Muellheim, 12 February, 2009

“We keep you informed”, that’s the way Ulrich Wunsch describes his work. The graduate physicist has created a company-internal knowledge data base within AUMA Riester GmbH & Co. KG in Muellheim/Germany.

The idea: In any company, knowledge is a crucial resource and a decisive success factor.

The consequence: “Today we are increasingly flooded with information.” Therefore, it becomes more and more important to acquire knowledge, to select, structure and network it as well as to create an environment for knowledge to expand and to make it available to all groups of people and in the depth as required.

However, the implementation is not as easy as it appears to be. “Difficulties crop up. Frequently, projects about how to install knowledge management get stuck at the very start“, as shown in various surveys with other companies.

The knowledge manager has found the solution – at least for his company.

“Knowledge management starts on a personal level“, explains Mr. Wunsch. It commences with company objectives, work flow procedures and the awareness to exchange information. However, how is this realised in every day company practice?

Mr. Wunsch established about 700 websites. To make it easy, let’s call them AUMAnet.
They represent the Yellow Pages of the company. If a new member of staff within the company wants to know who is responsible for production -
No problem. One click within the AUMAnet shows the relevant personal data in words and photo including functions and duties and all other information that any company staff should know.

The list of tasks leads the user to more detailed information.

If for example the topic “business trip” is part of the tasks, you are able to view all information from the application through to the accounting form and this from any place of the world.

Knowledge is an added value

This also deals with complex solution descriptions. The lists with the best practical examples can be compared to a large electronic manual – constantly updated and including state-of-the-art knowledge, administered by all AUMA staff.
Mr. Wunsch adds: “This way, the knowledge flow within the company is more efficient and determined, faster and more successful. This rounds up the added value.”

 

 
Ulrich Wunsch, Knowledge manager at AUMA