(46) Project performance improvement through application of knowledge management processes, Nagesh Tummapudi
Dr. Nagesh Tummapudi
Senior Engineer – Projects
Kuwait National Petroleum Company (KNPC)
Kuwait
DOI: 10.47556/J.IJIKMMENA.4.2.2015.4
Purpose: According to The Society of Petroleum Engineers (SPE) the Oil and Gas industry is now facing a rapid decline in skilled manpower thus resulting in huge knowledge loss. This trend is likely to continue, and the situation is expected to deteriorate further. Hence, new ways of thinking and paradigms are required to maximise the use of in-house knowledge in the organisations.
Design/methodology/approach: A case study of a merger of a smaller project unit with the large organisation that captures the experiences, challenges, insights and presented.
Findings: Based on the study it emerged that the larger organisation has an inherent and casual presence of Knowledge Management (KM) processes, and it did not evolve as a part of a conscious effort to implement the KM initiatives, but business needs gave rise to its progression. When the smaller project unit was frantically trying to integrate with the giant, the unit through its interactions and scanning of the resources found the required guidance and directions. The so-called resources were more of knowledge assets scattered around the organisation and had evolved based on the different needs at the different point of time. Thus suggesting that organisations even before undertaking a formal implementation of a KM initiative, they may still continue to develop their business processes on the principles of KM systems and continue to benefit immensely.
Value: The processes associated with to create, gather, store, share and apply knowledge, if encouraged, allowed and actively practised, then some benefits on the business performance may be visible even before a full-fledged KM initiative implemented in the organisations. Further, this strategy will enable them to build the right behaviour and prepare for implementations of the KM initiatives in future, meanwhile, continue to achieve some improvements in business performance.
Keywords: Case Study, Merger, Knowledge Acquisition, Knowledge Creation, Knowledge Sharing, Project Performance, Construction
Reference to this paper should be made as follows: Nagesh, T. (2015) ‘Project Performance Improvement Through Application of Knowledge Management Processes’, Int. J. Innovation and Knowledge Management in the Middle East and North Africa, Vol. 4, No. 2, pp.108-117.