Essay Example about Information and Knowledge Management

Information and knowledge remain the central value for technological advancement and the development of key human aspects on many other related social issues. Organizations depend on the information and the knowledge that they acquire to help in the advancement of their major economic process as they achieve greater objectives of their operations. The world remains in a constant revolution in a race to acquire fundamental skills and information that seek to make the world a better place to be and to live. Major organizations such as NASA, Xerox, and Danone constantly seek to enhance the proper transformation of their information and knowledge (Edmondson, Moingeon, Dessain, & Jensen, 2011). The intention is to seek and work towards the transformation of the global sector of the economy. Such organizations seek to help in the transformational system in various ways of societal life with minimal restriction.

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Most of the government remains in a constant process of acquiring key knowledge. The management of information requires a major process where every part of the organization will work to enhance system operation and performance management system (Girard, & Girard, 2015). The coordination of activities and the entire process remains the most fundamental aspect of the technology and innovation process(Edmondson, Moingeon, Dessain, & Jensen, 2011). Similarly, NASA, Xerox, and Danone focus on the key human aspect of overall performance irrespective of the key challenges as it appears in the respective case studies. Similarly, it is important that major organization emphasized better management process of their information management and the respective operations toward the realization of the respective objectives and goals towards the transformational process of the success.

NASA Information and Knowledge Management

NASA regards information and knowledge management as highly critical for its operations because they majorly have lived at stake. Because of the value for lives, NASA has one of the strongest knowledge management systems. In the recent past, they presented their knowledge management to USAID Knowledge management Reference Group. The new strategy involved the most effective way to handle knowledge and in encompassed knowledge sharing and lessons learned. The new knowledge management system, which is referred to as Critical Knowledge Management uses recorded video interviews, experts, and internal marketing tools that entail shared knowledge and experience (Hearty III, Acker, Meyer, Northup & Bagwell, (2017). The NASA team has developed an interview cache to boost the demands of their videos. The video is enjoyable and motivated by 15 minutes of fame. Another strategy employed by the system is to approach their interview subjects' according to their terms. In this way, NASA is seen to focus on its learning and knowledge sharing and not on Knowledge management tools.

According to Hoffman & Boyle (2016), to boot their knowledge management practices, NASA applies legacy interviews. During the legacy interviews, NASA derives a lot of lessons that the interviews had garnered throughout their work at the organization. The interviews are as well important in learning about past challenges. Lastly, through legacy interviews, the organization ensures it does not lose any information when some vital employees retire (Berente, Lyytinen, Yoo & King, (2016). The institutional knowledge is gained and past to the remaining employees who can modify them for better achievements.

Some of the leading issues affecting NASA is complacency. To reduce operational failures, it is important that knowledge about the space is strictly followed without leaving out any aspect. The team exploring the space has to manage well their information by following the procedures set for different adventures. The strict following of knowledge is important in reducing environmental risks. NASA teams at the institutional base have as well taken information passed to them either from the space or from individuals with utmost commitment to avoid cases of complacency.

Additionally, regarding knowledge, everyone working at NASA should admit that they do not know everything and they have to learn constantly which explains why NASA is keen on knowledge management either to continue learning or to retain the already gained knowledge. On this respect, NASA relies and tends to gain their information like key information groups such as Merck, FBI, Boeing, and the Department of Transportation among others. The groups are vital to NASA as they aid in the information gathering and NASA can gain knowledge management systems from them. It is important to note that Head of Department Knowledge Management at NASA is not amazed by their impacts, but rather they focus much on the number of people who visit their page, make downloads. Again, as the measurement of knowledge management is important in others sectors, at NASA, it is not as the focus is shifted to count usual metrics.

Even though NASA takes long analyzing their information and knowledge, the impact of their missions is felt almost immediately. On the contrary, USAID changes may take years to be for the impacts to be felt. With proper information management, NASA has earned itself as the leading learning institution that highly values knowledge management. Consequently, the organization has used properly management knowledge and information to save lives in avoided accidents and successful missions. Lastly, because much time is taken in learning and managing knowledge, NASA does not have time to measure its success.

Xerox's Information and Knowledge Management

Xerox is regarded as the leading company regarding information management which is built on strong knowledge-sharing culture. The culture of knowledge sharing forms the basis for the development of knowledge-intensive products (Cox, 2015). The organization relies on innovation to be the key knowledge management tool. Other knowledge management tools include technologies which allow for effective knowledge sharing.

Importantly, Xerox aligns its knowledge management practice with a business plan. In this way, the company relies on its customer base and strength in digital information management. Also, the company is expected to improve in its staple metrics, for example, time-to-market and quality (Lifshitz-Assaf, 2017). Further, because according to the company documents are defined as any information that is structured for human comprehension, the company has expanded its services and products to include knowledge management such as consulting service. On this respect, the company gains by providing consulting service.

Notably, the company is consistent in encouraging and giving support to the senior management of each business unit in their knowledge management effort (Pierotti, 2015). It is a common belief that by doing this, the company gains significant competitive advantage against its immediate competitors by leveraging the knowledge the 90, 000 employees have, its archives of processes and patents and the many documents stored in digital formats around the world.

As stated by Liebowitz (2016), even though many companies have failed in the implementation of the knowledge management, Xerox succeeded because from the beginning the company focused on doing the right thing. Unlike other companies, Xerox did not focus on forcing the employees to adopt certain changes or on IT infrastructure or sharing (Cox, 2015). Rather, the company focused on tailoring its knowledge management initiatives to the people by making them understand how they are supposed to do their work and their social dynamics of knowledge.

The Company uses various strategies to ensure that the overall process of management of its information system is in line with the organizational culture and believes. Its effective system makes its process effective and efficient to ensure that the products reach the standards of the consumer's expectations and their demands. Also, the system of managing information mostly relies on the fundamental factors towards the realization of the management key objectives (Edmondson, Moingeon, Dessain,& Jensen, 2011). The organization also allows the process of direct communication from its members to enhance the effective system of information sharing and enhancement of the entire process of information sharing (Delen, & Demirkan, 2013). It is important that the organization tries and possible to invest in the modern process of information sharing techniques that most of the successful firms continue to enjoy towards the realization of their success (Gorry, & Westbrook, 2013). The success of the firm also tends to rely on the methods and the avenues that it focuses its strategies with the limited resources that are available in the organization through effective mechanisms.

Discuss the usefulness of considering potential alternative approaches, considering the contexts of the case studies

Individuals use various aspects to acquire knowledge information and knowledge. Besides, the main reason behind the fundamental improvement and advancement of information to enhance product and service production and the wellbeing process (Kimble, 2013). It is important to note that performance is the major reason why institutions such as the NASA will seek to work with the key sectors of organizational development to enhance products and service delivery and promotional strategies. Most of such major institutions mainly tend to focus on the major point of their strength to enhance their overall process of developing their knowledge with the key aspect to enhance sharing distribution of their technological advancement. The choice of the technological aspect that the firm seeks to use mostly relies on the availability of the resources and the achievement of performance management and its fundamental key features.

Technology plays an essential role when it comes to sharing and advancement of the knowledge and advancement of information. Most importantly, the overall process of information sharing is helpful in the above case studies such as the NASA, Xerox. Enhancement of the human ability to move and modify the level of skills also is fundamental for the overall achievement of the success and performance management key issues. Currently, all the above institutions such as the NASA, Xerox, and Danone both have program underway that looks towards the overall process of enhancing performance and achievement of organizational goals and objectives. However, the lack of clear and straightforward vision seeks to impose a major fundamental threat to the overall performance of the overall success and the transformation of the accomplishment of successful operations.

Knowledge management in most cases tends to rely on technology to enhance the transfer of knowledge and other essential factors. Besides, the process of managing knowledge depends on the organizational process and a various key aspect of the system and fundamental processand the formal system. Through effective information and knowledge management process, most of the above firms will enhance their overall process of achieving their operational success and key related objectives (Holtshouse, 2013). However, it is important to note that, most of the people who should implement the process of managing the knowledge of ten fails to understand the overall challenges associated with the above process and fails to take the necessary precaution to enhance the overall success of success firms (Holtshouse, 2013). Both cases clearly show the importance of managing their respective information and knowledge as a way of enhancing their success and increasing their respective system efficiency.