Knowledge management system and method

• US 7,209,909 B2
• Filed: 09/21/2005
• Issued: 04/24/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 11/29/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Caterpillar Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Caterpillar Incorporated
• Inventors: Jeanblanc, Anne H., Coffey, James M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hirl; Joseph P
• Application Number:
  US11/230,737
• Publication Number:
  US 20060015481A1
• Time in Patent Office: 580 Days
• Field of Search: 706/45, 706/11, 706/14, 705/8
• US Class Current: 706/45
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 7/00 Electrically-operated teaching apparatus or devices working with questions and answers mechanically operated G09B3/00; computing arrangements G06F

Abstract

A method is provided for establishing a community of practice including a plurality of users, one or more experts, and one or more community of practice managers. A need for a community of practice is identified. The roles and responsibilities of participants in the community of practice are identified. One or more goals are identified for the community of practice based on the identified need. A plurality of the participants in the community of practice collaborate to achieve the identified goals.

Claims

1. A method of managing a community of practice, comprising:

establishing a community of practice including as participants at least a community of practice user, a community of practice expert, and community of practice managers, the community of practice having a community of practice goal;

receiving, at a knowledge management system, knowledge associated with the community of practice goal;

accessing, by each of the community of practice managers, the knowledge received at the knowledge management system;

determining, by each of the community of practice managers, whether the knowledge is to be included in the community of practice;

storing the knowledge in the knowledge management system as information included in the community of practice based on the determination by at least one of the community of practice managers;

providing the knowledge to the community of practice participants to achieve the community of practice goal; and

receiving comments, from the community of practice participants, on the provided knowledge.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the receiving knowledge includes:

providing, by the community of practice user, the knowledge to the knowledge management system over a communication network.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the determining includes:

reviewing, by each of the community of practice managers, the knowledge using the knowledge management system; and

providing an indication, by each of the community of practice managers, whether the knowledge is approved as information to be included in the community of practice.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the storing includes:

storing the knowledge in the knowledge management system when one or more of the community of practice managers approve the knowledge.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein the determining further includes:

deleting the knowledge from the knowledge management system when one or more of the community of practice managers provide an indication reflecting disapproval of the knowledge.

6. The method of claim 1, further including:

providing the knowledge to at least one of the community of practice user and community of practice expert when each of the community of practice managers approve the knowledge as information to be included in the knowledge management system.

7. The method of claim 1, further including:

providing the knowledge to at least one of the community of practice user and community of practice expert when at least one of the community of practice managers approve the knowledge as information to be included in the knowledge management system.

8. A method of managing a community of practice, comprising:

establishing a community of practice including as participants at least a community of practice user, a community of practice expert, and community of practice managers, the community of practice including a community of practice goal;

managing the community of practice by the community of practice managers using a knowledge management system, such that the knowledge management system maintains knowledge for the community of practice that is used by one or more of the participants to achieve the community of practice goal;

providing the knowledge to the community of practice participants to achieve the community of practice goal; and

receiving comments, from the community of practice participants, on the provided knowledge.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein managing the community of practice includes:

reviewing knowledge received at the knowledge management system by the community of practice user; and

determining, by each of the community of practice managers using the knowledge management system, whether the received knowledge is to be included in the community of practice.

10. The method of claim 9, further including:

storing the knowledge in the knowledge management system as information included in the community of practice based on the determination by at least one of the community of practice managers.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein managing the community of practice includes:

providing the knowledge to at least one of the community of practice user and community of practice expert when one or more of the community of practice managers approve the knowledge as information to be included in the knowledge management system.

12. A method of managing a community of practice, comprising:

establishing a community of practice including as participants at least one community of practice user, a community of practice expert, and community of practice managers, the community of practice having a community of practice goal;

receiving first knowledge, from a first participant, at a knowledge management system, wherein the first knowledge is associated with the community of practice goal;

receiving a determination from each of the community of practice managers of whether the knowledge is to be included in the community of practice;

providing, by the knowledge management system, access to the first knowledge received from the first participant;

modifying the first knowledge by a second participant; and

accessing, by at lest one of the participants using the knowledge management system, the modified first knowledge to achieve the community of practice goal.

13. The method of claim 12, including:

monitoring a progress of the community of practice in achieving the community of practice goal.

14. A computer system for managing a community of practice and providing knowledge to community of practice participants to achieve a community of practice goal in an organization, comprising:

a database storing information associated with the community of practice including as participants a community of practice user, a community of practice expert, and at least one community of practice manager, the community of practice having the community of practice goal; and

a processor configured to;

receive data related to the community of practice, the community of practice having the community of practice goal;

receive knowledge associated with the community of practice goal;

provide access to the knowledge to at least one community of practice manager;

receive a determination, from at least one community of practice manager, of whether the knowledge is to be included in the community of practice;

store the knowledge in the knowledge management system as information included in the community of practice based on the determination by the at least one community of practice manager;

provide the knowledge to the community of practice participants for use to achieve the community of practice goal; and

receive information from the community of practice participants, regarding the provided knowledge related to achieving the community of practice goal.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the processor is further configured to:

receive, from the community of practice user, the knowledge to the knowledge management system over a communication network.

16. The system of claim 14, wherein the processor is further configured to:

receive an indication, from the at least one community of practice manager, of whether the knowledge is approved as information to be included in the community of practice.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the processor is further configured to:

store the knowledge in the knowledge management system when the at least one community of practice manager approves the knowledge.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein the processor is further configured to:

delete the knowledge from the knowledge management system when the at least one community of practice manager provides an indication reflecting disapproval of the knowledge.

19. The system of claim 14, wherein the processor is further configured to:

provide the knowledge to at least one of the community of practice user and community of practice expert when the at least one community of practice manager approves the knowledge as information to be included in the knowledge management system.