Knowledge management is the practice of capturing, retaining, organizing, and sharing knowledge. It is a way of gaining and distributing the collective wisdom of a group. There are many stages that happen in knowledge management lifecycle that can contribute to the overall success of the KM objective.
Knowledge Management Lifecycle is a process that helps organizations manage, organize, and share their knowledge effectively. It includes stages such as knowledge creation, sharing, and application, as well as ongoing maintenance and evaluation. The goal is to improve organizational performance and decision-making.
Knowledge management life cycle can save you time by increasing your productivity and ensuring that all your work is done efficiently. It also helps you to make sure that you are not wasting time on skillsets that you don’t have and instead focus on what you are best at – creativity and emotions.
Knowledge management cycle has been implemented by many organizations like pharmaceutical companies, oil companies and universities in order to make sure that they are using their resources efficiently.
Various knowledge management activities occur at various stages of the knowledge lifecycle, which a KM administrator undertakes at the beginning or end of the phase. The duration of the life cycle is comprised of the phases taken together.
What are the Stages of Knowledge Management Lifecycle?
The knowledge management cycle comprises several stages: discovery, where knowledge is found; creation, where new knowledge is generated; organization, where data is structured; dissemination, where knowledge is shared; and utilization, where it is applied.
For us to properly manage knowledge lifecycle, we have to identify the challenges associated with knowledge management and plan to overcome them by implementing the common KM guidelines and better understand the different KM components.
The knowledge management lifecycle stages are:
1- Discovery
The discovery stage is the first stage of the knowledge management cycle. It is also known as the exploration phase in this cycle. The purpose of this stage is to identify what the company knows and what they don’t know, and to determine how much they need to learn.
The discovery phase in this cycle is when the firm starts to realize that they have a problem, and they are trying to find solutions for it. They also start looking for information about what other firms do in similar situations, which helps them find out what their options are.
This stage can be broken down into two stages: the first being an exploration of different ideas, where the firm will try out different options; and then, once they decide on one option, there is planning of implementation during the implementation phase.
2- Creation
The knowledge creation stage begins with the idea generation, where individuals think of something they would like to do. This can be anything from creating a new product to improving customer service.
Once the idea is generated, it needs to be developed into something tangible that can be used by others. This step includes gathering feedback from stakeholders and putting together a plan for implementation.
Finally, the new knowledge must be communicated effectively so that others understand what has been created and why it was created in order to maximize its use within the organization. The creation stage ends with the idea communication , where the knowledge is transferred effectively through various methods such as presentations, videos, and blogs.
3- Organization
The organization stage of the knowledge management lifecycle stages is the third stage. This is when the organization has reached a stable state and is able to manage, share, retain, and use knowledge effectively.
The Organization stage can be divided into three distinct phases:
– Knowledge Integration: Integrating knowledge into the organization, which includes both formal and informal procedures.
– Knowledge Optimization: Optimizing existing knowledge in order to increase its value.
– Knowledge Management: Managing existing knowledge in order to ensure that it is used effectively.
4- Dissemination
The dissemination stage is the fourth stage in the knowledge lifecycle. It is where information and knowledge that was created during the creation and implementation stages are made available to relevant stakeholders.
Dissemination stage activities include publishing, distributing, delivering, communicating, and sharing information.
It starts with the planning stage, where decisions are made to how the information and knowledge created during the creation and implementation stages will be distributed to relevant stakeholders.
The following are some common tasks within this stage:
- Making a plan for publication or distribution
- Deciding on appropriate communication channels, such as face-to-face conversations, digital collaboration.
5- Utilization
The Utilization stage is the final stage of knowledge management lifecycle and it is when the knowledge created by the organization is used to support decision making and make decisions.
This stage requires significant effort from the team to make sure that they are maximizing their efforts on this stage. It also requires careful planning so that the team does not waste time on tasks that do not contribute to the project.
This stage can be broken down into three different activities:
1) Knowledge discovery, 2) Knowledge construction, 3) Knowledge utilization.
Techniques for successful implementation of the knowledge management cycle
Implementing a knowledge management system life cycle is not easy. It requires a lot of planning and execution, but it can be done successfully with a few key steps. In addition, it should be clearly defined in any knowledge management method implemented.
Successful implementation of KM lifecycle requires key steps such as understanding the needs for KM in your organization; defining KM strategy; developing an implementation plan; selecting appropriate KM tools and technologies; implementing the technology; following up with the latest KM topics; evaluating results and adjusting accordingly.
The first step is to select a methodology or framework to guide the knowledge management lifecycle. A popular methodology is the Knowledge Management Maturity Model (KMMM), which provides a structured approach to identifying, measuring, and improving an organization’s knowledge management best practices.
Once a methodology is selected, the next step is to establish a baseline of the organization’s current knowledge management policy. This can be done through surveys, interviews, focus groups, or other research methods.
After the baseline is established, the next step is to set goals and objectives for knowledge management improvement. Once these are in place, the organization can then develop and implement plans to improve its practices.
These plans should be designed to address the specific needs of the organization and should be tailored to the organization’s culture, size, and structure.
Finally, the organization should periodically assess its progress in knowledge management and make adjustments to its plans as necessary. By following these steps, organizations can improve their steps and realize the benefits of knowledge management.
