A PROPOSED KNOWLEDGE MANAGEMENT
SYSTEM TO IMPROVE THE BUSINESS
GROWTH AT PT. MULTI GUNA EQUIPMENT
Dian Angelina1, Dedy Sushandoyo2
Institut Teknologi
Bandung, Indonesia
dian_angelina@sbm-itb.ac.id,
dedy.sushandoyo@sbm-itb.ac.id
Abstract
The construction
equipment industry in Indonesia, in which the lifting equipment is a part of,
is showing promising growth with an estimated value of 4.5 billion US dollars
in 2028, growing at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 6.79% during the
period of 2021-2028. PT. Multi Guna Equipment (PT. MGE) is one of the
authorized distributors of lifting equipment specializing in reach stackers and
harbour mobile cranes from Konecranes – a company
based in Finland. In recent years, PT. MGE has experienced stagnant business
growth, despite the enormous potential demand for lifting equipment in
Indonesia. In light of these circumstances, the company needs a structured and
effective system for managing knowledge, which is through the implementation of
a Knowledge Management (KM) system. In doing this, the research is based on two
research questions. The first is how can a knowledge management system be
proposed to improve the business growth of PT. MGE, and the second is what is
the implementation plan for the proposed knowledge management system. These two
research questions will be answered using theories related to knowledge,
knowledge management, and two knowledge management frameworks, namely People,
Process, Technology (PPT) and Socialization, Externalization, Combination,
Internalization (SECI). Because a qualitative method is used in this research,
data is collected through interviews and observations, which are then analyzed
using thematic analysis. The results of data collection show that there are
several issues related to the PPT and SECI frameworks. These issues range from
the limited sales knowledge and sales skills possessed by salespeople, the lack
of knowledge sharing processes within and between teams, the lack of proper
knowledge transfer, difficulty in accessing knowledge and information due to
manual access, and others.
Keywords: Knowledge
Management, PPT, SECI, stagnant business growth
Introduction
Indonesia is a maritime country and is located in a cross position,
between the two continents of Asia and Australia and two oceans, the Indian and
the Pacific, making the Indonesian state in a very strategic position because
it is a trade route between countries (Daily, 2022). Based on
these facts, the shipment of most commodities or goods will be transported by
sea routes whose process of entry and exit must be through ports spread from
Sabang to Merauke (Priadi, 2022). This is
also supported by the export and import data below from Indonesia’s Badan
Pusat Statistik that showed 94.66% of export (BPS, 2022) and 88.05% of import (BPS, 2022) in 2021 were done by sea transportation.
Table Error!
No text of specified style in document.. Indonesia's
Exports by Mode of Transportation
Table 1. Indonesia's
Imports by Mode of Transportation
(Source: (BPS, 2022))
With the high dominance of sea transportation, it is necessarily
requiring the right equipment to support all the processes, especially the loading
/ unloading process. In sea transport, cranes and gantries are most often used
to move containers for unloading and loading ships whereas reach stackers is
used to handling containers in hard-to-reach places (Smartload, 2023). These tools
will be found in major Indonesian ports such as Tanjung Priok
and Tanjung Perak. In meeting the needs of these tools, most companies in
Indonesia, both from the private sector and state-owned enterprises (Pelindo) usually
import them from foreign companies through their authorized distributor agents
in Indonesia.
PT. Multi Guna Equipment (PT. MGE)
is one of the authorized distributors that provides professional container
handling products to ports throughout Indonesia, as well as high-capacity
material handling equipment both onshore and offshore (PT. MGE, n.d.). As a small private company, the business process
in PT. MGE is quite simple because it only relies heavily on the sales of units
and spare parts. Established in 2005, PT. MGE has managed to maintain its
existence until now. This is mainly due to the cooperation with its sole
principal – a Finnish company named Konecranes® which was an excellent
strategic move. Konecranes® is a world-leading group in lifting and material
handling, they aim to make lifting and material handling more productive and sustainable
by maximizing lifecycle value and eliminate waste of resources, energy, and
time throughout the whole value chain (Konecranes, n.d.). With their
commitment to provide the best quality products has become one of the reasons
they can become one of market leaders both globally and in Indonesia.
After being established for more
than 17 years, PT. MGE conducts its business processes on a Business-As-Usual
basis or simply maintains its status quo. But recently, during this disruptive
complex era with the increasing competitive pressure has made PT. MGE to
rethink its strategy to survive, in particular related to the knowledge aspect (DeLong, 2004). It is
undeniable that knowledge is one of the most important elements in an
organization. The knowledge aspect of both the individual and organizational
levels is one of the main foundations in achieving good company performance (Brown & Duguid, 1998). Knowledge
is also said to be the basis of the company's innovation potency. With the
creation of innovation, it will eventually lead to improving the company's
performance as well. Every problem-solving process carried out in the company
must involve communication, knowledge usage, and knowledge sharing. Furthermore,
(Nonaka & Takeuchi, 2007) has stated
that in an economy where the only certainty is uncertainty, the one sure source
of lasting competitive advantage is knowledge. And the system to manage the
knowledge assets within an organization is called knowledge management.
The need for a knowledge management system in PT. MGE arises from several
factors. Firstly, the lifting and material handling equipment industry in
Indonesia is growing rapidly as the country's economy continues to expand, it
drives the growth for infrastructure, manufacturing, and logistics services (NGUYEN, 2021). Indonesia’s construction equipment in which the lifting
equipment is a part of was estimated to reach USD 4.5 billion by 2028, growing
at a CAGR of 6.79% during 2021-2028 (Arizton, 2022). Secondly, the industry is highly competitive, with
many domestic and international players vying for market share. To remain
competitive, companies need to have a deep understanding of their products, services,
customers, and industry trends (Ulaga & Loveland, 2014). Thirdly, the industry is characterized by a high
level of technical knowledge, which is essential for providing quality products
and services (Bocquet, Brossard, & Sabatier, 2007). This knowledge is often held by key employees, who
may leave the company, taking their knowledge with them. In addition to those
three factors, every company including PT. MGE has a source of
knowledge that is untapped within all the workers, especially the tacit
knowledge at the senior employees’ level. On top of that, there is a gap of
skills and knowledge between the employees,
especially in the sales team. With the knowledge management system, this knowledge can be stored and made
accessible to all employees (Hallin & Marnburg, 2008). Additionally, several
other elements such as past successes and failures as well as knowledge creation
can also be added as knowledge assets to boost the workers' competencies.
From the explanation above, the author thinks it is important to have a system to manage PT. MGE’s knowledge in a structured and
effective manner, thus the purpose of
this research is to design a knowledge management system for PT. MGE.
Method
The method chosen for this research is the
qualitative research. In a more detailed definition, qualitative research begins
with assumptions and the use of interpretive/theoretical frameworks that inform
the study of research problems addressing the meaning individuals or groups
ascribe to a social or human problem (Creswell, 2018). The data
collection methods used in this research are interviews and observation. The
choice of these two methods is perceived to be able to provide comprehensive insight
that can help the author answer the research questions.
The analytical method used to process the data
that has been collected is using thematic analysis. Thematic analysis is
a method for identifying, analyzing, and reporting patterns (themes) within
data (Braun & Clarke, 2006). It is a
method for describing data, but it also involves interpretation in the
processes of selecting codes and constructing themes (Kiger & Varpio, 2020). Thematic
analysis is an appropriate and powerful method to use when seeking to
understand a set of experiences, thoughts, or behaviors
across data set (Kiger & Varpio, 2020).
Results and Discussion
Analysis
The author examined all the codes that can
be created from the collected data (interviews and observation) and then they
were further examined to find out if there were any similar patterns or themes
that could be developed. Eventually, seven themes were identified from these
codes and could be visualized in below thematic map.
Figure 1. Thematic Map
Table 3. Themes & Codes
Classification
Themes |
Codes |
Category |
PPT |
SECI |
Background why KM is needed |
The company needs to manage knowledge properly to be more
productive. |
Recommendation |
Process |
- |
The majority of salespeople come from non-sales background. |
Root cause |
People |
- |
|
Limited sales knowledge and sales skills contribute to slow business
growth. |
Root cause |
People |
- |
|
Product, customer handling, and shipping regulation &
calculation knowledge are critical knowledge to have. |
Recommendation |
Process |
- |
|
Issues with Knowledge Sharing and Transfer |
Job rotation mechanism for knowledge creation. |
Recommendation |
Process |
Socialization |
Salespeople feel the need to improve their soft skills. |
Recommendation |
People |
||
Need for training both hard skills and soft skills. |
Recommendation |
Process |
||
The need for an internet-based collaboration space. |
Recommendation |
Technology |
||
Regular sharing knowledge related to the industry is needed. |
Recommendation |
Process |
||
Lack of proper knowledge transfer. |
Root cause |
Process |
||
Lack of knowledge sharing across teams. |
Root cause |
Process |
||
Lack of formal and systemized knowledge sharing. |
Root cause |
Process |
||
Salespeople want knowledge sharing in the form of coaching or
mentoring. |
Recommendation |
Process |
||
Issues with Knowledge Codification |
No exit interview process. |
Root cause |
Process |
Externalization |
Lack of documentation of tacit knowledge. |
Root cause |
Process |
||
Regular industry report for knowledge creation. |
Recommendation |
Process |
||
Issues with Knowledge Storage |
Difficulty in accessing knowledge or information due to manual
access. |
Root cause |
Technology |
Combination |
Product information is not updated properly. |
Root cause |
Process |
||
Lack of standardized & digitalized database. |
Root cause |
Process |
||
Issues with Internalizing explicit knowledge |
E-learning as a method of knowledge creation is needed. |
Recommendation |
Process |
Internalization |
Recommendations for KM system implementation |
The importance of leaders’ sponsorship for a new initiative or
system. |
Recommendation |
- |
- |
Implementation plan must consist of socialization, implementation,
& evaluation. |
Recommendation |
- |
- |
|
Combination of person-to-person and technology-based tools for
implementation. |
Recommendation |
- |
- |
|
Discussion forum to evaluate the knowledge management system. |
Recommendation |
- |
- |
|
Culture as a method to sustain the knowledge management system. |
Recommendation |
- |
- |
|
Need a PIC to sustain the knowledge management system. |
Recommendation |
- |
- |
|
Survey as a method to evaluate the knowledge management system. |
Recommendation |
- |
- |
|
KM implementation could start in the second half of 2023. |
Recommendation |
- |
- |
|
The need for a socialization before the implementation. |
Recommendation |
- |
- |
|
Quarterly evaluation. |
Recommendation |
- |
- |
For the business solution later, the
author will divide the solutions into two parts, i.e. in terms of the PPT
framework and in terms of the SECI framework. For PPT, it will be summarized in
table 4, while for SECI it will be summarized in table 5.
Table 4. Summarization of
PPT Issues
Three Pillars of KM |
Codes |
Category |
People |
The majority of salespeople come from
non-sales background. |
Root cause |
Limited sales knowledge and sales skills
contribute to slow business growth. |
Root cause |
|
Salespeople feel the need to improve their
soft skills. |
Recommendation |
|
Process |
The company needs to manage knowledge
properly to be more productive. |
Recommendation |
Product, customer handling, and shipping
regulation & calculation knowledge are critical knowledge to have. |
Recommendation |
|
Job rotation mechanism for knowledge creation. |
Recommendation |
|
Need for training both hard skills and soft skills. |
Recommendation |
|
Regular sharing knowledge related to the
industry is needed. |
Recommendation |
|
Lack of proper knowledge transfer. |
Root cause |
|
Lack of knowledge sharing across teams. |
Root cause |
|
Lack of formal and systemized knowledge
sharing. |
Root cause |
|
Salespeople want knowledge sharing in the
form of coaching or mentoring. |
Recommendation |
|
No exit interview process. |
Root cause |
|
Lack of documentation of tacit knowledge. |
Root cause |
|
Regular industry report for knowledge
creation. |
Recommendation |
|
Product information is not updated properly. |
Root cause |
|
Lack of standardized & digitalized
database. |
Root cause |
|
E-learning as a method of knowledge creation
is needed. |
Recommendation |
|
Technology |
The need for an internet-based collaboration
space. |
Recommendation |
Difficulty in accessing knowledge or information
due to manual access. |
Root cause |
Table 5. Summarization of
SECI Issues
SECI Framework |
Current Conditions |
Expected Conditions |
Socialization |
·
Knowledge
sharing is often done in a case-based, informal, directive from leaders to
salespeople, and personal - from leaders to a certain salesperson who is
facing a problem. ·
Knowledge
sharing among salespeople is very rare. ·
Knowledge
sharing between salespeople and engineers is also very rare, even though
engineers have a deep understanding of the product knowledge. In practice,
salespeople often contact engineers repeatedly when customers want to buy
spare parts to repair their lifting equipment. |
· The
company should provide a collaborative and open working environment where
individuals are encouraged to share and learn from each other. · Knowledge
sharing should be conducted regularly not just when there is a problem and
the results should be stored in an easily accessible place. · Regular
cross-functional collaborations, in this case is between the salespeople and
engineers should also be conducted. |
Externalization |
The only
externalization process in PT. MGE is the creation of hard copies documents
for every tender and project that has been conducted. |
· The company
should encourage employees to codify their tacit knowledge into explicit
documents by establishing tools or processes that facilitate the
externalization process. · The
externalization process should be available to enable employees to access relevant
information for their work, serve as a foundation for future learning, and
reduce knowledge loss in employee turnover. |
Combination |
·
Knowledge is
stored in a manual manner, making it difficult to be combined and integrated
with other different pieces of knowledge. Even the salespeople have become reluctant
to access the documents due to the difficulty of having to go to the
warehouse. ·
Product
information is not updated properly, hence it can lead to inconsistencies and
errors in the knowledge that is being combined. ·
A lack of standardized
and digitalized database hinder the Combination process because it will be
difficult to find the relevant information needed for combination. |
· The company should provide necessary tools
and technology that can enabling the process to create new knowledge by
combining existing knowledge. · The
tools should be easy to use, easily accessible, updateable, and structured to
motivate employees to use them more. |
Internalization |
PT. MGE has not implemented any initiative to facilitate the process
of internalizing explicit knowledge. |
The company should create an initiative for the internalization
process. Without a structured process for internalizing explicit knowledge,
employees may struggle to understand and apply new knowledge and skills. |
From the comprehensive explanation above, it has
been found that a system to manage knowledge properly is highly needed at PT.
MGE. This is due to the findings from the collected data which show that the
salespeople have limited knowledge and skills, causing their productivity in
performing their jobs to be nonoptimal. The absence of a proper system to
manage knowledge causes the knowledge sharing, codification, storing, and
internalizing processes to be improperly structured. As a result, employees
struggle to access the right knowledge when they need it, which hinders their
ability to innovate, improve processes, and make informed decisions. This can
lead to decreased productivity, lost opportunities, and ultimately impact
business growth.
In these situations, a KM system can
play a role to provide a structured approach to managing the company's
knowledge assets, including identifying, capturing, sharing, and applying
knowledge to enhance organizational productivity, profitability, and growth. A well-designed
KM system can help ensure that the right knowledge is available to employees
when they need it, and that it is continually updated and improved.
Business Solution
Three Pillars of
Knowledge Management (PPT Framework)
To design an effective KM system,
we have to address the three pillars of KM i.e. People, Process, and
Technology, or commonly referred to as PPT. People involve individuals or
groups within the organization who create, share, and utilize knowledge.
Process encompass the workflows and procedures that determine how knowledge is
generated, captured, and shared. Technology refers to the tools, systems, and
infrastructure that support knowledge management activities. Addressing the PPT
framework ensures that the organization has the right people, processes, and
technology to implement a knowledge management system successfully.
Table 6. People, Process,
& Technology Frameworks
PPT Root Causes |
KM Objectives |
KM Framework Solutions |
|||
People |
Process |
Technology |
|||
People |
The majority of salespeople
come from non-sales background. |
Utilizing the expertise
within the organization. |
Director, GM Sales, Salespeople |
Coaching |
Portal, Repository |
To establish a development
program. |
Salespeople |
Training |
|||
Limited sales knowledge
& sales skills contribute to slow business growth. |
To optimize human capital. |
Director, GM Sales, Salespeople |
Knowledge café; Computer-based Training |
Repository, E-Learning |
|
Process |
Lack of proper knowledge transfer. |
Utilizing the expertise within the organization. |
Director, GM Sales, Salespeople |
Knowledge café, Coaching |
Repository, Portal |
Lack of knowledge sharing across teams. |
To improve coordination and communication in delivering faster and
better solutions. |
Salespeople, Engineers |
Community of Practice |
WhatsApp Group, Team spaces |
|
Lack of formal and systemized knowledge sharing. |
To capture, store, and disseminate knowledge easily and timely. |
Director, GM Sales, Salespeople |
Knowledge café |
Repository |
|
No exit interview process. |
To establish a knowledge retention process. |
Salespeople, HRD |
K-based Exit Interview |
Database, Repository |
|
Lack of documentation of tacit knowledge. |
To better document the organization’s knowledge assets. |
Director, GM Sales, Salespeople |
Lesson-learned documents; Best practices documents |
Repository |
|
Avoiding redundant effort or repeating the same mistakes. |
|||||
Product information is not updated properly. |
To facilitate the process of finding
relevant information easily. |
GM Sales, Salespeople |
Regularly updating every product information
and storing them in the database |
Database |
|
Lack of standardized & digitalized database. |
To be able to reuse previously created
documents, ideas, and knowledge. |
GM Sales, Salespeople |
Collecting all existing databases related to
products and customers; Creating a centralized and standardized database and regularly update it |
Database |
|
Technology |
Difficulty in accessing knowledge or information due to manual
access. |
To facilitate the process of finding relevant information easily. |
GM Sales, Salespeople |
Digitalizing and archiving the past tenders and projects documents |
Repository |
Knowledge Creation Process
(SECI Framework)
The next step in designing the KM system after addressing
People, Process, and Technology is to determine the methods or techniques for
each of the modes of the SECI Framework. In this framework, knowledge is
created through the interaction between tacit and explicit knowledge. Since PT.
MGE does not yet have a KM system, all the following are the proposed techniques
or methods based on the author’s experience as an employee and from the
analysis results that have been carried out in previous section. To summarize
all the processes, we can see the following Table 7 that shows all the tools or
techniques for each of the SECI process that will be implemented at PT. MGE.
Table 7. SECI Tools or
Techniques for KM Implementation at PT. MGE
Socialization ·
Coaching ·
Training ·
Knowledge
café ·
Community
of Practice ·
Job
Rotation |
Externalization ·
K-based
exit interview ·
Lesson-learned
documents ·
Best
practices documents ·
Industry
reports |
Internalization ·
E-Learning |
Combination ·
Portal ·
Repository ·
Database |
Table 8 provides a comprehensive summary of the
various processes, tools, and techniques that will be implemented as part of
the Knowledge Management (KM) System. The proposed KM system serves as a
solution that aims to provide a structured approach to managing PT. MGE’s
knowledge assets by identifying, capturing, sharing, and applying knowledge to
enhance organizational productivity. This, in turn, will contribute to the
company's profitability which eventually will foster business growth.
Table 8. SECI Tools or
Techniques for KM Implementation at PT. MGE
Tools / Technique |
Brief Description |
People Involved |
Frequency |
Benefits |
Coaching |
The
process to develop the skills and knowledge in a particular area through
discussions between a coach and a coachee. |
Coach:
GM Sales or Director
|
Quarterly |
·
Enhanced
knowledge and skills through personalized and targeted development ·
Improved
job performance ·
Increased
productivity ·
Higher
employee engagement and motivation |
Training |
A
process that involves the transfer of specific information, skills, and
knowledge that can be applied in the workplace. |
All
Salespeople and Training Facilitators |
Bi-Annually |
·
Increased
knowledge and skills ·
Improved
job performance |
Knowledge café |
A conversational method in
which small groups of people come together to have open, creative
conversations on a topic of mutual interest, surface their collective
knowledge, share ideas, and gain a deeper understanding of the issues involved. |
Director,
GM Sales, and All Salespeople |
Monthly |
·
Increased
awareness and understanding of a particular topic ·
Identification
of new opportunities ·
Improved Problem-solving ·
Improved
collaborations among participants |
Community of Practice |
A
group of people who share a common interest or concern and engage in regular
interactions. |
All
Salespeople and Engineers |
Quarterly |
·
Increased
cross-functional knowledge sharing ·
Improved
problem-solving ·
Better
decision-making in relation to the process of selling products |
Job rotation |
A
mechanism in which an employee is moved between different roles within the
same department. |
All
Salespeople |
Regular
every two or three years or On
an as-needed basis |
·
Allows
the salespeople to gain a broader understanding of the department's operations ·
Increase
employee engagement and motivation ·
Promote
a culture of continuous learning and knowledge sharing |
K-based Exit Interview |
An
approach to exit interviews that focuses on capturing and transferring
knowledge from departing employees to the organization. |
HRD
and departing employee |
On
an as-needed basis |
To help prevent loss of
valuable knowledge and expertise |
Lesson-learned documents |
Reports that document the
experiences, knowledge, and insights gained from a particular project. |
Director,
GM Sales, and All Salespeople |
On
an as-needed basis (after a project or tender is completed) |
·
To
improve future project performance ·
Avoid
repeating past mistakes ·
Serve
as references for new salespeople |
Best Practices documents |
Reports
that focused to provide guidance on the best ways to perform a task or
project based on proven and successful methods from the past. |
Director,
GM Sales, and All Salespeople |
On
an as-needed basis |
·
Knowledge
and expertise can be leveraged more effectively ·
Salespeople
can learn to try repeating past successes ·
Serve as references for new salespeople |
Industry Reports |
Provide the latest updates,
trends, and insights related to the lifting equipment industry. |
Director,
GM Sales, All Salespeopleand Consultant |
Yearly |
Help the company to stay
informed to identify opportunities and avoid potential risks. |
Portal |
A
single access point for each salesperson in accessing various files related
to knowledge management initiatives. |
All
Salespeople |
Can
be accessed as needed |
Easy access to all knowledge assets using customized views and personalized features for each
of the user. |
Repository |
A
centralized storage system to allow all knowledge assets to be stored,
searched for, and retrieved. |
Anyone
who needs access |
Can
be accessed as needed |
·
Easy
access to all knowledge assets ·
Reduced
risks of knowledge loss |
Database |
A
structured and organized data sets which include all information related to
products, customers, and sales history. |
Anyone
who needs access |
Can
be accessed as needed |
·
Easy
access to all historical data ·
Help
to create faster informed-decisions |
E-learning |
The use of electronic
technology to deliver educational content, courses, and training programs. |
All
Salespeople |
On
an as-needed basis |
·
Enable
the learning process in a self-paced manner which is more flexible and
convenient ·
Highly
interactive and engaging learning experience |
Implementation Plan & Justification
The author plans the implementation
process to be divided into four stages, namely pre-adaptation, adaptation,
implementation, and evaluation. Dividing the implementation plan into four
stages is essential to ensure that the knowledge management system is
effectively implemented, and its impact can be measured. This implementation plan
will take a one-year period, starting in the second semester of 2023 on August,
until the end of July 2024. The rationales behind the implementation plan are
largely based on the analysis results and the author’s personal judgment.
Pre-Adaptation Stage
There are six activities for this
stage. First is to discuss the proposed KM solution which has been formulated
through this research with the Director to ensure that he, as the leader and
sponsor of this project truly understands and agrees with this solution. Next,
is to create a project charter as a proof of commitment. This charter is
planned to be signed by the Director as project’s sponsor, the author as the
CEO office that is appointed as KM PIC, HR Manager, and all sales team as the
users of KM System. This activity is to incorporate the code that suggested the
importance of leaders’ sponsorship for a new initiative or system.
After the project charter is signed,
we should source the vendors needed to develop or license the software or apps
of knowledge repository and database as well as find the partners to provide us
the industry reports, e-learning modules, and training programs. Subsequently,
the budget for the KM system can be calculated to then be approved by the
Director. After the budget is agreed and the sourcing process is finish, we continue
to the hiring process for the selected vendors or partners. Finally, the
vendors and partners can start to develop all the tools or programs
Adaptation Stage
In this stage, there are two
activities – Educating all users about the KM system and training the KM users
on how to use or perform each of the tools and/or techniques. The essence of
this activity is to educate the benefits of the KM system in order to make the
targeted users really understand and be willing to do all the KM initiatives as
well as to ensure that all the users are fully trained before using and
performing all tools and techniques so that the whole process can run smoothly.
Implementation Stage
This implementation stage involves the
actual deployment of the KM system. After the users are trained, they are
expected to start implementing all the initiatives from Table 6 (PPT Framework)
and Table 7 (SECI Tools or Techniques).
Evaluation Stage
Final stage is the evaluation stage
– it involves assessing the effectiveness of the system in achieving its objectives,
identifying areas for improvement, and making necessary changes. There will be
two methods in evaluating the KM implementation. First is to use discussion
forum – it allows users to share their thoughts, experiences, and feedback
about the system. This method is aimed to be conducted more frequently than the
other one since it is more convenient and quicker to be executed. The other
method is to use survey conducted quarterly. The survey questions will be designed
accordingly to serve as a more comprehensive evaluation tool.
Conclusion
The purpose of this research is to design a
Knowledge Management (KM) system as a solution for the business issue of
stagnant business growth at PT. MGE. The author started this research by determining
2 (two) research questions. The first question is about how can
knowledge management system be proposed to improve the business growth of PT. MGE,
and the second question is related to the implementation plan of the proposed
knowledge management system.
The unavailability of a Knowledge
Management (KM) system causing the knowledge sharing, codification, storing,
and internalizing processes to be improperly organized. As a result, the
salespeople – who are the main revenue generator – struggle to access the right
knowledge when they need it, which hinders their ability to innovate, improve
sales processes, and make informed decisions. All of these has led to decreased
productivity and lost opportunities which ultimately impact business growth.
A KM system can play
a role to provide a structured approach to managing the company's knowledge
assets. In designing the KM system, the author used People, Process, and
Technology (PPT) framework and Socialization, Externalization, Combination, and
Internalization (SECI) framework. Through these frameworks, the author was able
to formulate several tools, for example, Coaching, Training, Knowledge café,
Lesson-learned documents, K-based exit interview, repository, and e-learning.
With a total of 13 (thirteen) KM tools or techniques, the company now able to
identify, capture, store, share, and effectively utilize knowledge and
information which can improve the organization’s performance, enhance
decision-making processes, and foster innovation and collaboration, thereby
gaining a competitive advantage in the lifting equipment industry which
ultimately contributes greatly to the growth of the company.
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