Question

In 2000 Nokia wanted to enable knowledge management and learning alternatives across its whole value chain - Suppliers (Busines-2-Business B2B), Customers (Business-2-Customers B2C) and Employees (Business-2-Employees B2E). This perspective would allow Nokia to deliver understanding how to over 200 million people. Enabling suppliers, customers, and employees easy, collaborative and timely access to essential and valuable information about Nokia's products and services, would increase production, commercial awareness and improved dedication from its value string through upgraded services, products, tools and information. Knowledge Management System in Nokia is divided into 3 levels: Individual level, Group level and Organizational level. Knowledge Architecture in Nokia practices Nonaka's model. You can find four ways to capture Knowledge: tacit to tacit communication (socialization), tacit to explicit communication (externalization), explicit to tacit communication (internalization), explicit to explicit communication (combination).
One of the primary Knowledge Management enabler is Nokia Research Centre (NRC), which is implemented for exploring new frontiers for freedom, solving scientific issues to convert the converging Internet and marketing communications establishments. Another enabler, Customer Relationship Management (CRM), Nokia uses CRM to extend the usage of vital customer information to the mobile workforce, ensuring they have got the required resources, when and where they want them. Also Supply Chain Management (SCM) is a KM enabler, Nokia has integrated an operating model by using SCM to accomplish one with their central strategies, which is to add new-product speedily that reflect consumers' fast-changing mobile phone tastes to ensure an industry advantage which emphasize rapid-response processing, quick-ship logistics, and a "global resource web" that links back to you Nokia's crops and suppliers. There are many companies became Kilometers enablers for Nokia to achieve their Kilometers goals. They may be Liquid Air Laboratory GmbH, Psiloc, Kuneri Ltd. , Citrix Systems, Inc. , DiVitas Systems, Mobien Systems Private Limited, Oracle Corp., Sam Click Ltd., iGuanaMobile Sdn Bhd, SYSOPENDIGIA plc, Openbit Ltd. , Secure Digital Box AG.
In spite of the scientific possibilities and an increased volume of computer engineers and information systems professionals, Nokia continue steadily to face serious knowledge management problems, due to the insufficient interdisciplinary knowledge required for an integrated method of the complex information activities involved with every part of work and doing business. As Nokia runs globally, they cannot fully understand the information trends and the implications of the global information societies and information fads. To overcome this issue Nokia is spending abundant money on expensive technology and tools that are not exploited to the higher benefit of the organization. Nokia, regardless of the socioeconomic and politics systems in which they operate, need large numbers of information. That is especially true for those in transitional economies. Hence Nokia is suffering from inefficient and inadequate supervision and exploitation of these information resources.

1. What was Nokia’s strategy behind implementing a KM system? (20 points)

2. What are the main features of Nokia’s KM system? (20 points)

3. Explain the main enablers of KM system at Nokia. (30 points)

4. Explain the main challenges encountering Nokia’s KM systems. (30 points)

Answer 1

1. The main purpose of implementation of KM system was to provide collaborative and timely access to valuable information about its products and services to its large number of stakeholders including customers, suppliers, employees. This would result in increased production, awareness and improved dedication.

2.Main features are

• Knowledge Management System in Nokia is divided into 3 levels: Individual level, Group level and Organizational level
• Knowledge Architecture in Nokia practices Nonaka's model. Knowledge can be captured in four ways : tacit to tacit communication (socialization), tacit to explicit communication (externalization), explicit to tacit communication (internalization), explicit to explicit communication (combination).

3. Enablers are as follows:

• One of the primary Knowledge Management enabler is Nokia Research Centre (NRC), which is implemented for exploring new frontiers for freedom, solving scientific issues to convert the converging Internet and marketing communications establishments.
• Use of Customer Relationship Management ensures that Nokia provides the required and desired information about its customers to its employees on timely basis.
• Supply Chain Management (SCM) is another KM enabler. Nokia has integrated an operating model by using SCM to accomplish one with their central strategies, which is to add new-product speedily that reflect consumers' fast-changing mobile phone tastes to ensure an industry advantage which emphasize rapid-response processing, quick-ship logistics, and a "global resource web" that links back to Nokia's crops and suppliers.

4.Challeges

• Lack of proper understanding of information trends and implications of global information societies and information fads.
• Huge expenditure has to be incurred on expensive technology and tools.
• Inefficient and inadequate exploitation and supervision of information resources.