Abstract
Let us talk about knowledge. Although its use was introduced in Chapter 2 as a differential element in our thesis, it needs a whole chapter to make operational the approach under consideration here. Knowledge is at the center of the Operations Strategy section in the SPDM model.
So far we have seen the general framework, how to translate strategy into Operations and, by using the six variables, we have shown what elements we need to consider in order to structure Operations. Chapter 6 introduces another major component of Operations – knowledge – and how to use it operationally.
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Notes
- 1.
Much has been said about knowledge these past 15 years, and we need to apply it to make it operational.
- 2.
The topic of knowledge has been a star in my academic career. I have been fighting with this topic for years. I have co-written two books, one 20 years ago, another 15 years ago. I have given seminars in different parts of the world, I have worked with businesses, and I have developed a second-year elective course, GESCO, in our full-time MBA program, i.e., many, many hours of thinking and working. In this book I want to be totally practical and get to the point. If the reader wishes to delve into the roots of the topic and have a more complete view, I recommend the two other aforementioned books.
- 3.
This is something critical for me: opening up new horizons, making people think of things that were not part of their mental structure. “Affectionately,” I tell them not to be chickens but wild ducks! And you cannot be a wild duck unless you know that you can fly.
- 4.
The reader should bear with my quest to offer a tangible view of something intangible: knowledge. Managers need to begin to see it as something physical and indispensable for structuring their Operations.
- 5.
I shall put Fátima’s questions in italics without mentioning it is she who is asking them. I think that makes it read more fluently.
- 6.
Remember Chapter 4 and the definition of an operations rule as one of the six action variables for the operations layer in a company.
- 7.
Would you like to bet a bottle of Ribera del Duero (my favorite wine) that there are multiple informal actions in your company that you are unaware of, but are the basis for many of the results you achieve?
- 8.
It is an odd sort of stock that disappears. This property would be most welcome in other stocks, but not this one. Remember forgetfulness is an inherent property, and think of everything that “has been forgotten” and could enhance company development.
- 9.
We shall discuss the learning process and how knowledge is developed in Chapter 11.
- 10.
This reasoning leads to the same conclusion that it has led me to all my life. Firing, or retiring a worker early, is decapitalizing a company’s knowledge stock. A tragic event for all involved.
- 11.
We shall see how in the next section.
- 12.
Opinions cannot be worked on, facts can.
- 13.
I must admit that for the last 12 years I have meant to simplify as much as possible the method for making a diagnosis more acceptable, along with an action plan for complete operational strategy, as this book says. There are times when it seems to me that I am oversimplifying, but then I discuss it with participants whose eyes glaze over and tell me I need to simplify further. I hope this book is as simple as it gets, because I cannot make it any simpler.
- 14.
We have discussed problems with inefficiency in the two previous chapters. By spotting these problems now, we can tackle them head-on with the six variables scheme.
- 15.
Do not be scared! An Access is more than enough. Not expensive or complicated, KISS all the way, above all with technology.
- 16.
If you are not familiar with this technique, go to section D (What I know, what I do not know and what must I know?) in the Manual and see the guide to practice it.
- 17.
For the sake of discretion, I shall not use IWYC’s KDB, but a general example drawn from an assessment of several banks.
- 18.
Yes, yes, just like when we studied grammar at grade school.
- 19.
Moreover, it provides a list of the most widely used verbs in a company and gives a clear idea of the way it operates.
- 20.
Obviously using slightly more sophisticated names to distinguish between levels of knowledge.
- 21.
Such adjustment requires assessing abilities.
- 22.
Each department’s managers had a relationship that was not very fluid and that hindered agile problem-solving.
- 23.
Neat tongue-twister, isn’t it?
- 24.
If we think they do not want to do it, I refer the reader to Chapter 11.
- 25.
In a previous book (Muñoz-Seca, 2000) based on the KADS method (Finke et al., Creative Cognition: Theory, Reserach and Application. MIT Press, 1992) I suggested that these gaps were in area, task and inference knowledge. Although I do not want to complicate finding the gaps, I do believe it is worth mentioning the types of gap in case the reader wishes to explore further. Area knowledge is knowledge pertaining to the system a particular task corresponds to. The area knowledge category corresponds to shape, structure and content. Task knowledge is associated with the latter’s goal and activities that allow it to be achieved. This type of knowledge is composed of abilities, technical and job-related expertise. Inference knowledge talks about basic deductions that may be made in a field of knowledge. We are talking about absorbing innovation, creativity and problem-solving as “inference competences.
- 26.
This is closely linked to service design strategy, which we shall talk about in Chapter 10.
- 27.
Such actions may also be undertaken for today’s problems, but in my experience, today’s problems are usually solved with short-term actions by immediately training service agents. It is tomorrow’s problems that require more medium-term thinking.
- 28.
Remember a basic principle of stocks and warehouses. If you add demand you need less stock and less warehouses.
Bibliography
Muñoz-Seca, B. (1998). “Building and Generating a Creative and Flexible Work Force: Key Competencies” IESE. Research Paper nº 359.
Muñoz-Seca, B. (2010). Competing through Operations: Implementing the New Operational Culture, PN–456–E, IESE.
Muñoz-Seca, B. (2013). New Features Demand, PN–489–E, IESE.
Muñoz-Seca, B. and Riverola, J. (2000). Casos Iberoamericanos de innovación y operaciones, Colección Innovación Práctica, COTEC.
Muñoz-Seca, B. and Riverola, J. (2004). Problem Driven Management. Achieving improvement in operations through knowledge management, London-New York, Editorial Palgrave-Macmillan.
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Muñoz-Seca, B. (2017). The Main Thing Is Not Knowing What You Do Know, but Knowing What You DON’T. In: How to Make Things Happen. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-54786-2_6
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