Introduction
The dynamic nature of the third millennium following increased organizational complexity has prompted knowledge management (KM) in organizations. It is essential to note that controlling human resources is more challenging than controlling other organizational resources. As a result, knowledge management has proven effective in optimizing employee performance and maintaining competitive advantage. It assists organizations in selecting, organizing, and disseminating essential information and skill transfer (Hislop et al., 2018). As the company aims to address its collective knowledge management, Microsoft SharePoint, Microsoft Yammer, and Microsoft Teams present knowledge management alternatives. Therefore, this study delves into the mentioned alternatives, presenting an informed and recommended knowledge management systems solution.
The Value of Knowledge Management
Knowledge management is fundamental in creating a sustainable competitive advantage (Sokoh & Okolie, 2021). This phenomenon enhances the organization’s capacity to innovate. As a result, it differentiates itself from potential competitors. Undoubtedly, organizations that cannot innovate are unlikely to attract new customers and retain existing customers, leading to their demise. However, integrating knowledge management in day-to-day operations sets precedence for sharing valuable organizational insights leading to innovation. Therefore, the CEO must recognize the ability of knowledge management to help the company maintain a competitive edge over its competitors.
Besides, knowledge management plays a critical role in preventing knowledge drawdown. The increased competition in business operations prompts for retaining expertise. Companies seek to remain competitive and one of the ways to achieve this feat is by retaining their talented workforce. Therefore, integrating knowledge management in the company helps retain technical experts, preventing potential knowledge drawdown.
Moreover, knowledge management improves decision-making in the organization. As employees share valuable organizational insights, it becomes easy to identify the type and quality of knowledge relevant for quick decision-making process. It also facilitates knowledge access. By so doing, decisions easily penetrate various organizational levels. Therefore, knowledge management is a recipe for effective decision-making.
Comparison and Contrast
| Microsoft SharePoint | Microsoft Yammer | Microsoft Teams | |
| Speed | Relatively low speed. Users often find and access materials as needed unless a document is shared by another tool. | The speed varies. Can be used to communicate at any speed. | Relatively fast and suitable for instant communication. |
| Audience | Have a varied audience. Some sites provide limited access to just team members while other sites allow for company-wide access. | Relatively large. Often used for organization-wide communication or inter-departmental collaboration. | Relatively small. Often designed for small-knit teams. |
| Tone | Formal. Communication is often brief, precise, and formal, directing users where the content is and how it can be leveraged. | Varying tone. It is often a mixture of conversational and professional tone. | Informal. Can be used by team members who know each other well to address their personal issues. |
| Sharing Information | Easy information access and sharing. It is basically a document management and storage system. | Easily shared. Once uploaded, information can easily be accessed. However, people can lose track of a particular content if they follow multiple groups and feeds. | Very easily shared. Information can be shared with a specific group of people through various formats and methods. |
| Knowledge Transfer | Easy transfer of knowledge. There is data organization to ensure new team members can easily locate and leverage it even if the content producer’s account is deactivated. | Very easy transfer of knowledge. New users can easily find what they need throughout operations. | Easy transfer of knowledge. New members have access to conversations and files from the start. In this regard, membership change has no impact on content availability. |
| Confidentiality | Medium to low confidentiality. There is easy provision of access to authorized guests. However, access to sensitive data requires extra safeguards for compliance. | Low confidentiality. There is high organization-wide visibility, making it unsuitable for sharing confidential information. | Medium to low confidentiality. Improper default settings management may result in breach of confidentiality. |
Types of Data, Metadata, information, and Content
| Data | Metadata | Information | Content | |
| Microsoft SharePoint | Customers’ data | Files | File name
Author Creation date File type
|
Personal information of the customers |
| Microsoft Yammer | Members’ messages | Files | Message ID
Group name Sender ID Privacy status |
Weekly team activities |
| Microsoft Teams | Copies of one-on-one and group messages | Files | Project number
Project manager |
Messages on how to approach and successfully complete a project. |
Informed and Recommended KM Systems Solution
Wikis System Solution
The company experiences limitations by using traditional knowledge management systems. However, it would be appropriate for the company to adopt Wikis. This knowledge management system solution has proven effective in overcoming the problem of tacit knowledge in organizations (Standing & Kiniti, 2011). The Wiki technology will address the company’s specific knowledge needs. For instance, it will capture ad hoc and distributed knowledge, location and knowledge filtering, and maintenance of the increasingly dynamic knowledge. Besides, this system solution sets precedence for collaboration within the company.
Conclusion
Knowledge and information remain the medium through which organizational problems occur. In this regard, knowledge management sets precedence for addressing these inherent challenges, improving human performance and maintaining a competitive edge. This study concludes that knowledge management creates a sustainable competitive advantage, prevents knowledge drawdown, and improves decision-making in organizations. The study has also identified the similarities and differences of various knowledge management alternatives and recommends the integration of Wikis system solution into the company’s knowledge management framework to enhance the achievement of organizational goals.
References
Hislop, D., Bosua, R., & Helms, R. (2018). Knowledge management in organizations: A critical introduction. Oxford university press. https://books.google.com/books?hl=en&lr=&id=fhFQDwAAQBAJ&oi=fnd&pg=PP1&dq=knowledge+management+2018&ots=0TB-fp1zBw&sig=AcfACChFuuFdPlw0IdIh1M4Yy6o
SOKOH, G. C., & OKOLIE, U. C. (2021). KNOWLEDGE MANAGEMENT AND ITS IMPORTANCE IN MODERN ORGANIZATIONS. Journal of Public Administration, Finance & Law, 20, 283-300. https://www.jopafl.com/uploads/issue20/KNOWLEDGE_MANAGEMENT_AND_ITS_IMPORTANCE_IN_MODERN_ORGANIZATIONS.pdf
Standing, C., & Kiniti, S. (2011). How can organizations use wikis for innovation? Technovation, 31(7), 287-295. https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Craig-Standing/publication/251514557_How_can_organizations_use_wikis_for_innovation/links/5a06b8ef4585157013a3d639/How-can-organizations-use-wikis-for-innovation.pdf
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