Knowledge Mapping

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Knowledge Mapping

"Knowledge mapping is a process by which organisations can identify and categorise knowledge assets within their organisation - people, processes, content, and technology. It allows an organisation to fully leverage the existing expertise resident in the organisation, as well as identify barriers and constraints to fulfilling strategic goals and objectives. It is constructing a roadmap to locate the information needed to make the best use of resources, independent of source or form".

-Wesley Vestal¹.

Knowledge assets are an integral component of a company's intangible assets, and by their very nature are difficult to quantify and even identify, as in the case of tacit knowledge. Knowledge mapping is a methodology that allows organisations to discover, 'map', and analyse these assets.

Creating a knowledge map (k-maps) is an iterative and ongoing process, like any good map it needs to be updated for the information to remain useful. It answers specific questions about knowledge assets such as:

What are the available knowledge resources?
Where are the knowledge clusters and communities?
Who uses what knowledge resources?
What are the paths of knowledge exchange?
What is the knowledge lifecycle?
What we know we don't know (knowledge gap)²

K-maps can be used for mapping social networks, competencies, processes and concepts. It is the building block for other key knowledge management processes such as measuring knowledge, building formal communities of practice, encouraging knowledge reuse and creating a knowledge management strategy.

Here is an example of steps in the knowledge mapping process³:

Vestal emphasises that the knowledge map is NOT merely a knowledge inventory, audit, search tool or simply a nice visualisation¹. There are numerous software solutions for creating knowledge maps, but at the end of the day, it's the actual process rather than the tool used which is important.

The mapping process should be done before creating a knowledge management strategy or embarking on a new project. David Snowden argues that the process can take as little as 2-3 weeks but should not take more than 2-3 months⁴. Most KM experts recommend using the 80/20 rule - 20% effort to achieve 80% of the requirements. Here is Snowden's idealised knowledge mapping process⁴:

David Snowden's Knowledge Mapping Process

The final output may be represented visually using network graphs, flow charts, concept maps and tables. Roberto Evaristo presents a compelling example of how strategic knowledge mapping can facilitate executive decision making for account management⁵. He uses this hypothetical question to make his point: 'who can sell programmable controllers to mining customers worldwide?'. By quickly surveying employees, he was able to gather the data needed to create network graphs showing the relationship between customers and products, and most importantly to identify the gaps / opportunities. The graphs that Evaristo presents are scalable and can model increasingly complex variables.

From the examples above, we can see that knowledge mapping is a potentially powerful tool that can improve knowledge management strategies and decision making processes. The actual process can be simple, but the whole is definitely greater than the parts. Evaristo makes the case that strategic knowledge mapping "aligns business strategy to actionable operational staffing decisions"⁵.

Deependra leaves us with these words of advice on knowledge mapping:

K-maps should be easily accessible to all in the organisation
It should be easy to understand, update and evolve
It should be updated regularly
It should be an ongoing process since knowledge landscapes are continuously shifting and evolving²

Sources:

1. Vestal, Wesley. "Knowledge Mapping 101". Presentation at USAID Knowledge for Development Seminar September 22, 2003. http://pdf.usaid.gov/pdf_docs/PNADK308.pdf

2. Tandukar, Deependra. "Knowledge Mapping". Ezine Articles, January 13, 2005. http://ezinearticles.com/?Knowledge-Mapping&id=9077

3. Ebener, S et al. " alt

Knowledge Mapping as a Technique to Support Knowledge Translation". Bulletin of the World Health Organization 84.8, August 2006. http://www.who.int/bulletin/volumes/84/8/06-029736.pdf

4. Snowden, David. "A Method for Achieving Symbiosis Among Intellectual Assets". Knowledge Management Yearbook 1999-2000. Boston, MA: Butterworth-Heinemann, 1999.

5. Evaristo, Roberto. "Key Account Management with Strategic Knowledge Mapping". Paper presented at KM Australia August 4-7, 2009, Sydney. PowerPoint file.