Sidestepping implementation traps when implementing knowledge management: lessons learned from Siemens

摘要

This case study provides an in-depth analysis of Siemens' lessons learned when implementing knowledge management. For the analysis of the case-study data, we use established tools from the marketing literature, and integrate these with the change management literature. The aim is to provide a rich-yet-parsimonious conceptualisation of Siemens' lessons learned in dealing with two distinct implementation traps. The first trap is called customer trap and suggests that the needs of two 'knowledge management customers' have to be carefully balanced. Specifically, the 'end customer' of the initiative (the user of the initiative) and the 'business customer' of the initiative (top management) may have different expectations and requirements that need to be taken into consideration both separately and jointly. The second trap is called personalisation/standardisation trap and points to the need to balance standardisation (often needed due to the global scale of knowledge management initiatives) with customisation (too much of which can lead to an undifferentiated mix in which value propositions of individual initiatives are hard to appreciate).