Objectives

This objective is further broken down to the following goals:

• focused validation of KNOW-NET's leading-edge methods and tools, which is provided by two solution providers (PLANET in Greece and KNOWLEDGE ASSOCIATES in the UK - both partners in the KNOW-NET project)
• adaptation of KNOW-NET in four (4) software development companies that span the whole spectrum of software-related activities (SINGULAR in Greece, ALPHANOVA in the UK, DEBUS in the Czech Republic and MDA in Turkey); and
• wide-scale dissemination of LEVER's Knowledge Management concepts and tools both in EU members and associated states (facilitated by SEPE, the Federation of Hellenic Information Technology Enterprises - a member of the European I.T. Services Association).

Objectives of User Companies

The four user companies aim to undertake knowledge management initiatives at the business unit, function, or operational process level where they expect to have the most immediate impact on their performance. A portfolio of the following knowledge management related initiatives will be taken up by the users:

• Capture and re-use explicit knowledge that is embedded in component parts of organizational outputs - these include product designs, project proposals and reports, documented implementation procedures, along with software code and documentation that can be re-used to reduce the time and resources needed to produce new output.
  • By applying Knowledge Management LEVER users aim to shorten the new product development, verification, as well as validation periods, and reduce the product time-to-market, thereby offering them an advantage with regard to their competitors. Moreover, corporate units responsible for preparing proposals and tenders aim to reduce the proposal generation cost and increase their wining rate by creating knowledge repositories that will maintain relative material such as templates and previously submitted documents.
• Capture and share lessons learnt - this initiative will capture tacit, softer, more experimental knowledge that will be interpreted and leveraged by SINGULAR, ALPHANOVA, DEBUS and MDA in a new context. Frequently asked questions, encountered problems, and popular products will be converted into databases that will include the appropriate troubleshooting responses supplied from the product developers. The databases will be frequently updated and made available through intranet environments.
  • The user companies aim to improve the quality of service provided and enhance the degree of confidence amongst their business partners by having the opportunity to place close attention to the situations encountered by their customers and dealers.
• Point to the expert - creating Knowledge Yellow Pages is an issue of paramount importance in SMEs with a large number of employees. LEVER users will create lists of "knowledge categories" that will be widely understood and accurately reflect each company's universe of knowledge. The ultimate project scope will be to establish "knowledge links" among the experts and those departments, groups, and colleagues who need their knowledge.
  • LEVER users aim to minimize their efforts to capture and deploy knowledge content by having visible and easily accessible expertise resources and by creating knowledge "brokering mechanisms" between knowledge providers and knowledge recipients in the organizational structure.
• Codify corporate tacit knowledge. Within LEVER user companies will try to identify corporate tacit knowledge that is context-specific and includes employee hands-on skills, special know-how, etc.
  • The four user companies aim to improve the firms' human resources management and streamline their recruitment processes by capturing and transforming their employees' tacit knowledge to explicit through the implementation of company wide knowledge initiatives.
• Synthesize and share knowledge from external sources. In today's competitive environment the importance of corporate intelligence schemes is highly esteemed. Members of the software development, proposal preparation, procurement, marketing, and quality management units from all LEVER users will form task groups that will foster external knowledge initiatives.
  • LEVER user companies aim to radically improve their competitive intelligence capabilities by creating web-based interfaces to research information and international marketing intelligence.

Objectives of Solution Provider Companies

The objectives of the LEVER solution providers fall under two categories:

• Customise, validate and package the KNOW-NET solution. Within the KNOW-NET project the two solution providers have already pilot-tested KNOW-NET in the banking and the consultancy services sector. Within LEVER, the technical objective of solution providers are:
  • to further customise, apply, test and evaluate the KNOW-NET total knowledge management solution in the software development industry. Such customisation includes: the customisation of the KNOW-NET tool (e.g. customisation of KM processes/applications, so that they are typical of software companies, adaptation of Knowledge Server by developing domain ontologies for software companies) and customisation of the KNOW-NET method (e.g. by providing a knowledge management reference model for the software industry, producing industry-specific management techniques and metrics for intellectual capital measurement, etc)
• Broadly exploit and stimulate KM market. The European software industry presents a major market opportunity for the LEVER solution developers to increase the scope and size of their target market. Their market objectives are:
  • to gain a significant market share in the KM market of the software industry;
  • to exploit the fact that the software industry can create a multipler effect and thus increase the demand for KM software and services
  • to gain wider adoption of their KM products by other users who will see LEVER's successful experience
  • to develop new business arrangements and alliances in the emerging European KM market.