Box 3.2 Development of Knowledge Management at Microsoft
Vision:
1. Increase organizational effectiveness by enabling users to
intuitively find, share and connect to relevant information,
processes and people.
2. Enable information workers to work together to solve business
problems more effectively and rapidly through software and
services.
Microsoft circa 1997:
• Multiple, disparate business systems
• Lack of worldwide revenue information
• Inability to track people and position
• 250,000 hard copy financial reports distributed worldwide,
available 14 days after end period
• Hundreds of paper forms for purchasing, benefits, pensions,
policies, etc.
• Excessive resources focused on transaction processing, not adding
business value
• Difficulty sharing knowledge, ideas and content effectively.
Microsoft today with knowledge management:
• Single transaction system worldwide
• Consistent business policies and processes
• Key financial and operational metrics available real time including:
(a) revenue and inventory by product, customer, location, channel;
(b) organization headcount and possible detail worldwide; and
(c) transaction cost detail worldwide
• All financial reports distributed electronically 4 days following month
end
• Over 90% of all procurement processed electronically
• All employee services are web based
• Integrated platform for sharing knowledge and collaboration