Lynne P. Cooper

A research agenda to reduce risk in new product development through knowledge management: a practitioner perspective

Abstract Successful new product development (NPD) requires effective strategies for reducing risk. Knowledge management systems (KMS) have the potential to aid in risk reduction, e.g. by gathering and processing relevant information and encapsulated knowledge from a variety of internal and external sources. The potential benefits of KMS, however, have not been fully realized, and may actually introduce new risks. This paper presents a practioner view of the desired characteristics of tools to support NPD and suggests a research agenda for the use of knowledge-based tools from the perspective of balancing benefits and risks.

Scheduling with chronology-directed search

The intelligent use of scheduling heuristics can enable the production of effective schedules in spite of the inherent intractability of scheduling in complex, real-world domains. In order to effectively use these heuristics, information is needed on the current state of the evolving schedule. One method to obtain this information is to use chronologies -- limited histories of the scheduling process. Chronology-directed search is an important component of the heuristic approach to automated scheduling.

An Evolutionary Model for KMS Success

This paper proposes a model of knowledge management system (KMS) evolution leading to the realization of competitive advantages as promised throughout the KM literature. Using a framework developed to study e-business capability evolution, the paper presents a case study of a KMS specifically created to enhance an organization’s ability to compete for science and technology research funds. The case study is then used to develop an evolutionary model for KMS success based on increasing embeddedness and mass of knowledge. The paper ends with a discussion of how this new model integrates with existing KM literature in two critical areas: the integration of tacit knowledge, and the evaluation of KMS success.

Introduction to the Minitrack on Knowledge Flows: Knowledge Transfer, Sharing And Exchange In Organizations

This short paper serves to introduce the minitrack on knowledge flows and to summarize its constituent proceedings articles.

Learning from Project Experiences Using a Legacy-Based Approach

As project teams become used more widely, the question of how to capitalize on the knowledge learned in these teams remains an open issue. Using previous research on transactive memory systems, an approach to promoting post-project learning was developed. This Legacy Session concept was tested on four in-tact project teams. The results from those pilot sessions were used to evaluate the feasibility of the approach and develop recommendations for future research.

The Value of Weak vs. Strong Ties between Individuals and Projects for New Product Review

This study extends the concept of weak and strong ties to the relationship between an individual and a project, in the context of a formal review process. Using data collected from a project at a research and development laboratory, several hypotheses relating the utility of feedback from reviewers to differing strengths of ties to the project are tested. Results indicate that (1) the value of feedback from stronger ties is higher than from weaker ties; (2) weaker ties generate more unique input; and (3) weaker ties generate a greater amount of non-useful feedback. Implications for practice and future research are discussed.

Converting Project Team Experience to Organizational Learning: A Case Study

Project teams represent both a mechanism for accomplishing work and an opportunity for learning within organizations. This paper investigates how an organization can learn from its project teams. It presents a case study of a complete experiential learning cycle within a single organizations new product development process. Post-mortem feedback was collected from the broad spectrum of organizational participants and the ten project teams that were operating simultaneously. This feedback was analyzed using an issue-focused approach, and learning was assessed based on actionable knowledge: the changes made to the process for future projects

Assessing risk from a stakeholder perspective

Planetary exploration missions are subject to a vast array of interpretations of ”success” based on the concerns of multiple stakeholder groups. While project risk management generally focuses on issues of cost/schedule constraints or reliability issues, a broader interpretation of “risk” as it applies to stakeholders such as sponsors (e.g., NASA), the public at large, the scientific community, the home organization, and the project team itself can provide important insights into the full spectrum of risk that needs to be managed. This paper presents a stakeholder view of risk which is divided into failure, not-a-failure, success, and stunning-success zones. Using the Mars Pathfinder mission as an example, an alternative interpretation of the risks to that mission is presented from the view of key stakeholders. The implications of the stakeholder perspective to project risk management are addressed.

Introduction to Knowledge Flows: Knowledge Transfer, Sharing, and Exchange Minitrack

This short paper serves to introduce the minitrack on knowledge flows and to summarize its constituent proceedings articles.

Introduction to Knowledge Flows: Knowledge Transfer, Sharing and Exchange in Organizations Minitrack

This short paper serves to introduce the minitrack on knowledge flows and to summarize its constituent proceedings articles.