Knowledge Compass: Opening Windows, Punching Holes in Stovepipes, Forming Communities, Connecting People to People

✍ Scribed by Jane K. Starnes

• Publisher: American Society for Information Science and Technology
• Year: 2005
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 97 KB
• Volume: 29
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0095-4403
• DOI: 10.1002/bult.290

✦ Synopsis

Special Section

staffing would be allocated at a time when both were being cut throughout the company).

What is Knowledge Compass?

Knowledge Compass (KC) is a system for locating "experts," asking questions and capturing the answers for reuse. The database is built in two ways: (1) experts pre-load documents and links to resources that already exist and (2) people ask questions, and the answers are kept, graded and sometimes recorded as "best practices." KC is a customized implementation of the product from AskMe, Inc. (www.askme.com)

How Did We Do That?

In tight budget times, this project won highlevel management support and major funding. The following were among the keys to success: ■ A Management Review Committee watched over the project from beginning to end. ■ The project was tightly managed, and time spent was carefully justified and accounted for. ■ Product requirements were developed in con junction with customers and the selected product met most of the criteria. ■ The product was carefully marketed in a way that demonstrated its special niche in the flow of information. ■ Users were trained on how to use the product; there were several levels of training, tailored to the type of interaction the individual was expected to have with the product (moderator, expert or knowledge seeker). ■ Evaluation was continuous and very numbersbased. How many users? Repeat users? How many questions posted? How many answers? ■ The vendor was committed to making our installation successful.