Thesis: Knowledge Management SystemsThesis Studio: Fall 2009

Amber Krishan | MFA DT

Domains

Knowledge management

Wearable and computer vision

technologies

Competitive Advantage

Imperative competitive Advantage

Efficient information collection,

processing & dispersion

Embracing modern

technologies

Financial Consultancies

What is Knowledge Management?

Information Collection from real world experiences

Processing information

into knowledge

Contextual Knowledge Distribution

ORG

ANIZ

ATIO

NW

ORLD

Domains & Precedents

Knowledge management

Wearable and computer vision

technologies

Competitive Advantage

Imperative competitive Advantage

Efficient information collection,

processing & dispersion

Embracing modern

technologies

Financial Consultancies

Jerome Nadel (VP user

experience, Sagem

Wireless)

Jerome Nadel (VP user

experience, Sagem

Wireless)

Ed Dale (manger ,

CBK, Ernst & Young)

Ed Dale (manger ,

CBK, Ernst & Young)

Knowledge Management

Case Study,Thomas H. Davenport,

Phd, KM

Knowledge Management

Case Study,Thomas H. Davenport,

Phd, KM

Quickies, intelligent

sticky notes - Pranav Mistry

and Pattie Maes

Quickies, intelligent

sticky notes - Pranav Mistry

and Pattie Maes

ReachMedia: On-the-move

interaction with everyday

objects

ReachMedia: On-the-move

interaction with everyday

objects

Meme Tags and

Community Mirrors

Meme Tags and

Community Mirrors

Wearable Key: Device for

Personalizing nearby

Environment

Wearable Key: Device for

Personalizing nearby

Environment

Knowledge Management at Ernst & Young

Center of Business

Knowledge (CBK)

Center of Business

Knowledge (CBK)

Center of Business

Innovation (CBI)

Center of Business

Innovation (CBI)

Center of Business

Technology (CBT)

Center of Business

Technology (CBT)

Create new Knowledge Structure knowledge into methods and automated tools

Gather and store both the firm’s acquired knowledge and external knowledge and

information

• Advisory• Assurance• Tax• Transactions• Strategic growth

markets• Specialty Services

• Advisory• Assurance• Tax• Transactions• Strategic growth

markets• Specialty Services

Knowledge management Challenges

KM = Competitive Advantage

Raw Data collection• Inconsistent collection• Lack of standardization• Data Accuracy

Processing raw data into knowledge• Data Interpretation• Data Relevancy• Large and complex knowledge base

Contextual Knowledge distribution• Ease of Access• Effectively leveraging knowledge to ensure success of future

projects• Ability of the data to support/deny hypotheses

Key Question?

How can knowledge be leverages across the

organization ?

The Need

Knowledge is stored in databases and archives!Users find it hard to learn all.

Corporate environment does not support or facilitate conversation, rather enforces technologies which create a social divide.

Knowledge in all its granularity resides within the minds of the employees.

Don’t make me search through archives!I just need to ask

someone. I just don’t know who!

Don’t make me search through archives!I just need to ask

someone. I just don’t know who!

Early Concepts

Wearable device scans the work environment to locate people with similar focus of work.

Early Concepts

Name tag type devices swapping relevant information

Device with knob type control to set focus of search to particular service lines

Understanding the life of consultant – Daily Life Model

Typical Day at E&Y (for a typical consultant) 

Reach workstation and switch on the PC/laptopReach workstation and switch on the PC/laptop

Reach out to colleagues and typical morning greetingReach out to colleagues and typical morning greeting

Read through the mail / scan through the list of thing to do

Read through the mail / scan through the list of thing to do

Reach out to team and understand the overall plan of the day

Reach out to team and understand the overall plan of the day

Address priority clients first and subsequently allocate the work amongst the team

Address priority clients first and subsequently allocate the work amongst the team

Keep the internal messenger on to reach out to team (outside locations) to administer progress

Keep the internal messenger on to reach out to team (outside locations) to administer progress

During the day – connect on conference calls, video conferencing and attend meetings with the partner to appraise him of the progress

During the day – connect on conference calls, video conferencing and attend meetings with the partner to appraise him of the progress

Work on the deliverable through the dayWork on the deliverable through the day

Evening – Follow up on the pending issues and try to adjust the timelines for deliverables

Evening – Follow up on the pending issues and try to adjust the timelines for deliverables

Understanding the life of consultant – Typical knowledge management problems

Issues Applicable to Thesis Focus

Getting to understand the best practices for the industry/Lack of industry specific information

✗

Working with different teams having different competencies and knowledge base (person specific knowledge base e.g. – a person may be good in X but he might not be good in Y kind of work, but because overall since he knows a little bit of both X and Y he is in the team)

✔

Lack of system integrity to dispense knowledge amongst teams working across locations (E.g – mail size of ppts are huge and the network esp remote networks cannot cope with the same)

✔

Scattered knowledge platforms proving a hindrance to completion ✔

EY doesn’t always subscribe to key information/research information portals to ease out on knowledge management challenges

✗

Reaching out to internal knowledge sharing platforms (poor connectivity) ✗

Non – updation of the internal knowledge platform ✗

Lack of sharing amongst teams – Data is privy to most of the teams ✔

Absence of e-learning modules for some of the key deliverables ✗

Absence of real time updation of project completion status and bottlenecks ✗

Absence of real time solutions for the bottlenecks faced ✔

These challenges are consistent across service lines ✗

Face

d w

ithin

Pro

ject

sFa

ced

acro

ss o

rgan

izati

on

Understanding the life of consultant – Persona

John works full-time at the Ernst and Young, Times square office. He juggles a fast paced career with family life and is very conscious about using his time productively. He strives to be efficient in whatever he does. He tries to provide his family with the best of everything.•Keeps up with fashion and latest gadgets.•Typically carries his laptop and blackberry to work. Is thinking about buying an iPhone.

Demographics•28 years old•Married•Masters Degree in Business Administrations

Motivations•Wants to get the best in life, so wants to excel at his work•Likes to make friends with people and work collaboratively

Demographics•28 years old•Married•Masters Degree in Business Administrations

Motivations•Wants to get the best in life, so wants to excel at his work•Likes to make friends with people and work collaboratively

John SmithJohn Smith

Things I want to know Things I want to do

• What are other teams working on?• What knowledge is relevant to my

work?• What similar projects have been

done previously?

• Get to know what others are good at and contact them for help

Org

aniz

atio

n

Out

side

Wor

ld

Cor

e T

eam

Understanding the life of consultant – User Scenario

John Smith needs to make a Proposal for a Client for Risk Advisory

John Smith

Starts to develop the outline for the report

Starts to develop the outline for the report

Looks for best practice examplesLooks for best practice examples

Passes outline to team member to start putting in facts

Passes outline to team member to start putting in facts

Meanwhile he researches related projectsMeanwhile he researches related projects

John begins the analysis and adds the results to the report

John begins the analysis and adds the results to the report

Hunts for appropriate recommendationsHunts for appropriate recommendations

Manager/ Senior provides a guideline about the project

Manager/ Senior provides a guideline about the project

Deliverable may be dispatched through print/email

Deliverable may be dispatched through print/email

He passes the completed report onto the manager for validation and approval

He passes the completed report onto the manager for validation and approval

Prototypes

Test Questions: Do domain experts volunteer and respond to a question?

Test Audience: Parsons community

Observations:• Community responded to this prototype• 5 people responded and provided useful feedback• Most people viewed the prototype with some were amused

Conclusion:• Community responds well to queries when it is in context• Information gleaned from a conversation is very granular and

Prototypes

Test Questions: Does the community respond to an anonymous query and contribute valuable information which can be actualized?

Test Audience: Parsons community

Observations:• Community did not respond well to this prototype• 2 people responded with one liners which were marginally useful• Most people ignored the prototype

Conclusion:• Community does not respond to general queries and treats them like advertisement• Any data gathered through this process is superficial and not granular

Next Steps

Continue further researchContinue further research

Further ideationFurther ideation

Explore possible technologies early onExplore possible technologies early on