a Framework

Run and Improve Run and Improve PhasePhase Critical that continuous Critical that continuous

improvement takes placeimprovement takes place Keep momentum to develop and Keep momentum to develop and

sustain a vital and active sustain a vital and active CommunityCommunity

Five enabling activities:Five enabling activities:1.1. Organization and ModerationOrganization and Moderation2.2. Member Management / MotivationMember Management / Motivation3.3. Presentation and PromotionPresentation and Promotion4.4. Establish / Maintain IT infrastructureEstablish / Maintain IT infrastructure5.5. Monitoring / Improvement Monitoring / Improvement

Winding-Down PhaseWinding-Down Phase

KCs should only exist as long as KCs should only exist as long as the members / business benefitthe members / business benefit

Will discontinue a Knowledge Will discontinue a Knowledge Community if this is not the case or Community if this is not the case or the goals are no longer applicablethe goals are no longer applicable

Important aspects of the Important aspects of the Community’s knowledge Community’s knowledge transferred or archivedtransferred or archived

Role Players in a Role Players in a Knowledge CommunityKnowledge Community

Three groups of roles in the Three groups of roles in the Community:Community:

1.1. Community itself – composed of Community itself – composed of members, the organizer, and members, the organizer, and facilitatorfacilitator

2.2. Interface roles – link the community Interface roles – link the community to the formal organization / other KCsto the formal organization / other KCs

3.3. Community services – group offering Community services – group offering fee-based services to the KCfee-based services to the KC

Communication in Communication in Knowledge CommunitiesKnowledge Communities

Appropriate mix of face-to-face Appropriate mix of face-to-face and virtual communicationand virtual communication

Planned/regular communication Planned/regular communication and continual and spontaneous and continual and spontaneous communicationcommunication

Components of Components of Successful Successful Knowledge Knowledge CommunitiesCommunities1.1. People and CompetenciesPeople and Competencies

2.2. Culture and CollaborationCulture and Collaboration

3.3. Strategy and ObjectivesStrategy and Objectives

4.4. Knowledge Content and StructureKnowledge Content and Structure

5.5. Processes, Roles, and OrganizationProcesses, Roles, and Organization

6.6. Leadership/Management SupportLeadership/Management Support

7.7. Information/Communication Information/Communication InfrastructureInfrastructure

Introduction to Introduction to Knowledge Knowledge Community Community SupportSupport Before 1999, a diverse range of Before 1999, a diverse range of

knowledge community projects existed knowledge community projects existed within individual business units of within individual business units of SiemensSiemens

During 1999, the Corporate Knowledge During 1999, the Corporate Knowledge Management office created a support Management office created a support base for these KCbase for these KC

Eventually this effort evolved into the Eventually this effort evolved into the company-wide Knowledge Community company-wide Knowledge Community Support Support

The Development and The Development and Implementation of Implementation of

KCSKCS

Case StudyCase Study

The KickoffThe Kickoff

Mission for the KCS:Mission for the KCS:– Support KC throughout their lifecycleSupport KC throughout their lifecycle– Facilitate identification of KCsFacilitate identification of KCs– Facilitate transformation of Siemens into a Facilitate transformation of Siemens into a

global network of knowledge and innovationglobal network of knowledge and innovation– Promote cooperationPromote cooperation

Create top management awareness of Create top management awareness of KCs within Siemens, stressing their KCs within Siemens, stressing their importance and needed support of importance and needed support of managementmanagement

The Kickoff ContinuedThe Kickoff Continued

Six action fields of the KCS teamSix action fields of the KCS team1.1. Launch the KCS websiteLaunch the KCS website

2.2. Promote KCS and Siemens supportPromote KCS and Siemens support

3.3. Install a KCS HotlineInstall a KCS Hotline

4.4. Provide KC coachings jointlyProvide KC coachings jointly

5.5. Implement a Communities@Siemens Implement a Communities@Siemens directorydirectory

6.6. Create activity and role descriptions for Create activity and role descriptions for CommunitiesCommunities

KCS WebsiteKCS Website

Provides community activists and Provides community activists and facilitators with detailed facilitators with detailed information on what is important information on what is important throughout the KC life cyclethroughout the KC life cycle

Comprises a wide spectrum of Comprises a wide spectrum of useful knowledgeuseful knowledge

Also includes fee-based solutions Also includes fee-based solutions and services by the KCS teamand services by the KCS team

KCS PromotionKCS Promotion

Aimed at the community activists and Aimed at the community activists and facilitators, and more generally all facilitators, and more generally all Siemens employeesSiemens employees

Have all employees know what a KC Have all employees know what a KC entails and what benefits Communities entails and what benefits Communities offered the members and corporationoffered the members and corporation

Completed a KC brochure for Completed a KC brochure for community activists, facilitators and community activists, facilitators and sponsorssponsors

KCS Hotline & KCS Hotline & Community CoachingCommunity Coaching Activists / facilitators can send Activists / facilitators can send

emails outlining their questions to emails outlining their questions to the hotlinethe hotline

Offers a community coaching Offers a community coaching service to get things rolling within service to get things rolling within the KCthe KC

Developed a program specifically Developed a program specifically dedicated to train KC facilitatorsdedicated to train KC facilitators

Communities@Siemens Communities@Siemens

DirectoryDirectory Provided details of existing Provided details of existing

communitiescommunities Offers Siemens employees a Offers Siemens employees a

quick/user-friendly way of finding quick/user-friendly way of finding a community on a certain topica community on a certain topic

Index, full text search, and Index, full text search, and subdivided topic treesubdivided topic tree

KC Support MaterialKC Support Material

Created detailed checklists, roles, Created detailed checklists, roles, and activity descriptions for and activity descriptions for everything related to Knowledge everything related to Knowledge CommunitiesCommunities

Extremely helpful during the start Extremely helpful during the start up phase of a new Communityup phase of a new Community

Thank YouThank You

The Development of the Siemens The Development of the Siemens Knowledge Community SupportKnowledge Community Support

Pages: 147-158Pages: 147-158