Maryanne Ward

Knowledge Management

Practical Ideas and Approaches

Maryanne Ward,

PACCAR Technical Center

maryanne.ward@paccar.com

12479 Farm to Market Road

Mount Vernon, WA 98273

360
-
757
-
5402

Accessing

International Transportation Resources

Worldwide

July 2001, St. Petersburg, FL

The Context

Selected Projects

•
Standards Harmonization

•
Graphic Symbols

•
Engine Emissions

•
Incident Reporting

Consider in context of...

•
Management


•
Organizational/cultural aspects


•
Technologies


•
Employee acceptance/involvement



Corporate Standards
Expertise Group Charter

...
to focus on concepts, approaches, and
methods to create, capture, maintain, control,
distribute, and translate knowledge and data
into global standards...

Standards Harmonization Expertise Group

Standards Harmonization

Key Issues/Challenges


Management



Directive from top, few specifics


Initially one mid
-
level “manager
-
champion”


Investment level varied widely among units


Use of experts’ time an issue


Existing structures varied widely


Pro
-
active vs re
-
active (czar vs support)


Budget

Standards Harmonization

Key Issues/Challenges

Organizational/Cultural



Widely differing philosophies


Authority


Governance


“Committee” vs “representatives”


Varying technical competence


Who are “key experts”


Verbal/written communication skills


Tradition of division independence


Nits

Standards Harmonization

Key Issues/Challenges

Technical



Content expertise


Communications/collaboration


Expensive software tools unnecessary


Database/publishing/docmgt/web skills
already in place


ISO standards guidelines


Library licenses external standards,
provides crucial research

Standards Harmonization

Key Issues/Challenges

Employee Acceptance



Involved “right” people from start


Established open process


Slow but thorough


Service orientation


CSEG members worked with own unit


Collaborate rather than dictate

Standards Harmonization

Key Issues/Challenges

Results to date



Per mgt, satisfactory number of standards


Sturdy platform for future


Best knowledge globally applied


Standards called out on drawings, PO’s


Standards Engineer role improved


Help sought by Manufacturing/CAD/CAM


Slow but steady; institutionalized


Viewed as “umbrella” for enabling


Graphic



Symbols

Graphic Symbols Low human, high tech

Graphic Symbols

Key Issues/Challenges

Management



No actual directive
-

bottom up


Weak interest but no opposition


OK as “spare time” project


Standards Group crucial to “make happen
”

Graphic Symbols

Key Issues/Challenges

Organizational/Cultural


•
Grew out of annoyance, “bottom up”

•
Very low priority
--
took about two years

•
Weak planning

•
“Right” people not involved at start

•
Governance

•
“European” knowledge crucial, but weak
involvement initially

Graphical Symbols

Key Issues/Challenges

Technical


•
Poor mix of skills initially

•
Varying formats, different CAD systems

•
Multiple symbols for similar application

•
Large unmanageable Word file

•
Database created late in process

•
Crucial ISO standard revised midway

•
Technical Library support crucial

Graphical Symbols

Key Issues/Challenges

Employee Acceptance


•
Positive so far
-

saves hassle, time

•
Crucial buy
-
in from key UK ergonomist

•
Governing document approved

•
Attention procured! Now want changes

•
Full implementation will be slow

•
Transition will need to be managed

Emissions Low tech, high human

Emissions

Emissions

Key Issues/Challenges

Management

Highly directive, specific, and ongoing


Organizational

Complex: Multiple players, “insiders/outsiders”


Technical

Web skills, esp. homepage as a “portal”

Secure permissions from IT group


Employee Acceptance

High efficiency, lowers annoyance, promotes openness


Incident Reporting High tech, High human






Incident Reporting

Key Issues/Challenges

Management


•
Directive from client

•
Had to react, but how?

•
Formed team

•
Gave directives at crucial moments

•
Provided budget

Incident Reporting

Key Issues/Challenges

Organizational/Cultural


•
Low consensus

•
“Best way is my way”

•
No cohesive existing group

•
Low team skills

•
Low cross
-
group leadership skills

•
Little experience with workflow cross
-
group approaches

Incident Reporting

Key Issues/Challenges

Technical


•
Good basic software

•
Not just software! Cameras...

•
Low experience with databases

•
End users dispersed geographically
-

had to be trained

Incident Reporting

Key Issues/Challenges

Employee Acceptance


•
Low at our end; high at client end

•
After two years, OK all around

•
Method now used for similar applications

Keys to Success

•
No strong management opposition

•
Base on cost/benefit, real need

•
Right players, right skills, right timing

•
Approach depends on nature of info +
end
-
use

•
Foster “open” culture

•
Team & enabling skills crucial

•
Anticipate

•
Communicate

•
Use librarians’ info mgt skills

“Knowledge Management is

the discipline concerned
with how an organization's
intellectual assets are
exploited for greater
productivity and increased
competitiveness”


From: Kent State University course description

Knowledge Management

Practical Ideas and Approaches

Maryanne Ward,

PACCAR Technical Center

maryanne.ward@paccar.com

12479 Farm to Market Road

Mount Vernon, WA 98273

360
-
757
-
5402

Accessing

International Transportation Resources

Worldwide

July 2001, St. Petersburg, FL