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Why Apply Knowledge Management in Projects?

April 14, 2010 | Author: PM Hut | Filed under: Communications Management

Why Apply Knowledge Management in Projects?
By Stephanie Simon - Global Knowledge

As we know, projects have a defined start and end date, and are temporary in nature. In order for the learnings associated with projects to become part of institutional memory, there has to be organizational support for knowledge transfer to occur. This support is necessary, because it takes time to capture and record our learnings, especially in real time, and transfer that knowledge and information. We often lack the motivation to do so as it is considered time away from working on the specific task at hand, and our performance may be measured on timely completion of those tasks and deliverables. Management has to recognize and support the benefits that knowledge management can bring to the organization so that project practitioners feel comfortable taking the time to properly engage in KM.

Without management support and KM tools and processes in place, knowledge assets are routinely lost during the project lifecycle. For example, we may capture lessons learned, but not apply them on future projects. The loss of these knowledge assets can lead to costly rework and repetition of mistakes, gross inefficiency, and, in the long term, a loss of competitive advantage.

In some organizations, it may take a cultural shift to recognize the strategic importance and value of knowledge and information. It is a shift away from associating knowledge with individual power to knowledge as an organizational benefit that is an essential component of project management. Organizations that make the greatest use of their knowledge assets understand the competitive advantage they can develop as they manage projects smartly and more efficiently. Knowledge-based or learning organizations are leveraging knowledge by systematically applying and reusing existing data and information on future projects.

People, Process, and Tools

Knowledge management is about how to systematically develop and share knowledge throughout the organization. Adopting KM in an organization involves the consideration of three major items.

People: The people aspect includes a shift in the thinking about and understanding of the importance of knowledge and information to organizational success. In order for this cultural shift to occur, the organization may need to take on small pilot projects to demonstrate the effectiveness of knowledge management practices.

Process: Process involves having a framework for knowledge management in the organization and embedding that framework into project management processes and methodology.

Tools: There are different tools and technologies that can be used to facilitate the process of managing and sharing knowledge and information. Examples include document management systems, online communities through the use of web portals, data repositories for storing and retrieving lessons learned, and Web 2.0 tools such as wikis and blogs. The success of these tools is dependent on such factors as ease of use, widespread accessibility, and key word search capabilities.

Stephanie Simon, MHA, PMP is a training and project management consultant. She has over 15 years of experience in managing projects, mentoring, consulting, and teaching project management and professional skills courses. Stephanie has worked primarily in the health care and pharmaceutical industries for companies such as Kaiser Permanente, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina, and GlaxoSmithKline. She has managed increasingly complex projects working with geographically dispersed, cross-functional teams. She teaches and utilizes tools, methodologies, and best practices in project management. Stephanie has a Bachelor’s degree in Communication from the University of Michigan and a Master’s degree in Health Administration from the University of Washington. She enjoys building collaborative working relationships and developing high performing teams.

Global Knowledge delivers comprehensive hands-on project management, business process, and professional skills training. Visit our online Knowledge Center at www.globalknowledge.com/business for free white papers, webinars, and more.

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