The Know-Net Framework

Know-Net considers knowledge management as "the ways to create, retain, share, account for, and leverage knowledge - at all levels, from the personal level, to the team level, the organisational level, the inter-organisational level, and the global level". Know-Net focuses on knowledge as a crucial production factor and treats knowledge management as the set of activities which aim at an optimal use and development of knowledge, now and in the future.

In order to help managers have a clear view on Knowledge Management Know-Net has developed a holistic conceptual framework that can be used as a roadmap for ensuring integrity of the Knowledge Management effort.

The Know-Net framework represents the following types of elements:

• the business-related knowledge assets of a company.

• the knowledge strategy, processes, structure and systems a company develops in order to facilitate knowledge creation and leveraging among and between

• the knowledge interaction networks at the individual, team, organisational and inter-organisational levels.

Knowledge Assets

Knowledge assets are the resources that we wish to cultivate. In essence, we are working to better manage the content, quality, value and transferability of Human Assets, Structural Assets and Market Knowledge Assets

There are three types of knowledge assets:

• Human knowledge assets are the capabilities of the individuals that are required to provide solutions to the customers of the company. The staff of the company are the "owners" of human knowledge assets; they "rent" their knowledge assets to the company.

• Structural knowledge assets are the organisational capabilities to meet market requirements. They comprise what's left when people go home and they provide the structure and continuity that people need to perform within the business environment.

• Market knowledge assets refer to knowledge about the market, the company's clients, partners, competitors, etc, i.e. knowledge about the value created from the company's relationships with the people and organisations with whom business is conducted. Market knowledge assets gauge, evaluate and value the company's products and services. They are the final outcome of investments in human and structural knowledge assets.

Knowledge Strategy, Processes, Structure and Systems

The Knowledge Management Infrastructure (KMI) which should be established within a company, in order to facilitate knowledge leveraging initiatives includes strategy, processes, structure and systems.

Know-Net examines in detail these four components of the Knowledge Management Infrastructure and supports companies in their development:

• strategy. Know-Net facilitates the development of knowledge-related strategic values in a company, the definition of specific knowledge-related business objectives and the explicit links of knowledge strategy to business strategic objectives/goals.

• structure. At least three level roles need to be established: leadership-level positions (Chief Knowledge Officers), management positions (e.g. knowledge managers) and technical positions (knowledge analysts).

• processes. Know-Net distinguishes five groups of knowledge-related business processes: acquisition, organisation, dissemination, use and creation.

• systems. Know-Net supports the design and development of company-specific information and communication technology systems that span the whole knowledge life-cycle, from knowledge acquisition to knowledge use and provide such services as search and retrieval, indexing, storage, distribution, collaboration and integration with existing applications.

Knowledge networking levels

There are four levels of knowledge networking, whose interdependencies facilitate the flow of knowledge:

• Individuals. The individual level refers to the capabilities, experience, competencies and personal development issues of individuals. The Know-Net approach assures that corporate-wide knowledge management is tightly integrated with learning and training initiatives of knowledge workers.

• Teams and Organisation. The team and organisational levels include the internal company networks, i.e. the formal or informal communities of knowledge workers with common interests, the communities of practice involved in similar activities, the members of organisational departments, etc.

• The inter-organisational level covers the need to connect quickly and meaningfully with business partners, subcontractors and customers, as companies are rapidly "devolving" from self-contained, vertically integrated organizations to virtual entities that rely on business partners to fulfil major parts of their supply chains. Sharing a company's knowledge about processes and engaging and enveloping their partners' processes, is crucial in efforts to externalise. Such knowledge networking has the potential to create new products, services and markets.