The struggling operator described earlier could leave the troubled workstation and find someone who can help sort out the problems on the line. In an organization that has leveraged knowledge management, however, the operator can simply drill down on an operator terminal to the area of the line where the problem is, hit the help key, and review the documentation related to that particular problem. The operator can look through the troubleshooting section that will provide suggestions to help correct the problem. This can be accomplished without leaving the workstation. If the problem is more complicated, maintenance technicians can review the critical documents on their computers without having to waste time searching through the technical library, and while viewing the equipment history through a link to the company's EAM or CMMS system.
Knowledge management can be a very powerful tool for an organization.
But it takes time, money, people, and, above all, it takes commitment the commitment to proactively manage your knowledge. Thornton LLP, chartered accountants, management consultants.