The objective of the research was to understand how customer knowledge was used in an organization and the role knowledge management systems (KMS) played in this use. Traditionally, organizations have relied on internal knowledge to shape their corporate strategy. Recently however they are tapping new sources of knowledge that are external to the firm. One important source of organizational knowledge is a company’s customers, as they present a source of knowledge that may provide new insights, innovations and ideas that are not necessarily found within the organization. The study examined the perceptions and beliefs of customer knowledge held by an organization’s employees, the types of customer knowledge available to the firm, the use of a KMS, and its impact on an organization’s use of knowledge. We posed the question of how these perceptions and beliefs influenced the types of customer knowledge available and the design and implementation of a KMS. Furthermore, we investigated the impact of customer knowledge types and knowledge management systems on how an organization uses customer knowledge in its regular operational routines. To answer these questions, a case study was conducted in a Canadian health care systems organization. By taking the approach that individuals in an organization are the key to sharing knowledge with customers, this research was able to gain an in-depth understanding of how employees view customer knowledge, including both positive and negative attitudes towards this new source of knowledge. The types of customer knowledge available to the study organization were identified, as were the ways that the newly implemented KMS helped and hindered knowledge sharing. The results of the research demonstrate how the types of customer knowledge available to an organization can be categorized by the perceived quality and the perceived accessibility of the knowledge. These findings contribute to the field of knowledge management by moving towards a theory of how customer knowledge is used by an organization, and how internal and external factors affect this use. Furthermore, this study raises awareness of the importance of a KMS in managing customer knowledge, including key aspects of its design and implementation.

The objective of the research was to understand how customer knowledge was used in an organization and the role knowledge management systems (KMS) played in this use. Traditionally, organizations have relied on internal knowledge to shape their corporate strategy. Recently however they are tapping new sources of knowledge that are external to the firm. One important source of organizational knowledge is a company’s customers, as they present a source of knowledge that may provide new insights, innovations and ideas that are not necessarily found within the organization. The study examined the perceptions and beliefs of customer knowledge held by an organization’s employees, the types of customer knowledge available to the firm, the use of a KMS, and its impact on an organization’s use of knowledge. We posed the question of how these perceptions and beliefs influenced the types of customer knowledge available and the design and implementation of a KMS. Furthermore, we investigated the impact of customer knowledge types and knowledge management systems on how an organization uses customer knowledge in its regular operational routines. To answer these questions, a case study was conducted in a Canadian health care systems organization. By taking the approach that individuals in an organization are the key to sharing knowledge with customers, this research was able to gain an in-depth understanding of how employees view customer knowledge, including both positive and negative attitudes towards this new source of knowledge. The types of customer knowledge available to the study organization were identified, as were the ways that the newly implemented KMS helped and hindered knowledge sharing. The results of the research demonstrate how the types of customer knowledge available to an organization can be categorized by the perceived quality and the perceived accessibility of the knowledge. These findings contribute to the field of knowledge management by moving towards a theory of how customer knowledge is used by an organization, and how internal and external factors affect this use. Furthermore, this study raises awareness of the importance of a KMS in managing customer knowledge, including key aspects of its design and implementation.

Titel: Kunskap – nyckeln till framgång? Seminariedatum: 2011-01-12 Högskola: Mälardalens Högskola Västerås Institution: Akademin för hållbar samhälls- och teknikutveckling Ämne/kurs: Kandidatuppsats i företagsekonomi – FÖA 300 Författare: Linda Lycken (780131) och Rafael Vega Trujillo (870711) Handledare: Sara Melén Nyckelord: Innovation, kunskap, knowledge management Syfte: Uppsatsens syfte är att få en djupare förståelse för den kunskap som finns på ASSA samt att se hur kunskap påverkar utvecklingen av innovationer. Metod: Kvalitativ och deduktiv metod. En fallstudie har genomförts genom 2 semistrukturerade intervjuer på ASSA. Teori: Teorikapitlet baseras på vetenskapliga artiklar och böcker om innovation, kunskap och  knowledge management. Empiri: Empirikapitlet består av intervjuer med två anställda på ASSA, Perla Bovin som är designansvarig samt projektansvarig Jonas Herrmann. Dessutom har ASSAs webbplats och årsredovisning från 2009 använts. Slutsats: Det går att identifiera synlig och osynlig kunskap på ASSA. Den synliga kunskapen är utförda projekt som sparas exempelvis i form av rapporter för att eventuellt återanvända i kommande projekt och den osynliga kunskapen sker via interaktion mellan medarbetare ASSA. På ASSA jobbar man i tvärfunktionella grupper för att på bästa sätt använda sig av olika kunskapsområden. På ASSA utgår man från Gatewaymodellen, vilken används för företagets innovationsprocesser där kunskap tillförs i alla stadier. / Title: Knowledge – the key to success? Seminar date: 2011-01-12 State University: Mälardalen University Västerås Institution: School of Sustainable development of society and technology Course: Bachelor thesis – FÖA 300 Authors: Linda Lycken (780131) and Rafael Vega Trujillo (870711) Supervisor: Sara Melén Key words: Innovation, knowledge, knowledge management Purpose: The purpose of this thesis is to get a deeper understanding about the knowledge at ASSA and to see how this effects the development of innovations. Method: Qualitative and deductive methodology.  A case study has been made with two semi structured interviews at ASSA. Theory: The theoretical chapter is based on scientific articles and books about innovation, knowledge and knowledge management. Empirical study: The empirical chapter consists of two interviews at ASSA, one with Design manager Perla Bovin and one with project manager Jonas Herrmann. ASSAs webpage and annual report from 2009 has also been used. Conclusion: We can identify both explicit and tacit knowledge at ASSA. Explicit knowledge is executed projects that are stored for example in a form of reports for possible use in the future while the tacit knowledge happens via interaction between employees at ASSA. At ASSA projects happen in cross functional teams to make the best of use of different areas of knowledge. ASSA assume from the Gateway model, which is used in the company’s innovation process in which knowledge is applied in every stage.

Now face of the twenty-one century, "knowledge economy era", the era of knowledge economy is the very important factor in resources, knowledge, and knowledge is most valuable, special in construction industry business. Many industries (especially in the construction industry ) has been gradually realized that sustainable competitive advantage to be no longer just a physical plant, land, labor, raw materials, capital, technology, but the intangible knowledge assets, knowledge management as if become the most popular topic, so have the knowledge management organization. This study is major in study the " knowledge management " used in the construction industry, through study and in-depth study in construction project about " how to united resources and knowledge property " and using in specific- project, and let this become useful in the highly competitive market, enhance the company become more competitive topic. In this study, we use "knowledge management" as based and research; we use open type interviews and study and use try from theory to practice and got report from tablet (case studies) the conclusions of this study was obtained are: 1. the "knowledge management "how they affect in Construction industry¡D 2. "knowledge management" success factor 3. We study the "knowledge management" in construction industry and project industry management relations. 4. Corporate knowledge management actives of the establishment, for the impact of construction technology management strategy development.

Knowledge-based economy time approached, has formed a reform wave of unrest to the modern enterprise. No matter what kind of enterprise, nearly wish they can use the knowledge to realizes the dream about enterprise innovation and eternal business. The purchases works is the major cost of the general manufacturing production, needs to guarantee the enterprise earnings maximized by the effective management. This research plan to analyze and discuss the feasibility about knowledge management application on engineering outsourcing of purchases procedure in the enterprise. The engineering outsourcing is dazzling, if the enterprise has not make a systematic plan before purchase, it will cause many problems in purchase process. Even after purchased will not meet the demand and unable situation of the use. In the past, the well-experienced engineering supervisor conducted all the plan of outsourcing project. As the matter of fact, the monitoring criteria between different supervisors are not consistent. Therefore the supervising quality wills effects the outsourcing progress and the cost transparency seriously. A good engineering plan shall define the engineering specification as clear as possible so that the suppliers can establish the quotation more transparently in accordance with the engineering specification. Due to transparent purchasing process, the supplier¡¦s quotation will not be exaggerated and the cost will be controlled easily, therefore the loss will be controlled in the reasonable edge. Facing the inquiry and bargain, the purchaser and purchasing supervisor determine the most beneficial choice in accordance with the accurate planning so that the cheating occurrence will be decreased as well. How to make an excellent engineering project? Except organize an excellent engineer team. And we need to use the modern knowledge management theory and supply the suitable information technology assistance to achieve the goal of knowledge inheritance. With the systematic accumulation, expanding and transition process, the freshmen can take over the engineering knowledge and then they will make the outsourcing process more transparent and decrease the unreasonable cost loss. This research via knowledge management related literature discussed, reorganizes the major five activities of knowledge management. And via depth interview method discovered that the engineering purchase related people were hold the positive attitude and willing to accept the knowledge management induct into the purchase process system. Moreover, this case needs construct the platform of knowledge management about engineering purchase related. According to this research, we trust that it may provide the correlation company a reference to induct knowledge management system of the engineering purchase.

In 2003, the Organization for Economy Co-operation and Development (OECD) reported in its survey that Knowledge Management (KM) was one of the internal management priorities in the central government organizations in each country. It revealed that KM had been emphasized in OECD member countries. KM practices have been improved deeper and wider on application in private sector than those in government organizations. Even though, implementing KM practices has already been a global trend in this changeable century of 21. KM is a better resolution to promote administration efficiency and problem solving by accumulating material of knowledge and networking specialist. For this reason, government has been actively inducing KM practices and expecting efficiency leaders abounding with knowledge. Comptroller administrations are responsible for the budget, accounting and statistics in the government. Under the limitation of resources, how the comptroller administrations do the delivering for creating the best efficiency, service quality and performance is a grim challenge at this present. This research was done by interviewing and following questionnaire survey, based on the pattern compiled by literature reviewing, to the accountants and statisticians of Taipei and Kaohsiung government for examining the status of the KM practices in these comptroller agency. After sampling the accountants and statisticians of the two governments, this study presented a detailed analysis of its 372 valid questionnaires, which were processed by SPSS10.0 software, and obtain the findings as follow: 1.The average in all aspect is above 3 except the sharing of comptroller knowledge due to its tacit. It manifests that all accountants and statisticians have approved the KM promoting. 2.In knowledge selection aspect, man has shown more rates of utilization than woman, but woman has paid more attention to the mentoring, training, and coaching practices; staff mobility and improving the classification of information. The superior have more rates in utilizing knowledge creating than the non-superior and emphasize the relationship between organizational culture with opening, cooperation, trusting, sharing and learning. 3.In KM process aspect, budgeting comptrollers, accountants and the senior in qualification and record of service are less rates than statisticians and the junior. In aspect of KM enablers, the budgeting comptrollers place more value on strategy and leadership planning, the ones who take more time on using computer in work pay more attention to information technology and the junior focus on performance measurement. 4.The one who takes KM enablers seriously will use the KM process more frequently. It has proved the theory of KM model of AABC. 5.There are divergences in consciousness in most of aspects between Taipei and Kaohsiung comptrollers except in knowledge accumulating, accessible function of Internet site and difficulties in implementing KM practices. According to the statistics, the average of Kaohsiung is higher than Taipei in every aspect. It shows that accountants and statisticians in Kaohsiung are more perception than those in Taipei. As a result of this research, the researcher has given seven suggestions to the comptroller agency for inducing KM practices as follows: (1) Build up the consciousness of the middle- aged, higher educated and less experiences accountants & statisticians in KM concept. (2) Promoting the level of hardware and software in KM. (3) Strengthen leadership of the superior. (4) Enhancing ability of the non-superior in researching, developing and creating. (5) Establish a society on practical knowledge and a channel for sharing and communication. (6) Integrating laws and regulations, set up a database of KM in legislation. (7) Making an inquiring system of government accounting information for public.

Twenty-one century is a Knowledge economy system. Knowledge is being substituted for the machine facilities, capital asset, materials or labors, and to be the most important productive materials and competitive weapons for the enterprise. We can find out many high technology companies, which have the very high stock price in the U.S., but they do not have lots of tangible assets. Even though some of them have ten or hundred times of marketing values compare with the tangible assets. The main difference is the Intellectual Capital that is not presented by the financial reports. Therefore, for the enterprise, it is the most important issue to integrate the knowledge and enterprise core ability, and transfer to be knowledge oriented organizations by using the Intellectual Capital.There are many domestic enterprises begin to set up the knowledge management (KM) mechanism under the industry pressure, and start the research about how to drive the KM and with what kind of steps. Although there are many scholars have proposed different KM framework, activities and influential factors, the KM will still be a new issue for enterprise.Therefore, this research will propose three cases of domestic enterprise which carry out the KM. In order to study the procedure for the KM, the framework of KM, the influential factors of KM, the motivation of KM, how to drive the KM process, what kind of activities of KM, when to drive the KM, and what kind of information technology will also be discussed in this paper. Finally, this study will compare with the framework of current KM literature and analyze the result, and to be the reference for other enterprise in carrying out KM.

The Relationship between Taiwanese Companies¡¦ Global Knowledge Management and Their Human Capital Abstract After Taiwan enter WTO, every restriction will be removed. Under environment of free trade of every resource, Taiwanese companies going to the International and Global operation will be the ongoing tendency. To accumulate existing knowledge effectively and exploit new knowledge continuously will be the key point to international corporation¡¦s success. How to build the global knowledge management will be the focus of future¡¦s global competition. ¡§Human being¡¨ is the main source of knowledge creation, also the main role under the process of knowledge management. Human-based corporation emphasize on human capital¡¦s accumulation, growth, and this is the main source of corporation¡¦s continuous improvement. This research gathered primary data through interviews. After interviews, try to analyze and categorize these primary data, then get the propositions. After comparison among five corporations, this thesis could get the three following dimensions of propositions: ¤@¡B Multinational corporation¡¦s global operation strategy Proposition 1: The higher innovative tendency of overseas subsidiary, the more complexity of global operating function they are, and the more overseas workers they have. Proposition 4: The greater corporations using technical tools, the faster corporations going global operation. ¤G¡B Multinational corporation¡¦s global knowledge management Proposition 5: Innovation-based international corporations will be more promise based of organization orientation during knowledge management process. Proposition 9: International professional knowledge will be spread by informational technology; international marketing and management knowledge will be spread by people¡¦s direct interaction. ¤T¡BGlobal knowledge management and Human capital Proposition 2: The more human capital input corporations have, the better innovation and skilled ability corporations have, and would be also care more about getting overseas potential employees. Proposition 7: The more important corporations¡¦ overseas marketing knowledge are, the more marketing employees hired locally. Proposition 3: The higher senior managers¡¦ international and professional level are, the faster corporations¡¦ globalization process are. Proposition 6: The more famous international corporation¡¦s senior managers are, the more attractive to overseas professional and managerial employees. Proposition 8: Corporations¡¦ tacit knowledge would be accumulated by human being through training, and explicit professional innovative knowledge would be accumulated by patent. Proposition 10: The more innovative corporations are, the more opened corporations culture are.

Nowadays, due to the dynamic changes in global market, the enterprise¡¥s competition was not any more ¡§ enterprise to enterprise ¡§and will be ¡§supply chain to supply chain¡¨. Therefore, the visibility and efficiency of the supply chain management are more and more important under the global economic system. Under the globalization age of the knowledge economic, the knowledge will be quickly acquired and effectively control that is one of the route to create the value and to master the advantage of the competition for enterprise. The supply chain management how to integrate knowledge management has become an irresistible for the development of supply chain management Accordingly, this research intends to construct an relationship model for appling supply chain management to integrate knowledge and enterprise management performance. After that , then we analyzing the impact of supply chain management to integrate knowledge management on enterprise management performance by case study. According to the study, we find there will be more efficient for supply chain management when the enterprise applies supply chain management to integrate knowledge management. To use this model, the enterprise , customer and supplier will establish a good partnership and information sharing frame to response to customer requirement promptly. The enterprise will have a management performance. The supply chain management integrates knowledge management, besides improving the efficiency of supply chain management, also representing the value of knowledge management.

Knowledge is a strategically important resource to improve competition superiority of an organization. It plays a vital role in healthcare enterprises where knowledge is widely used as the major part of their basic resource. The rapid growing in medical laboratory technology has also enabled this field to be highly professional and knowledge¡Vintensive. To maintain the accuracy and credibility of the documentation and to improve the quality of the service, the personnel in a medical laboratory have to preserve and share their knowledge through the invisible process of creation and dissemination in a highly efficient way. It is considered of great benefit to improve the efficiency of knowledge management in a medical laboratory. We conduct a study to focus on improving the efficiency of knowledge management in the operation of a medical laboratory. We studied the application of knowledge management in a medical laboratory in a military hospital in southern Taiwan. The actuator elements of knowledge management from Arthur Anderson¡¦s model, consisting of leadership, enterprise¡¦s culture, information technology and performance appraisal, were used to construct a questionnaire. The questionnaires were mailed to chiefs of medical laboratories in medical centers. The opinion of personnel in the medical laboratory of a military hospital was surveyed with the questionnaires. We tried to find out the obstacles of promotion, key success factors and case strategy in knowledge management and build up strategy of promotion and performance measurement. Result: I. The current promotion obstacles in the medical laboratory A. The leading three ones are lack of incentive and objective evaluation in performance measurement dimension, lack of community in organizational culture and lack of integration in information technology dimension. B. The least three ones are lack of dedicated team in information technology dimension, unwilling to share in organizational culture dimension and lack of insight in leadership dimension. II. The key success factors in the promotion of knowledge management in the medical laboratory: The priority is the cognition and endorsement of executives, the willingness to communicate and share, and education and training. Finally, a strategic map was constructed according to balanced score card theory in the hope of creation of a reference in knowledge management in the medical laboratory.