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Column Two
News and opinion on all things KM & CM |
James Robertson
Step Two Designs
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Written by James Robertson Step Two Designs |
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Articles by Month: September 2003
NSW KM Forum this Thursday (Sydney, Australia)The next NSW KM Forum meeting is this Thursday, details as follows:
Posted by jamesr at 11:46 AM
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Corporate memory - the hard wayDenham Grey has written a blog entry on the knowledge management dream of capturing corporate memory. To quote: One of the central themes of KM is the design, building and maintenance of an effective 'corporate memory', a repository, a dare I say it, knowledge-base. Here the intellectual jewels of the organization will reside, easily accessible, expertly indexed, intuitively browseable. Here experts and novices will come for self-help knowledge, they will find the correct solution quickly, be able to apply the solutions with confidence, and learn from the 'collective experience of the organization'. Posted by jamesr at 11:15 AM
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Is this product a CMS?Tony Byrne has written an article that asks of the various niche solutions: is this product a CMS?. To quote: Defining just what makes a bona fide content management package can be a very tricky (and debatable) endeavor. Many self-described CMS products offer a variety of features that purists would argue fall outside the content management domain, such as portal and personalization capabilities, site management features, and interactive widgets like polls and surveys. Posted by jamesr at 11:09 AM
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Why content management projects succeed or failBill Trippe has written a blog entry on why content management projects succeed or fail. To quote: I have seen both successes and failures in content management projects. While I have not attempted to formally catalog the reasons, certain things seem to be consistent, at least on the "successful" side. I have noticed at least three major things in common with successful projects. Posted by jamesr at 11:03 AM
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Why knowledge management isn't enoughStephen Mayson has written an article on why knowledge management isn't enough. To quote: With the rise of the 'knowledge economy', knowledge management has become all the rage. However in a law firm, knowledge management is not really about managing knowledge. Clients buy know-how rather than knowledge from law firms. Therefore, managing know-how should not be a support function (as knowledge management is in so many businesses): it is the very essence of a law firm. [Thanks to excited utterances.] Posted by jamesr at 05:45 PM
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Enterprise IA roadmapLou Rosenfeld has just published an enterprise IA roadmap, showing what activities should be done now within a typical organisation, and which will need to come later. To quote: Hi all; as part of my seminar series on enterprise information architecture, I've developed what I'm calling a "roadmap" that describes which aspects of the enterprise's architecture should be developed and when. My goal is to show that there are certain aspects of a site's architecture that are worth tackling right away for quick wins, others that you'll get around to later, and others that you might never reach in a distributed, highly politicized enterprise environment. Interesting, very interesting... Posted by jamesr at 01:11 PM
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Soft skills for information architectureJeff Lash has written an article on soft skills for information architects, in other words, the non-technical skills required by consultants and the like. To quote: While much of one's success or failure depends on the skills specific to information architecture---like diagramming, documenting, organizing---an even greater indicator is soft skills: dealing with conflict, negotiating, and communicating. These soft skills are important in any profession or job role, but are of high importance in information architecture, which requires applying them in sometimes unconventional ways. [Thanks to ia/.] Posted by jamesr at 01:08 PM
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Ontology tool: Protege-2000The Protege project has released an open-source tool called Protege-2000, designed to create and maintain ontologies and other knowledgebases. To quote:
[Thanks to catalogablog.] Posted by jamesr at 12:52 PM
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Australian Pictorial ThesaurusThe Australian public sector has published the Australian Pictorial Thesaurus, to quote the site: The Australian Pictorial Thesaurus (APT) is a collection of topic terms for indexing Australian images. The APT uses contemporary Australian terminology to describe objects, people, places and structures, activities and concepts depicted in an image. It ensures the common description of pictorial collections across Australian libraries, museums and archives. [Thanks to Catalogablog.] Posted by jamesr at 12:40 PM
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Mapping knowledgeDenham Grey has written a blog entry on mapping knowledge, in the knowledge management sense. To quote: Using a questionnaire has proved, in my experience, to be the least effective way to map and understand knowledge gaps, surface issues, to identify worthwhile new practices or opportunities. I definitely agree with all of this. In fact, I've found that both surveys and focus groups are often ineffective at determining needs and identifying cultural issues. (At one conference I talked at, I became known as "the guy who hates focus groups", all very amusing.) Instead, I recommend a variety of ways of conducting research, including:
These are all the very topics that my Techniques for Building a Better Intranet workshop focuses on: the useful and practical ways of identifying needs and mapping knowledge. Posted by jamesr at 09:36 AM
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IA tools initiativeAIfIA have just launched their IA tools initiative, to make a available a collection of useful templates and deliverables for information architects. Already there is a useful set of documents:
Posted by jamesr at 09:27 AM
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New office & welcome to DonnaI've just got back from setting up our new office in Canberra, as previously announced. This is located in Fyshwick, and has plenty of space and natural light. It should prove to be a very pleasant (and productive) working environment. I'd also like to welcome Donna Maurer onto the Step Two Designs consulting team. It was her first day today, and already she's generating some great ideas. I'm really looking forward to drawing upon Donna's considerable usability and IA knowledge as part of our efforts to further innovate our practices. Posted by jamesr at 11:22 PM
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The new dynamics of strategy: Sense-making in a complex and complicated worldC. F. Kurtz and D. J. Snowden have written an article on sense making, in the context of knowledge management. To quote: In this paper, we challenge the universality of three basic assumptions prevalent in organizational decision support and strategy: assumptions of order, of rational choice, and of intent. We describe the Cynefin framework, a sense-making device we have developed to help people make sense of the complexities made visible by the relaxation of these assumptions. (The article is a PDF in the latest IBM Systems Journal, look for a link towards the bottom of the page.) [Thanks to elearningpost.] Posted by jamesr at 10:28 AM
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Create a subject indexI recently delivered the final report to a NSW State Government client for their intranet review, which had some interesting recommendations in them. The recommendation that I really wasn't expecting to suggest was that they create a subject index. This is really a return to the role originally played by libraries. That is, I recommended that a full-time role be created effectively as an "information broker" within the organisation, with a subject index being the published output. This is the text of my recommendation, for those that are interested: Information needs The life-blood of the organisation is the large body of highly technical knowledge, created by two key divisions. At present, however, staff are finding it extremely difficult obtaining the information they need to conduct their work. Throughout the organisation there is a (perhaps necessarily) complex organisational structure devoted to creating and maintaining this body of knowledge. In many cases, this consists of small teams given the responsibility for specific subject areas, who then publish the results of their effort into separate intranet sub-sites. Unfortunately, these highly "silo-ed" mechanisms for disseminating knowledge often do not match how it must be used. At least four areas within the business have been identified as having to know at least "something about everything". These groups are responsible for some of the key business functions within the organisation, including customer service and advising the Minister. Better meeting the needs of these stakeholders will therefore have a substantial impact upon the effectiveness of the organisation as a whole. Subject index What is needed is an improved way of providing access to the huge amount of information available within the organisation. To this end, it is recommended that a subject index be created, to provide a simple way of finding out all the information and resources available for a given topic. The existing "who's who" page gives a precedent for this, and demonstrates that the need has already been identified in the past. Unfortunately, this was not sufficiently comprehensive, and was not kept up-to-date. Design of the index This subject index would operate like a "back of the book" index, listing individual subjects in alphabetical order. "See" and "see also" links would then be created, to assist staff to find topics. For each subject, the following information should be provided:
Subject index maintainer A full-time position should also be created to maintain the subject index. This would not be a "gatekeeper" role, but rather a support resource with an overall view of the index, and the skills needed to assist teams to maintain their content. This role could be filled by either a professional indexer or a librarian, and could sit either within the intranet team, or within the corporate library. In either case, this role will be critical to ensuring that the information producers are connected with the information consumers within the organisation. Without this role, this subject index will almost certainly fail, as the business teams will not have the time or skills to ensure that the index remains up-to-date and effective. Posted by jamesr at 08:44 PM
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Putting it together: taxonomy, classification & searchJeff Morris has written about the intersection of taxonomies, classification & search as related to intranets. To quote: Combining taxonomy and classification with search, notes Woods, "gives people a map of the resources available to them. This kind of taxonomy, classification and search combination is becoming essential for the major search vendors." [Thanks to elearningpost.] Posted by jamesr at 07:12 PM
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Developing competency-driven learning contentJoyce M. Clark has written an article on developing competency-driven learning content. To quote: Using a competency-based training development process that incorporates performance maps (a one-page summary graphic drawing a line of sight from company goals to individual performance), companies can quickly prioritize competencies for a role. This prioritization helps identify which key competencies individual employees should focus on enhancing, as well as the competency-driven learning content that should be developed to support training objectives. This identification and prioritization process best prepares companies to meet the training needs of our ever-changing business environment. [Thanks to elearningpost.] Posted by jamesr at 09:19 PM
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Storing your XMLBill Trippe has written a blog entry on storing your XML. To quote: Many organizations are now working with XML data in one or more applications. As the use of XML grows, an important question arises - where should XML data be stored? Posted by jamesr at 06:28 PM
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Content management and the enterpriseBill Trippe has written a blog entry on content management and the enterprise. To quote: Perhaps more significantly, content management has a broader and more important role in organizations than these other technologies. In the case of document management, the technology was often relegated to departmental roles; in the case of knowledge management, it often failed to move beyond pilot installations. Content management is taking on a central role within the enterprise. Posted by jamesr at 06:26 PM
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ListutorialRuss Weakley has written an excellent tutorial on using CSS for lists. To quote: Listutorial takes you through the basics of building CSS lists with "background images for bullets" and "simple rollovers" with a few variations along the way. Posted by jamesr at 11:12 PM
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Models of collaborationTimothy Butler and David Coleman have written an article on models of collaboration. To quote: Based on the experience of working with many different organizations we have been able to categorize the majority of collaborative environments to fit into one or more of five primary collaboration models: [Thanks to commoncraft.] Posted by jamesr at 11:09 AM
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Open-source tool for heuristic reviewsUzilla has released an open-source tool called uzReview designed to assist with heuristic reviews of sites. To quote: Heuristic Review is a process for expert review of web/software usability. uzReview is a Mozilla sidebar designed to facilitate this process. It supports the logging of heuristics against a URL or a keyword. The keyword facility is designed to allow the review of processes or workflows. Additionally, there's a rich text editor which supports drag and drop of content from the browsed pages for comments, ui improvements, etc. Posted by jamesr at 10:38 AM
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Sitemaps and site indexesChiara Fox has written an article on sitemaps and site indexes. To quote: Sitemaps and site indexes are forms of supplemental navigation. They give users a way to navigate a site without having to use the global navigation. By providing a way to visualize and understand the layout and structure of the site, a sitemap can help a lost or confused user find her way. Sitemaps are more widely implemented than site indexes, but both have their place and fulfil a unique information need. Posted by jamesr at 03:28 PM
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Intranet Peers in Government (Brisbane, Australia)Just another reminder about the upcoming Intranet Peers in Government in Brisbane on 16 & 17 October 2003. We've got a good mix of organisations coming already (including Department of Primary industries, 2 TAFE's, and a good number of local Councils), but there are still places free, and only a month to go. These are just a few of the comments from past participants: "Fantastic. Haven't enjoyed a course so much in ages." Posted by jamesr at 03:17 PM
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Techniques for Building a Better Intranet (Canberra, Australia)We just announced a date for the next Techniques for Building a Better Intranet workshop, to be held in Canberra on 5 November 2003. This is a great workshop for all involved, details as follows:This one day workshop will explore a range of practical techniques and approaches for improving the design and effectiveness of your intranet. Through a mix of presentations, discussions and exercises, you will come away bubbling with ideas about how to tackle your intranet issues. Workshop brochure (99k PDF) Posted by jamesr at 03:01 PM
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Misconceptions about usabilityJakob Nielsen's latest Alertbox is on misconceptions about usability. To quote:Misconceptions about usability's expense, the time it involves, and its creative impact prevent companies from getting crucial user data, as does the erroneous belief that existing customer-feedback methods are a valid driver for interface design. Posted by jamesr at 10:17 AM
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Fubini's LawIn the context of discussions on intranets, my friend John Castley forwarded me a copy of Fubini's Law, which goes like this: 1. People initially use technology to do what they do now - but faster. 2. Then they gradually begin to use technology to do new things. 3. The new things change life-styles and work-styles. 4. The new life-styles and work-styles change society ... and eventually change technology. Posted by jamesr at 05:31 PM
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Beyond Usability: DownloadsAdaptive Path has demonstrated their public spirit by releasing a set of workshop assets, including sample deliverables, diagrams and examples. To quote: Below you can find the tools, deliverables, and documentation templates used in Adaptive Path's workshops. Let us know if you have any questions, comments, or suggestions. Enjoy! [Thanks to LOGos.] Posted by jamesr at 07:21 PM
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Styling lists using CSSI've been amazed at how far Cascading Style Sheets (CSS) have come in the last six months. As an example, Russ Weakley has published Listamatic, which brings together a pile of different approaches to formatting lists using CSS. To quote: Can you take a simple list and use different Cascading Style Sheets to create radically different list options? The Listamatic shows the power of CSS when applied to one simple list using samples from Eric Meyer, ProjectSeven, SimpleBits and others. [Thanks to Simon Willison.] Posted by jamesr at 06:58 PM
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Speaking of growing...Speaking of growing, I've been very remiss in announcing that we will be opening a Canberra office on 22 September 2003. As the majority of our work is with government agencies, it makes sense to have a local presence in home town of the Federal government.I'm also very pleased to announce that Donna Maurer, formerly a contractor at the Australian Federal Police will be coming on board to establish the Canberra office. An expert in both information architecture and usability, Donna will be helping to accelerate our focus on innovating the way intranets are approached. Posted by jamesr at 06:23 PM
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Moving from consulting to coachingI've been doing a lot of thinking about the future direction of Step Two Designs, now that we have started growing to meet the flood of new work coming in. The more I look at it, the more I'm dissatisfied with the traditional model of consulting. Small organisations with a core of really great consultants seem to invariably grow into a larger organisation with a mix of skill levels, often leading to variable work quality. The focus on constantly bringing in dollars also prevents any ongoing development of skills and techniques, or the creation of further resources for the business itself. Instead of remaining as a consulting business, we are now about to embark on becoming a coaching and mentoring organisation. This is how we can best meet the ongoing needs of our clients. Clients don't typically need a consultant to breeze in, make all the decisions, and then exit to leave the organisation to struggle on implementing the vision. Instead, what would most help many of our clients is having us there to assist, guide and advise them through the ongoing process of improving their intranet. By focusing on skills and knowledge transfer, we can empower our clients to get a better business outcome. This will mean less work for us at any given moment, but will give us the satisfaction of being involved over the entire lifetime of the project. It will also allow us to concentrate on acting as a facilitator within organisations, and a sharer of knowledge between organisations. What then becomes really interesting is seeing what this means for the services we provide, the training we offer, and the products we produce. Watch this space... Posted by jamesr at 05:50 PM
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NSW KM Forum tonight (Sydney, Australia)Hi all, just a final reminder that the NSW KM Forum is on tonight. Turn up before 5:30pm at the Standards Australia offices (level 6, 286 Sussex St). Ring me on 0416 054 213 if you are late, and are unable to get into the building. See you all tonight. Posted by jamesr at 11:55 AM
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Lurking, listening, learning: Using online support groupsTyler Chin has written an article on online support groups in the medical community. To quote: Many say online support groups can benefit not only patients but also physicians. Here's what you need to know before you look into -- or even start -- a group. [Thanks to commoncraft.] Posted by jamesr at 11:43 AM
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Cost, value and ROI for knowledge management in law firmsStuart Kay has written an article on cost, value and ROI for knowledge management in law firms. To quote: It might be a useful exercise for firms to work through internal costing procedures for knowledge management initiatives. Indeed, it may be necessary to do this to satisfy partners who are only satisfied by such analyses or who only feel comfortable spending money once the analysis has been undertaken. More significantly, it might also help to identify an appropriate level of expenditure on knowledge management for a firm. [Thanks to excited utterances.] Posted by jamesr at 11:40 AM
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Drawing clear lines between information systemsThe final CM Briefing for the month discussed drawing clear lines between information systems. To quote: CM Briefing 2003-19: In many organisations, the intranet competes with e-mail, file shares, document management and records management. What is needed is a clear policy about what these systems are for. Posted by jamesr at 10:37 AM
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Understanding the CMS marketplaceThe second CM Briefing this month looks at understanding the CMS marketplace. To quote: CM Briefing 2003-18: An important first step is to gain an understanding of the CMS marketplace. This briefing outlines a few of the practical ways of doing so. Posted by jamesr at 10:33 AM
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The value of intranet feedbackThis month, there's a change of pace, and three CM Briefings instead of a KM Column article. The first of these is on the value of intranet feedback. To quote: CM Briefing 2003-17: A simple intranet feedback mechanism is an effective way of keeping an intranet up-to-date, and assisting with change management and cultural change processes. Posted by jamesr at 09:32 AM
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Bringing websites in from the coldLia Timson has written an article on a variety of website issues in Australia, including content management systems. To quote myself: James Robertson, an independent systems consultant, says there are more than 55 brands of CMS in Australia. Mid-range products cost between $20,000 and $80,000. (I'm not sure how long this article will be available, as the SMH tends to vanish articles of its site into a paid-only archive.) Posted by jamesr at 07:29 PM
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User experience and human learningPeter J. Bogaards has written an article on the relationship between user experience and human learning. To quote: It is important for the UX community to pay attention to what is known of human learning processes and how it applies to UX design. Knowledge of human learning capabilities improves design decisions and the ultimate effectiveness of the design. Too often, it seems that the instructionalist point of view of learning guides the design. Solutions designed from a constructionist perspective will allow more flexibilty for use and dynamic interaction for people using and learning from it. Posted by jamesr at 10:34 AM
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NSW KM Forum this Thursday (Sydney, Australia)The next NSW KM Forum meeting is this Thursday, details as follows:
Posted by jamesr at 10:24 AM
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Assistive device behaviour chartJuicy Studio have published an excellent chart of the behaviour of assistive devices, such as screen-readers for visually impared users, etc. To quote: These charts have been produced to help developers understand how assistive devices work. We're in the early days of collating the data, and would appreciate feedback from users of assistive devices to ensure our results are accurate. This page contains many features that are advocated for accessibility, allowing you to send feedback on how your particular assistive device behaves. If we don't have a category for your assistive device, please send your results and we will add a category for the device. Your cooperation is greatly appreciated, and should make this an invaluable resource for developers. [Thanks to the Web Standards Project.] Posted by jamesr at 05:46 PM
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IIM Vendor Showcase (Melbourne, Australia)I've just been confirmed as one of the speakers at the upcoming IIM Vendor Showcase to be held in Melbourne (Australia) on 27-28 October 2003. The topic of my talk will be as follows: The future of content management Posted by jamesr at 05:36 PM
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Business Process Modeling Notation (BPMN) Version 1.0Robin Cover reports on the release of Business Process Modeling Notation (BPMN) Version 1.0. To quote: The BPMI Notation Working Group has announced the release of a public draft for the Business Process Modeling Notation (BPMN Version 1.0). The BPMN specification "provides a graphical notation for expressing business processes in a Business Process Diagram (BPD). The objective of BPMN is to support process management by both technical users and business users by providing a notation that is intuitive to business users yet able to represent complex process semantics." |
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