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While the focus for KM at Shell is about behaviors and mindsets that support both formal and informal learning, it’s accepted that any KM approach must have the necessary systems in place that enable employees to collaborate, share knowledge and learn from each other.
To help with this, Shell offers a comprehensive KM toolbox that allows staff to connect virtually, collaborate globally and communicate with experts.
The toolbox consists of three tools:
1. The Shell International global networks (SIGN)
2. Metis
3. The Shell wiki
1. Global networks
SIGN is made up of 13 online communities of practice. The three largest communities are based on surface, subsurface and wells engineering groups. Within these communities around 3,000 members share knowledge that is context-specific.
The other communities are organized around functional areas such as IT, HR, commercial, project delivery, HSE, procurement and the knowledge-sharing global network. The SIGN tool enables employees to have productive discussions and generate innovative solutions to their problems.
Based on success stories collected by the global KM team, there are definite dollar savings that can be attributed to this activity.
2. Metis
Metis is a “linkipedia” tool that helps employees get to explicit knowledge in the form of standards and procedures, as well as links to discussion forums and experts. The name “Metis” is used symbolically for this particular tool, as Metis was the Greek goddess of wisdom and knowledge.
The tool contains links to relevant information and other KM tools in the toolbox and does not contain any documents or reports. Metis requires a subject expert to be the owner of each of the associated information pages and a quality check is therefore performed on any new links provided by Shell personnel. Users have access to all the relevant information and knowledge associated with their field of expertise including a list of experts because often, knowing who, is as important as knowing how.
3. The Shell wiki
The Shell wiki was launched in 2006 and is already growing rapidly, with 50 or more new wikis per day. The global KM team is closely monitoring this phenomenal new approach to sharing knowledge that can be captured in written form.
The Shell wiki encyclopedia provides operational business know-how as well as general knowledge on the Shell organization. It’s also used extensively by learning leaders in delivering course materials to the larger Shell Open University (SOU) student body. Staff subject-matter experts create the wikis and this method typically results in a single companywide encyclopedia based on the model “from everybody, for everybody”.
The encyclopedia concept provides integration across disciplines, even sectors, in the larger Shell organization. A recent innovation to introduce a “single sign-on” process, a simplified way of accessing the Shell Wiki, resulted in a surge in usage at the beginning of the year. The goal is to connect people to people via the content they contribute.
Best regards,
Alex Manchester
Editor
alex.manchester@melcrum.com
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About
Melcrum
Melcrum is
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internal communication. Through our global networks, we connect
more than 18,000 professional communicators in sharing what
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