ASSESSMENT TASK 2

Executive Summary

The firm has a range of policies and procedures, sales records and other information
kept in folders that are scattered throughout the facility. Other than the financial
management software my company uses, there are no digitized records, and the
employees are constantly referring to old templates, materials or policy documents
because there is no central repository.

I am going to review the use of an information or knowledge management system

and to make recommendations for improvements to the system and how it is used.

Aims & Objectives

System’s strengths and weaknesses

1. Strengths:

- The organisation have a single, remotely backed up repository of all

information it needs to conduct business.

- The system allows management to manage the information inputted.

- The system facilitates employee access to information contained in the

system.

- Management has also decided to partition the information management

system and appoint system administrators for each partition to ensure that the
information inputted is correct and appropriate. They want to ensure that
these partitions will not be manipulated by unauthorised employees while
remaining functional for the personnel who need to use them.

- Cosmos Engineering aims to have a centralised management system

whereby all employees have ready access to current policies, procedures and
templates, with all records filed systematically into the various activities of the
business

- Encourage cohesion and collaboration among stakeholders by using a

centralised management system
- Maintain records, data and information to ensure the most current version of
information is available

- Train all employees to use the new management system, with further training
to be provided when required.

- There is an available software supplier provided. The service called

“onboarding” has:

+ A set of eight webinars that provide important background information,

for which there are no participant number limits.

+ A set of practical workshops that ensure all skills are taught in three
half-day sessions. The practical sessions have a participant limit of 20.

2. Weaknesses:

- People are still using local copies of documents rather than downloading them
from the system. This results in some pieces of communication or information-
gathering tools being outdated. In order to improve this problem, they should
be provided an easy and simple access to any documentation, the templates
need to be available all the time so employees will easily have access to the
system and download stuff.

- No procedure for download or upload has actually been published yet. The
solution is as same as above, technical team need to provide a
policies/procedures to employees about how to download/upload documents
from/to the system.

- Most of the user information is stored on the internet, so if a user has difficulty
accessing the system, they will not be able to help themselves and must
contact the help desk. Therefore. the system provider must have a help desk
that employees are able to access in the event of difficulty.

- The system’s reporting capabilities are quite extensive, so you can generate
any report you need for your monitoring protocol. Creating a report template
and publishing the report template and a simple way to submit the report is a
solution for this issue.
The need for Knowledge management

Achieved Non-achieved

- About 28% (of 50% using local
copies) say they regularly check to
see if the templates have changed
but they still prefer not to have to
download source documents every
time.
- The incidence of using old
templates or documents has
dropped by about 63%.
- About 50% of employees are still
using local copies of documents
they have downloaded from the
information management system
- They would like the process to be
more streamlined, because even
though reversing mistakes is
simple, it is time consuming

- 70% of employees say that the

- Most of the management staff search function on the information
involved in maintaining the management system does not turn
information management system up all the relevant documentation,
say they find it relatively easy to do and they often have to conduct
several searches using different
search terms before they can
- 57% of employees say that there
locate the documents they’re
are multiple versions of the same
looking for
documents (including different
templates with the same version
numbers). - These employees are not confident
that they are using the most
current versions, even when
- 88% of employees and managers
downloaded from the system each
feel that the newly developed
time.
policies and procedures align well
with the functions of the system,
and that they could find system
procedures without using the help
desk as their first line of
assistance.
Knowledge Creation
What need to be How it will be monitor Why When
monitored

Information management
policy:

● The system must be Upgrade the system All company ASAP - Checking
capable of storing all frequently in order to be documents are frequently (every
company able to store all the stored in the fortnight/monthly)
documents system makes
documents.
the easy access
for employees
when they need

● Employees must be The system need to be Employees need ASAP - Checking

able to access take care of by a simple access frequently
documentation technological team. to be able to
download
without notice
template or
because they are documentation for
expected to Provide an easy and their
download a new simple access to any communication
documentation
template for every
new piece of
communication.
The templates need to
be available all the time

● The system must be IT team need to change Give an easier ASAP - Checking
backed up remotely. the method of control access and monthly
system to remote management for
method whoever has right
to backup the
system even
when they are
away

● Access rights must Only people who are To secure the Fortnight
be granted granted according to an system, avoiding checking
according to an authorised security level negative impacts
 authorised security are given the access on the system
level (ensuring rights.
compliance with the
Privacy Act 1988).
Unauthorised
access is blocked.

Information system
maintenance policy:

● The system provider Creating a help desk Helps employees ASAP

must have a help to access if they
desk that employees are having
difficulty
are able to access in
the event of
difficulty.

● All problems with Creating a report Easy to check the ASAP

the system must be template problems have
been found Checking monthly
reported, even if the
employees are able
to rectify them Publishing the report
without resorting to template and a simple To be able to fix
the help desk. way to submit the report the problems
once they are
reported

● The system must Creating the Easy access to Checking monthly

have periodic maintenance screens maintain the
maintenance system
screens to ensure
that it is maintaining Maintaining the system
its structural integrity periodically
and evolving with
the needs of the
organisation.

● The system must be Creating set of The system will Every three
able to be updated organisation’s need be updated months
with functions and properly
functionally with
features that meet
the needs of the
the organisation’s Providing easy access organisation
to update the system
needs.
Knowledge harnessing & sharing

Organisation should mobilise the internet interface. Nowadays, everyone possesses

mobile devices, some of the sales and production representatives use tablets their
presentations and client meetings. By mobilising the internet interface, people who
want to access when they are off-site will be able to do this action.

Knowledge management process

Develop a more user-friendly frequently-asked-questions (FAQ) document that can

be accessed outside the system and assists inexperienced users in accessing and
navigating the system. FAQ is where can answer the basic questions from the users,
it also provides the function of asking question, so anyone who is having difficulty
can leave their concerns and the related team will respond afterward.

Staff learning & development plans

Business plan objectives:

- Reduce cost base by reducing time wasted searching for or recreating

template-based documents.

- Facilitate corporate governance reporting by maintaining easily accessible

and consistent information that is stored in a digital format.

- Capture and implement continuous improvement suggestions.

Operational plan objectives:

- Ensure consistency of communication by creating and making available

standardised information documents.

- Streamline information retrieval processes by creating a single repository.

- Reduce confusion and duplication of work arising from concurrent work on
conflicting versions of documents.

Knowledge management resources

Provide a notification function in the system that alerts users when a new version of
a document is uploaded and replaces the version currently in use. As mentioned
above, there are 57% of employees say there are multiple versions of the same
documents and also about 63% of employees still using the old template or
documents, the notification will inform the employees when the new version of
document is uploaded and replaces old ones, it contributes the easy access for who
wants the updated version.

Perceived constraints & Contingency measures

- Purchase the necessary hardware instead of using the remote method will
meet the demand of management for the organisation to back up its system
on its own server

- Partition the information management system helps the organisation to control

the information easily. It is also help to check whether the information of each
partition has been inputted correctly and appropriately

- New policies and procedures providing a clearer vision to employees about

the roles of administrators, what is encompassed in administrator privileges.
Additionally, they show the things that the regular employees are able to do
with the system.

Evaluation of Knowledge management system

Collaborative software or groupware is application software designed to help people
involved in a common task to achieve their goals. The features that must be included
in the software are:

- Instant messaging

- Audio and video calls

- Document transfer

- Screen sharing
After doing researches, there are two appropriate collaborative software that can
meet the demands.

- QUANT: This software enables to share numerous application windows with

other peers within a group, including those running video walls. The users will
have full control to decide what to share, with whom to share and what
permissions are given. Application window can be simply shared using
dedicated Quant icon or the drag and drop curtain. A chat function is available
to message other users about the application window shared. Any changes to
the shared document are seen instantly.

It offers many different ways to share:

1. SHARE WITH: Sharing instantly with one or more users so a window appears
on the recipient's screen to view or make edits

2. GRANT ACCESS: Allow users access to shared application windows from

your desktop

3. SNAPSHOT: Send an image of the application window to colleagues

4. DELIVER: Send a copy of a file to colleagues and work groups