IT - the missing link
research
Global IT is a vital component in the link between
research and knowledge and how we manage it as an
organization. Aside from obvious connectivity devices
such as telephony, fax and e-mail, the latest tools
currently in use are public folders, Microsoft Outlook
'98 and Fulcrum. But, as Michel Hofman, project
manager knowledge management for global IT
emphasizes, the challenge of how to manage
knowledge within the bank cannot be solved through
technology alone.
Fresh ideas
Community sharing
This piece on global IT is a taster of what we will be doing
next issue on knowledge, what it is, and how we manage it
so you can take advantage of the best ofeveryone else's
expertise and knowhow. Keep watching this space....
What sNewS Issue 77-November 1998 I
C l/r nowledge management
X\.can be broken down
into a number of com-
ponents, eaeh one of which
must be addressed. A
breakdown of the bulk of
these components are:
systems and technology,
content management, roles
and responsibilities, and,
most importantly, the culture
of the organization.'
Although making up only a
relatively small part of the
[picture - IT represents
around 30% of knowledge
management systems - the
services global IT offers
provide a springboard for
the great knowledge-
management leap forward.
Elaborating on a number of
current projects, Hofman
says: 'Besides being involved
in the Renaissance APFT
knowledge insight, global IT
is actively working with
health care to realize Rabo-
Care, a knowledge
management system that
contains several modules
including a who's who as
well as a service template
containing customer
information, again based on
Microsoft Outlook 98.'
The global IT team, among
others, are all too aware
that technology alone is not
the only solution. No matter
how sophisticated the IT
tools are, they say little or
nothing of the content.
'Without content, we can't
add value,' continues
Hofman. 'Responsibilities
must be attached to
maintain information flows
and keep data bases up-to-
date.' Aside from con
ferences, which provide
suitable informal
Global IT's Michel Hofman, crucial
knowledge management
information platforms,
Hofman also stresses the
potential role of human
resources in, for example,
providing training
workshops and refresher
courses. 'In addition, people
need to be professionally
stimulated by their direct
environment to tap into the
knowledge residing in each
others heads.'
This brings Hofman neatly
to what he considers to be
the most important issue in
addressing knowledge
management - a culture of
in the strengthening link towards
active knowledge sharing.
The environment must
ultimately be made up not
only of consumers, but also
providers of information to
create an effective know
ledge flow environment.
So important is this
'community' aspect that
global IT focuses on sup-
porting groups of people
who 'actually feel connected
to one another. Through
close interaction with these
groups knowledge manage
ment solutions are being
developed as well as asso-
ciated standards and guide-
lines,' Hofman concludes.
