Information Technology Reference
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separate structure for each engineering group,
which makes it easier for people to find content
from their own group, but may inhibit the sharing
of information across groups.
have larger user bases, so it is more likely that
problems have been identified and corrected, and
that expert consultants are available to assist with
configuration and customization. The major open
source wikis, for example, have many extension
modules to address specific problems, and main-
tain lists of people and organizations that provide
consulting services. At the same time, O'Dell and
Grayson (1998, pp. 88-89) recommend spending
less than 1/3 of project resources on IT, and argue
that more valuable knowledge, including tacit
knowledge, should often use simple solutions.
As discussed above, it is better to start simply,
and add complexity only as needed.
Both SalesCom and EnginCom started with
a mature wiki platform that provided most key
features.At EnginCom in-house staff installed and
maintained the system, and an external consultant
was hired to review the system and recommend
improvements. SalesCom invested in several days
of consulting to install and configure the system
and provide informal training to a few lead users,
with additional consulting to review and enhance
the system.At SalesCom, the KM system contains
many attached files in a variety of formats; rather
than paying consultants to enhance the wiki plat-
form to search these files, SalesCom will probably
purchase a commercial search appliance.
Identify Key Users & Roles
Identify key groups of users in the organization,
and then identify and work to understand the key
users and roles within those groups. Help each
group learn to adapt the wiki to its needs. Work
to convert key users into project
evangelists
who
can engage others, and work to convert evangelists
into
trainers
, since they have valuable insight
into how others in their group work and how they
could benefit from the project (Charman, 2006).
Look for emerging patterns or needs that can be
leveraged to help the rest of the organization. For
example, Mader (2008, p. 12) describes a variety
of common user roles as patterns to be sought out
and developed, as well as some “anti-patterns”
to be avoided.
At both SalesCom and EnginCom, the wiki
KM systems were initiated by typical users (sales
and marketing staff, and engineers, respectively),
with technical support from external consultants.
However, both organizations may encounter
problems when they expand their KM systems
to organizational units that were not involved in
the initial pilot.
“Both-And” not “Either-Or”
system & Platform Factors
Some of the challenges discussed above were
presented as tradeoffs between options that ap-
pear mutually exclusive, but at times it is possible
to achieve “both-and” rather than “either-or”.
Thus, user interfaces can be both easy to use and
powerful. For example, advanced features can
be hidden from novice users, and then gradually
revealed over time (through a “tip of the day”
feature), via user preferences, or by monitoring
user activity to predict likely next steps (e.g.
Borges & Levene, 1999; Perkowitz & Etzioni,
2000). Achieving “both-and” is often the result
of extensive experimentation and testing, which
Buy or Borrow, Don't Build
Use existing platforms and tools whenever pos-
sible, and build or extend them in house only as
a last resort. It is generally more cost effective to
use mature open source projects or commercial
products. Such platforms provide a variety of ben-
efits that many not be apparent initially. Because
they have survived in a competitive marketplace,
they are more likely to be well designed, with
robust architectures and usable interfaces. They
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