Group Knowledge Networks: A Framework and an Implementation

Recent strides in computing and telecommunications have provided managers with access to ever increasing amounts of data through higher speed computers and extensive connectivity. However, these advances have not solved the problems of getting the right information to the right person at the right time, and retaining that information in the organization for future use. This paper addresses the issues of information sharing, information overload, and organizational memory by first describing the concepts of knowledge networks. Then the conceptual architecture of a knowledge network to support a work group is presented. This is followed by a description of experiences encountered implementing a specific system for two new product concurrent engineering teams. Results of the implementation indicate that participants were quite satisfied with the new system.