Where KSM has been applied
Examples of Knowledge Structure Mapping Projects
A Typical Case Study
This is a tyical case study about a Knowledge Structure Map project in a typical organisation. Although the case is fictitious, it is based on events from many actual projects that have been carried out over several years. The purpose of the case study is to provide information about how KSM can be used and what it has the potential to deliver.
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 Licence
This project studied the knowledge needed to run an off licence effectively. It involved experts from several off licences 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 licence 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 distil 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.
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.
Automated Web Site Creation
The knowledge study tool can export a website automatically using the data supplied during the knowledge study.