Previous KSM Projects
A Typical Case Study
Almost all of the projects carried out contain company sensitive information, making it impossible to provide any detail.
However, a typical case story taken from several projects but made anonymous will be made available as soon as possible.
This story will focus on analysis and results rather than on the method and approach. A web resource from this typical study is already available. This resource is a fully automated export from the Knowledge Study Tool following completion of the information gathering phase of the project.
Super Plastic Forming & Diffusion Bonding
The project clarified the knowledge held in this important and developing knowledge area of manufacturing. The results enabled the company to help protect and strengthen the developing knowledge.
Safety
Several unforeseen difficulties were encountered on this early project and although results and conclusions were available from the project, it did not deliver the intended benefit. However, important lessons were learned and methodology changes introduced.
Business Winning
This project studied the high value knowledge associated with winning very large commercial contracts. Results offered several options for change. The company involved also took a step towards internalising the KSM methodology.
Managing an Off License
This project studied the knowledge needed to run an off license effectively. It involved experts from several off licenses and produced a generic map for this knowledge area. Results were used later by a training provider to create a new management training scheme for off license managers.
Industrial Door Service and Repair
This project was carried out for a smaller industrial door company that wanted to investigate and improve its service and repair operation. The project was able to identify and solve several problems, in particular, the liberation of an invisible knowledge resource from within the company.
Cross Business triple study in Engineering Services, Post Sales and Sales and Marketing
These three projects took place consecutively under management guidance in a growing and dynamic Media Systems company. All three projects were able to offer management advice and a full project review was able to identify where departmental knowledge sharing would benefit the company. In addition, managers identified the source the failure of a recent company merger scheme from within the project results.
Hotel Operations, Front of House
This study investigated the knowledge needed to provide front line customer services in a large hotel. Several options for improvement were identified including the development of an automated system to solve a particular problem in the provision of conference facilities.
Training Needs Analysis
This project studied the knowledge needed by training needs analysts for the Learning and Skills Council. The project was able to identify several regional shortcomings and also distill a core methodology from the knowledge captured.
Senior Job Role Study
This small to investigate a knowledge area that had been developed by a senior centre director over a three year establishment phase. The Director was to retire and the study clarified a knowledge area that was previously unknown to help management decision making in response to the loss of the director.
Continuous Improvement
This studied the less visible knowledge required to implement continuous improvement in an advanced manufacturing cell in a large UK based manufacturer. The study not only crystallised and exposed this knowledge for the first time; it was also possible to extract a new continuous improvement procedure from the knowledge structure map for the consideration of senior managers.
Control Systems Engineering
This study was able to identify knowledge at risk from sub contracting and was also able to provide a learning tool for knowledge sharing by existing staff and support for new staff.
Procurement
This project investigated the knowledge required for successful efficient procurement in a local government organisation with a highly diverse procurement need. Results highlighted several options to improve procurement across the whole organisation and also raised a significant business direction issue.
Major Redesign Project
A significant knowledge study was carried out to investigate the knowledge needed for a major new long term engineering initiative. The study was carried out in two main parts, delivering a fully populated, larger than normal Knowledge Structure Map. Several project critical parameters were included in the study to help managers get a feel for the knowledge requirements of the project and the companies state of readiness for it. Results were able to provide several key recommendations, at least one of which was followed up almost immediately by the launch of a further project. The web resource from the project was added to the companies intranet and the map has featured subsequently in a review of knowledge development for the project by taking a new measurement of one particular parameter value and comparing growth and also assessing knowledge risk reduction. This approach could form the basis of an annual progress review of the project and its knowledge development and readiness.
In addition to this selection of actual projects, many more thought provoking studies have been undertaken to clarify areas such as problem solving, negotiation, interviewing etc.
