© 2001-2007 franz j. kurfess introduction 1 cpe/csc 580: knowledge management dr. franz j. kurfess...

© 2001-2007 Franz J. Kurfess Introduction 1

CPE/CSC 580: Knowledge Management

CPE/CSC 580: Knowledge Management

Dr. Franz J. Kurfess

Computer Science Department

Cal Poly


Course OverviewCourse Overview Introduction Knowledge Processing

Knowledge Acquisition, Representation and Manipulation

Usability and Knowledge Effective Use

Knowledge Organization Classification, Categorization Ontologies, Taxonomies, Thesauri

Knowledge Retrieval Information Retrieval Knowledge Navigation

Knowledge Presentation Knowledge Visualization

Knowledge Exchange Knowledge Capture, Transfer,

and Distribution Knowledge Management

Techniques Topic Maps, Agents

Knowledge Management Tools Ontology Development Reasoning

Knowledge Management in Organizations Content Management Systems Knowledge Sharing


Overview IntroductionOverview Introduction

Motivation Why do we need to know all

this stuff? Objectives

What you should know afterwards

Evaluation Criteria How I can find out if you know

what you should know Warm-Up

Review of relevant concepts Overview new topics Terminology

Case Study: My Personal Need for KM Finding and organizing

materials for this class Tools to support this

Case Study: KM at an Organization like Cal Poly

Important Concepts and Terms all the old and new terms

Chapter Summary If you know this, you may be

able to survive the class


LogisticsLogistics Introductions Course Materials

textbook: none handouts: some Web pages: tons CourseInfo/Blackboard System and Alternatives

Term Project Knowlets and Knowledge Management

Lab and Homework Assignments Exams Grading


The Proliferation of Knowledge

The Proliferation of Knowledge

Wall street no physical assets make money by utilizing knowledge about investment opportunities

consultants have knowledge about some specialized tasks tell customers what to do may be gone by the time their solutions are found to be flawed

“energy brokers” companies that don’t own any physical facilities, but buy and sell

energy made enormous profits during the 2000/2001 energy crisis


BackgroundBackgroundHow much knowledge do you manage?

as a student in your job in your private life


MotivationMotivationthe amount of information and knowledge available

increases steadily it becomes difficult to keep track of relevant knowledge

the demands for applying knowledge to a particular task also become stronger job expectations competitive pressure

the benefits from utilizing knowledge become greater higher profits better products more knowledgeable people


ObjectivesObjectivesbe aware of the role of knowledge in professional

and private lifeunderstand the impact of knowledge (or lack of it) for

important decisionsunderstand the necessity for knowledge

management to deal with the large amount of knowledge and information

discuss the role of computer-based tools and technologies for knowledge management


What is Knowledge Management?

What is Knowledge Management?

information technology perspective computers as support tools for dealing with large quantities

of knowledge and information

business perspective benefits for organizations

philosophical perspective epistemology: what is knowledge?


Knowledge Management in Perspective

Knowledge Management in Perspective

Knowledge Management

Track/Level information

technology:

knowledge

objects

people:

knowledge

processes

Organization

Level

management

information

systems (MIS)

organizational

processes

Individual

Level

Artificial

Intelligence,

expert systems

individual processes

[Sveiby 2000]


Knowledge Management Definitions

Knowledge Management Definitions

Karl-Erik Sveiby (Organization Theorist)Knowledge Management is the art of creating value from an organizations intangible assets.

John Gundy, Knowledge Ability (KM Company)Knowledge Management is the process of placing knowledge under management remit.

[Sveiby 2000]


KM PhasesKM Phases 1992 - 1995: productivity enhancement

how can information technology used to share knowledge across organizations

Lotus Notes, Web pages, project databases, best practices, ...

1995 - 2000: customer relations how can information about customers be utilized data warehousing, data mining

2000 - 2003: interaction interactive Web pages, e-commerce

2002 - ??? interoperability (XML, Web services and related technologies) interpretation (ontologies, Semantic Web)

[Sveiby 2000]


The fundament of KM represents a set of Behavioural/Structural Conditions

The walls of KM represent a set of Operational Conditions

The roof of KM represents the corporate knowledge by which learning, innovation, speed and productivity will be enhanced

KM Analogy: Building a House

[KPMG 1999]


Incentives for Knowledge Sharing

Open, Open, sharing sharing cultureculture

KNOWLEDGE

KNOWLEDGE

SHARING

SHARING

Non-Non-sharing sharing cultureculture

TEAMWORK

TEAMWORK

COMMITMENTCOMMITMENT

ORGANISATION STRUCTURE & ORGANISATION STRUCTURE & PROCESSESPROCESSES

HOW?HOW?• Performance metricsPerformance metrics• Science workshopsScience workshops• Technology exchange Technology exchange

networksnetworks• Extra budgetExtra budget

HOW?HOW?• Performance metricsPerformance metrics• Science workshopsScience workshops• Technology exchange Technology exchange

networksnetworks• Extra budgetExtra budget

[KPMG 1999]


Integrated Systems for KMIntegrated Systems for KM

Separate Separate information information

systemssystems

INFORMATIONINFORMATIONRESEARCH RESEARCH

PROCESSPROCESS

ENABLING ENABLING TECHNOLOGIESTECHNOLOGIES

UPGRADINGUPGRADINGOF EXISTING OF EXISTING KNOWLEDGEKNOWLEDGE GENERATIONGENERATION

OF NEW OF NEW IDEAS IDEAS

Integrated Integrated Information Information

SystemSystem

HOW?HOW?• Database technologyDatabase technology• GroupwareGroupware• Web technologyWeb technology• User-interface User-interface

technologytechnology• IntranetIntranet

HOW?HOW?• Database technologyDatabase technology• GroupwareGroupware• Web technologyWeb technology• User-interface User-interface

technologytechnology• IntranetIntranet

[KPMG 1999]


KM Behavioral and Structural Components

Preparing initiativePreparing initiative Initiative in placeInitiative in place

not i

n pl

ace

not i

n pl

ace

star

ting

star

ting

adva

nced

adva

nced

real

ised

real

ised

11 22 3 3 44

Hierarchical Hierarchical organisationorganisation

Process-orientedProcess-orientedorganisationorganisation

Power culturePower culture

Open & sharing Open & sharing cultureculture

Focus onFocus onindividualindividual

successsuccess

Focus on Focus on group group

successsuccess

No No understandingunderstandingof KMof KM

Top management Top management commitment commitment

2,32,3

2,02,0 2,12,1

1,91,9

• On the behavioural/structural axis, there is still enough On the behavioural/structural axis, there is still enough improvement potential.improvement potential.

[KPMG 1999]


KM Operational Components

Preparing initiativePreparing initiative Initiative in placeInitiative in place

not i

n pl

ace

not i

n pl

ace

star

ting

star

ting

adva

nced

adva

nced

real

ised

real

ised

11 22 3 3 44

Knowledge stored Knowledge stored mentally and mentally and physicallyphysically

Integrated Integrated databases linkeddatabases linkedwith workflowwith workflow

Ad-hoc Ad-hoc knowledgeknowledge

creationcreation

Structured,Structured,strategicstrategic

knowledgeknowledgecreationcreation

Ad-hoc datacollection

2,1

2,0

2,1

Professional researchmethods

Knowledgesupporting

decision-making

Non-customizedNon-customizeddatadata

1,9

• A quick fix is not possible with regard to the implementation of KM.A quick fix is not possible with regard to the implementation of KM.• Step by step, the KM performance should be improved.Step by step, the KM performance should be improved.

[KPMG 1999]


Case Study: KM for Course Preparation

Case Study: KM for Course Preparation

easy case: re-use existing material text book, presentation material, student assignments,

exams, projects

difficult case: brand-new course no existing material suitable for teaching purposes existing sources

research monographs, edited volumes, related text books, conference proceedings, journal special issues, articles, technical reports, white papers, company brochures, Web pages


Course Development as KM Application

Course Development as KM Application

problem development of a course outline identification of relevant material extraction of relevant knowledge integration of various knowledge pieces

different representation media paper (books, journals) microfilm digital (electronic versions of books, journals, etc; Web pages; data bases, computer

programs)

presentation of knowledge presentation medium

identification of evaluation criteria development of exercises


Tools for Course Preparation

Tools for Course Preparation

course outline brain, paper, editor, spreadsheet identification of material brain, search engines, library catalog/DBs organization of material brain, folders, labels, directories, files extraction of knowledge brain, paper, text editor, helpers integration of pieces brain, presentation program, helpers presentation of knowledge brain, presentation program evaluation criteria brain, text editor development of exercises brain, text editor, helpers

Deficiencies of tools much of the tedious work is left to the instructor little support for important knowledge management activities primitive tools are used for high-level tasks

directories, file names for the categorization of knowledge items


Knowledge Management at Cal Poly

Knowledge Management at Cal Poly

what kind of knowledge is essential for such an organization

what are the tools in common use


Knowledge Management for Students

Knowledge Management for Students

what are important KM needs

what KM tasks do you perform

which tools and techniques do you use

what can be improved through smarter computers


Knowledge Usability Exercise

Knowledge Usability Exercise

identification of a domain and problem establishment of basic assumptions

facts, constraints, context acquisition of knowledge

determination of necessary knowledge to solve the problem identification of potential sources

organization of knowledge construction of a model

validation reliability and trustworthiness effective use comprehensibility presentation


Knowledge and the Great Pyramids

Knowledge and the Great Pyramids

How did the Egyptians build these monumental edifices with the technology available at the time? soft metals, mostly copper

no iron

logs, beams apparently no wheels

sculpted blocks of stone maybe early forms of concrete


Pyramid TheoriesPyramid Theoriesover time, a number of different theories

(hypotheses) have bee proposed outer ramp

long ramp leading to the current level increased as the pyramid grows

inner ramp outer ramp for the lower levels, used up for higher levels spiral inner ramp, together with levers and counterbalances

lifting mechanisms machines that allow the lifting of the large blocks to higher levels

extraterrestrials, …


Convincing ArgumentsConvincing ArgumentsWhat does it take to convince you about the

plausibility of a theory? common-sense explanations: may sound good, but

glosses over important issues diagrams: illustration of essential methods models: computer-based, small-scale scientific papers: peer reviewed, calculations,

incomprehensible to ordinary mortals simulations: 3D CAD, animated, physics engines reconstruction: building (parts of) the real thing


Domain and Problem Selection

Domain and Problem Selection

identify a domain and problem preferably something obscure

formulate one or more hypotheses for a solution of the problem if possible, several should sound reasonably convincing

develop a strategy for convincing your opponents about the plausibility of a hypothesis due to time constraints, the strategy does not have to be

implemented should have significant reliance on computers


Example Domains and Problems

Example Domains and Problems

Climatology Is there global warming, and if so, is it caused by human activities?

Computers and Internet Strategies for fighting Spam

Art History Detecting forgeries of artwork

Medicine and Pharmacology Identification of promising remedies and drugs

Justice Use of electronic records to examine the veracity of statements under

oath


Post-TestPost-Test


Important Concepts and Terms

Important Concepts and Terms presentation of knowledge

tools extraction of knowledge identification of knowledge information integration of knowledge knowledge knowledge management


Summary IntroductionSummary Introductionwith the increase in the amount of information and

knowledge, knowledge management will play a very important role in our professional and personal lives

although a lot of knowledge is available in digital form, computer support for KM is mediocre

many basic techniques and methods have been developed, but their integration into easily usable systems and tools is still missing