One of Iknow's core strengths is facilitating the establishment of Communities of practice (CoP.) Community of Practice refers to the process that occurs when people with a common interest in a given problem collaborate to share ideas, find solutions, and build innovations. Communities of Practice provide the means for developing social and intellectual capital, nurturing new knowledge, stimulating innovation, and sharing existing tacit knowledge within an organization. This concept has become an important component of knowledge management projects.
Facilitating development of all the components of communities of practice requires a specialized set of skills in education and learning theory and practice as well as in group dynamics. Developing and effective and persistent Community of Practice involves establishing relationships with the key leaders and stakeholders of the group and allowing them to determine the initial structure of the community as well as formalizing the processes it uses to harvest, amplify, and transmit the knowledge elements generated by the community.
While the implementation and maintenance of communities of practice are primarily a function of organizational and cultural dynamics, there is also a technology component to facilitate the various collaborative processes involved. Technologies such as social network analysis and mapping tools, learning management systems, content management systems, and other specialized display tools all contribute to the process of constructing effective learning networks.
Technologies
Iknow's client assignments typically involve the selection, deployment, and customization of one or more software products for conducting and managing communities of practice. Iknow works with and understands many of the leading community fo practice software products, including:
Our consulting recommendations are always unbiased and independent, and we work jointly with our clients to reach and agree on the best technical direction for moving forward. Iknow is not a distributor or reseller of software or hardware products, so our technology recommendations will never be influenced by sales commissions or other incentives from software or hardware vendors.
Why do companies rely on Iknow's consulting advice?
Companies choose Iknow to help them with their Community of Practice challenges because Iknow has:
- Deep expertise in mapping the social networks that define communities and how information flows within these community structures can be optimized;
- A solid understanding of the entire spectrum of KM, collaboration, and related information management software and technologies;
- Exceptional business management consulting skills, including strong analytical, process design, and organizational change management capabilities;
- Knowledge of most industry verticals, business processes, and business functions; and
- An extensive project portfolio demonstrating experience in delivering complete end-to-end KM solutions.
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Contact us today and let Iknow develop a portal solution for your company.
