Abstract:

The challenges of developing and architecting Enterprise Knowledge Management Systems (EKMS) centers primarily on the capture, catalogue, retrieval and application of explicit and tacit knowledge. This challenge is discovered primarily in the ontology and organization of intellectual capital as explicit knowledge. It is critical to understand that explicit knowledge makes up less than 20% of an organization’s Intellectual Capital (IC) and the remaining 80% is contained within the knowledge worker. The accelerating loss of IC through retirement, resignation and reassignment needs to be elucidated. This research will develop a framework for enterprise architects to use for knowledge management system design. To be more supportive to Knowledge Management (KM), architectural designs must focus on enterprise views and their interrelationships to consider the Context, Methods and Mode for knowledge exchange.

EA Context. The Context is embodied in the people and events that knowledge is used. The contextual importance of KM transfer originates in the timely application of organizational expertise to create, innovate and makes decisions. This research explores if enterprise intelligence and knowledge transference is more rapidly achieved within the context of a problem solution set or strategic decision. The use of Event-Driven Architectures (EDA) potentially provides the necessary knowledge resources and timing to resolve organizational problems. This case-based reasoning approach potentially supports the internalization and sustainment of tacit knowledge.

EA Method. The Method is realized in the selection of EKMS processes. Selecting the correct enterprise methods for user interaction is important to successful knowledge transfer. For example, collaboration workspaces can support the optimization of tacit knowledge and transference of domain expertise during decision making and innovation. The selection of appropriate methods also require a role-based analysis of business process to ensure participants, both experts and novice, are included during problem solving, process development, and procedure execution.

 
EA Mode. The Mode represents the technologies of the intended EA. The selection of a technology and communication medium for knowledge transfer must consider the importance of asynchronous, synchronous and managed collaborative methods and their effects on group communication and knowledge transfer. An enterprise Architect’s understanding the effects of the enterprise modes of communication on the transference of tacit knowledge is important to removing barriers to a knowledge worker‘s cognition.

The utilization of an EKMS Framework for Enterprise Architecture design will assist an organization’s management in selecting and designing EAs which maximize the use of knowledge management resources and the retention of intellectual capital. The enterprise Architect’s understanding of these knowledge management elements during the enterprise design process will support the development of a complete, systems approach to architecting which will include both explicit and tacit knowledge transference. The implementation of resulting enterprise systems which facilitate the capture, catalogue, retrieval and application of both explicit and tacit knowledge is what conserves critical Intellectual Capital Resources.

Keywords:

Knowledge Management, Enterprise Architecture, Tacit Knowledge, Systems Engineering.