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KM as the Connector: Enabling Cross-Functional Business Transformation

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KM Enables Knowledge to Flow Across the Enterprise

KM establishes consistent approaches for capturing, organizing, and sharing knowledge so it can be applied more broadly. In practice, this includes taking these steps:

Capturing lessons learned from projects and operations (apqc.org/resource-library/resource/understanding-lessons-learned-0)
♦ Connecting people to expertise through communities of practice and expert networks (apqc.org/resource-library/resource/understanding-communities-practice-0)
♦ Organizing knowledge so it can be easily found and reused across teams (apqc.org/resource-library/resource/understanding-search-and-discovery-0

When these capabilities are in place, organizations begin to operate differently. Teams can build on existing knowledge instead of starting from scratch. Proven approaches spread more quickly across functions. Decisions are informed by a broader base of experiences. Simply put, KM turns local knowledge into something that can be applied across the enterprise, enabling organizations to scale transformation efforts more effectively.

Everday Workflow Requirements

Many organizations approach transformation as a technology challenge, focusing on implementing new systems and tools across the business. However, these efforts often fall short because organizations struggle to connect new tools to the knowledge required to use them effectively.

Turning Data Into Insight Requires Context and Expertise

Imagine a junior supply chain analyst reviewing a dashboard that shows a sudden increase in delivery delays. The data highlights the issue, but not the cause or the best response. Without additional context, the analyst can only rely on their limited experience and guesswork to interpret the results.

With effective KM in place, that same analyst would not need to start from scratch. Instead, they can rely on KM practices that provide the following:

Insights from previous scenarios to help interpret results and avoid repeating mistakes
♦ Standard practices and playbooks that drive consistent approaches
♦ Access to relevant expertise so they can validate insights and make better decisions (apqc.org/resource-library/resource/understanding-expertise-location-0)

When knowledge is embedded in these ways, employees are better equipped to draw insight from data and to use that insight to make better decisions.

AI Is Only as Effective as the Knowledge Behind It

Imagine a different scenario: An HR operations manager uses an AI assistant to interpret updated labor regulations related to overtime and scheduling. The system provides a clear recommendation, but it’s based on outdated guidance. Relying on that recommendation, the manager implements a new scheduling approach across the team.

The issue surfaces during an audit, where the organization discovers it is out of compliance. Correcting the problem means reconstructing records and adjusting payroll; the organization may even face financial penalties. Meanwhile, trust in the AI assistant evaporates across the team, undermining the value it was meant to deliver in the first place.

Scenarios such as this are far more likely when the content and knowledge supporting AI is incomplete, outdated, or poorly governed. Here are some of the common challenges within these environments:

Concerns about whether AI-generated outputs can be trusted
♦ Inconsistent or incomplete data that limits the effectiveness of AI-generated insights
♦ Unclear use cases that make it difficult to apply AI in daily work

KM helps address these challenges by ensuring that the content and knowledge used by AI systems are curated, connected, and governed. It uses structured approaches to establish trusted knowledge sources, incorporate expert validation, maintain content quality across time, and retire outdated content. 

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