Ahmed M. Al-Ghassani

Knowledge Management in UK Construction: Strategies, Resources and Barriers

Knowledge management (KM) has received considerable attention in recent years. Some consider knowledge the most strategically important resource, and learning the most strategically important capability for business organizations. Major UK construction organizations have recognized the benefits that KM can offer and have thus invested in KM. This paper reports on a survey of these companies. The purpose of the survey was: (1) to examine the importance of KM to UK construction organizations; (2) to investigate the resources used to implement KM strategies; and (3) to identify the main barriers to implementing KM strategies. The survey found that the main reasons for implementing a KM strategy was the need to share the tacit knowledge of key employees and to disseminate best practice. Also, significant resources in terms of staff time and money were being invested in KM, but the main barrier to implementing a KM strategy was the lack of standard work processes.

STEPS: a knowledge management maturity roadmap for corporate sustainability

Purpose – The paper seeks to focus on the role of knowledge management in promoting corporate sustainability in the construction industry context. It proposes a maturity roadmap – STEPS to facilitate the implementation of a knowledge management strategy.Design/methodology/approach – Two research methods were used. The first consisted of a postal questionnaire sent to the top 170 UK construction firms consisting of engineering design and construction contractor firms. The organisations were selected because they were considered the most influential organisations in the UK construction sector. The second research method involved 28 case study interviews with eight construction firms to investigate their approach to knowledge management and performance improvement. The results of the questionnaire survey and the case studies were used to develop the STEPS maturity roadmap.Findings – The paper found that knowledge management is inextricably linked to corporate sustainability, but a methodical approach is requ...

Business performance measurement practices in construction engineering organisations

Purpose – The need for performance improvement has led to the implementation of industry‐specific key performance indicators (KPIs) and greater awareness of the benefits of measurement in construction engineering organisations. This paper aims to present and discuss the findings of a survey based on the practical experiences of leading UK construction engineering organisations.Design/methodology/approach – The paper is based on a questionnaire survey, the findings of which are discussed and analysed. The survey focused on establishing current industry practice and forms part of a larger study, which involved detailed case studies and led to the development of an innovative framework for links knowledge management initiatives with business performance measurement.Findings – The survey shows that a significant proportion of organisations are now using a range of financial and non‐financial measures to assess business performance, and a growing number are adopting the excellence model and/or the balanced sco...

Developing a business case for knowledge management: the IMPaKT approach

There is a wealth of literature on the role of knowledge management (KM) in business improvement. Those with responsibility for implementing KM in organizations are often required to demonstrate its benefits. The need to convince senior management and other stakeholders about the business benefits is increasingly recognized as crucial in justifying a KM strategy and the resources to support its implementation. A three-stage approach (the IMPaKT framework) - underpinned by an industry survey and case study findings - is presented for developing a business case for KM. The framework facilitates: (1) an understanding of the strategic context of business problems and their knowledge management implications; (2) the planning and alignment of KM strategy to address business problems or objectives; and (3) an evaluation of the impact of KM on business performance in terms of effectiveness and efficiency. Key findings based on industrial application and further development of the framework are discussed. Evaluation shows that the framework could significantly facilitate the implementation of a KM strategy in construction organizations.

An innovative approach to identifying knowledge management problems

The promised benefits from implementing knowledge management (KM) attract an increasing number of organizations. However, many organizations, face several difficulties when designing a KM system or implementing its initiatives. These difficulties, along with some unsuccessful KM initiatives worry many organizations interested in the concept. This paper investigates the reasons for these difficulties and discusses the issues that need to be addressed to develop robust KM systems. It then introduces a systematic approach for addressing these issues at the early stages of designing a KM system. This approach was developed within the cross‐sectoral learning in the virtual enterprise (CLEVER) project and supports the definition of KM problems within a business context. The approach has been encapsulated into a prototype software system to make it easier to use. The paper describes in detail the operational level of the prototype. It also discusses the potential of the developed prototype, and concludes that it represents an innovative tool for improved KM.