Why KM failed - Pharma organisation.

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Here is an interesting study of a failed KM approach in a Pharma organisation. The authors draw 5 conclusions from the study - these largely echo my 7 reasons for KM failure. The 5 conclusions are as follows;

1. Avoid defining knowledge within functions or silo-oriented communities of practice; instead define knowledge at the level of business processes.
2. Remember that knowledge is operationalized by people; hence, a knowledge management initiative must relate knowledge to people’s day jobs. 
3. Tacit knowledge resides within people and their behaviours; hence attempting to apply Information Technology to tacit knowledge is fraught with difficulty. Instead, it is explicit knowledge that is most susceptible to the application of Information Technology. 
4. Knowledge is context-specific. It should be owned and maintained by people within the organization. Hence, external input to knowledge management initiatives must be carefully managed to ensure people within the organization are in control of the initiative at all times. 
5. Implementing knowledge management involves change in the organization. Understand the organization’s willingness to change and manage people’s expectations appropriately.