Eduardo Ahumada-Tello

Yammer: Investigating its impact on employee knowledge sharing during Product Development

Global manufacturing continues to grow, creating the need for enhanced innovation during New Product Development (NPD); this in-turn requires increased utilization of employee-generated knowledge. Enterprise Social Networks (ESNs), such as Yammer.com, is one method identified which can allow organisations to connect employees across departments and physical boundaries. This paper summarises the results of a dual-moderated focus group conducted with 15 employees of a UK-based sports manufacturer, aimed at identifying the impact of Yammer on employee knowledge generation and sharing during NPD projects. Results indicate that employees see benefit in its use and would welcome greater embeddedness of ESNs in the NPD process. However, barriers are identified which may inhibit its successful deployment, including issues relating to security and intellectual property rights. Identified benefits of using Yammer include: an improved ability to find people with specific domain knowledge; increased awareness of communities of practice; and the matching of problems with solutions.

Hybrid-Intelligent Mobile Indoor Location Using Wi-Fi Signals

Technology with situational awareness needs a lot of information of the environment to execute the correct task at the correct moment. Location of the user is typical information to achieve the goal. This work proposes a mobile application that enables the indoor location of smartphones using the potential infrastructure given by Wireless Local Area Networks. This infrastructure goes beyond GPS (Global Position System) where signal is weak or is not available for indoors. This application uses an alternative and unconventional method to indoor location using Wi-Fi RSSI fingerprinting as well as an estimation based on Type-2 fuzzy inference systems provided by the developed framework JT2FIS. Wi-Fi Fingerprinting creates a radio map of a given area based on the RSSI data from several access points (APs) and generates a set of RSSI data for a given zone location. Consequently Data Mining is required for clustering the obtained set of data and generating the structure of a Type-2 Mamdani or Takagi-Sugeno Fuzzy Inference System; thus new RSSI values are introduced to the Type-2 Fuzzy Inference System to obtain an estimation of the user zone location.

Modelling Complex Systems with Distributed Agency and Fuzzy Inference Systems. Knowledge-based Curricula in Higher Education

Higher education has become a cornerstone in the arise of knowledge society conceptualization. This concept covers a new type of social configuration that puts knowledge as the main value in human interaction for future social and economic development and also as one of the main actions to improve in order to gain a better quality of life. In this paper we discuss the importance of this structure and its characteristics, then we focus in the need to generate a higher education curriculum that fits this emphasis in social development of a new knowledge-based society. Finally, we use complex systems simulation to analyze six agents including: 1) Students; 2) Teaching - Teachers; 3) Training plan - Teachers; 4) Scientific research, IT development, innovation and professional performance; 5) Management - Managers; and 6) Environment and relevance or External Agents and five variables for this study: 1) Teaching; 2) Extracurricular activities; 3) Research and development; 4) Management; and 5) Educational culture. The final goal is to propose a curriculum that includes a projection to create knowledge-based society from higher education as a main factor to achieve this objective.

On the Multi-Agent Modelling of Complex Knowledge Society for Business and Management System Using Distributed Agencies

This work is motivated by need for a model that addresses the study of Knowledge Society for Business and Management in situations where conventional analysis is insufficient in describing the intricacies of realistic social phenomena and social actors. We use Distributed Agency methodology that requires the use of all available computational techniques and interdisciplinary theories. We use Data Mining and Neuro-Fuzzy System as an approach to discover and assign rules on agents that represent real-world companies. The case study is based on several companies in the region of Baja California, Mexico and in the policies they implement to achieve greater competitiveness based on the development of knowledge.

Gestión de conocimiento en la competitividad del sector de TI. El caso de la región Tijuana – San Diego

Spanish Abstract: Este artículo muestra el rol de la gestión de conocimiento y de algunos factores adicionales como detonadores de la ventaja competitiva en empresas del sector de ti en la región Tijuana– San Diego, en la zona fronteriza de Baja California y California. La gestión del conocimiento mediante tecnologías de la información intenta generar el éxito organizacional. La implementación de la gestión del conocimiento mediante el desarrollo de procesos y sistemas con estos factores crea una ventaja competitiva. Una de las limitantes sobre la competitividad es que las empresas del sector de ti tienen uso limitado de la gestión del conocimiento, lo que genera desventajas y provoca falta de control de los activos intangibles en la organización. La administración de proyectos, los sistemas de calidad y el control de procesos son actividades que buscan la mejora continua y, por consiguiente, es necesaria su implementación. En esta primera aproximación, se consideran la gestión del conocimiento y la competitividad; además, se propone continuar el estudio para corroborar esta relevancia. English Abstract: This article shows the role of knowledge management and some additional factors as triggers for competitive advantage in companies in the IT sector in the Tijuana - San Diego region, in the border region of Baja California and California. The knowledge management through information technologies tries to generate organizational success. The implementation of knowledge management through the development of processes and systems with these factors creates a competitive advantage. One of the limitations on competitiveness is that companies in the IT sector have limited use of knowledge management, this creates disadvantages and causes lack of control of intangible assets in the organization. Project management, quality systems and process control are activities that seek continuous improvement and therefore its implementation is necessary. In this first approach, knowledge management and competitiveness are considered, and it is also proposed to continue the study to corroborate this relevance.

Knowledge Management and Collaboration strategies for technology-based firms in Baja California

Knowledge Management (KM) and Collaboration are viewed as a key strategy for achieving competitive advantage in companies around the world. Knowledge by itself is considered one of the most valuable assets owned by an organization. In technology-based firms, it is perceived as being of the upmost value. In Baja California, Mexico, several companies exist which develop products and services using knowledge creation as a core value. In this paper, we summarize the results of 14 interviews with general managers and directors of knowledge-oriented firms to further understand which KM strategies are employed in seeking to gain competitive advantage. Results indicate that all firms adopt different approaches to KM. A common opinion amongst those interviewed was that knowledge provides greater value to businesses, improving corporate performance. All confirmed a significant relationship exists between KM, collaboration and competitive advantage.