Topic: Knowledge Management in SharePoint
Presenter: Bob Davis
Sponsor: Power IT
Meeting Date: Thursday, April 2nd
Meeting Time: 5:45 pm to 7:15 pm
Location: Centriq, 8700 Stateline, Suite 200, Leawood, KS 66206
Registration: http://www.clicktoattend.com/?id=136948
*Note: Anyone who registers for the Click to Attend will receive one ticket at the meeting for entrance in the drawing. You will be awarded a second ticket if you fill out an event survey. Only one prize per person at the meeting is allowed. If you cannot register and notify me before the meeting you are still eligible for the ticket.
Upcoming Presentations:
Michael Newby, Excel 2007 Reporting
Presenter: Bob Davis
Sponsor: Power IT
Meeting Date: Thursday, April 2nd
Meeting Time: 5:45 pm to 7:15 pm
Location: Centriq, 8700 Stateline, Suite 200, Leawood, KS 66206
Registration: http://www.clicktoattend.com/?id=136948
*Note: Anyone who registers for the Click to Attend will receive one ticket at the meeting for entrance in the drawing. You will be awarded a second ticket if you fill out an event survey. Only one prize per person at the meeting is allowed. If you cannot register and notify me before the meeting you are still eligible for the ticket.
Upcoming Events in Nearby Cities:
SharePoint Saturday Tulsa/School of Dev
Saturday, March 28th from 8 am to 5 pm
For more information visit this link: http://www.schoolofdev.com
*We are trying to organize a carpool for the event so far two people have contacted me about potential interest. If you are interested in carpooling to the event please e-mail this address.*
MOSS Camp St. Louis
Saturday, April 18th from 8 am to 5 pm
For more information visit this link: http://www.stlsug.org/MOSSCamp/default.aspx
*So far no one has expressed interest in this event, but if a couple people email us we will try and put together a carpool to this event.*
Upcoming Presentations:
Michael Newby, Excel 2007 Reporting
Welcome to www.KansasCityUserGroups.com 
Topic: KM, SHAREPOINT and U!Presentor: Robert DavisAbstract: Knowledge Management (KM) is less about platforms and technology and more about People and Processes. People, Processes and Technology (PP&T) are commonly expressed terms in KM as well as Tacit and Implicit Knowledge. I believe KM has little or nothing to do with those types of knowledge and everything to do with creating a trusting environment where failure is not only tolerated but rewarded! The environment (or culture) must be willing to change AND be a Learning Organization in order for KM to be of use. Innovation cannot happen without a certain amount of failure. Edison didn’t fail repeatedly; he just discovered many ways NOT to make a light bulb! In Robert Sutton’s book “Weird Ideas That Work” he states that successful companies often hire people that are odd, that think differently and may not even have the skill set required for a particular job opening. Take Eric, a former Radio Shack salesman, he was hired onto a project that was a million dollar loss and reduced that number to a mere $150k! Other companies reward those to come up with an idea, work it and fail. Even failure provides useful information and in my experience often leads to solutions to other problems! Working with SharePoint as a collaborative tool is great – if you understand collaboration and are able to plan effectively. From the end user’s point of view we owe them well planned, thoroughly tested solutions to their problems. Part of creating solutions involves understanding what the customer needs/wants. For example, here is a real request I received recently. “I have 38 spreadsheets and need some way to get all that (data or information?) into a useable system.” This customer wanted to put everything into Access! What would you do?Once you think you have a solution that meets the customer’s needs you bring them in and well…you know the story, new requirements, not really what they had envisioned, so where to go from here? In my opinion you have to listen while wearing two hats AND don’t be afraid to ask the tough questions like “I understand that you want the page to be black with gray text?” You have to be the IT person but also a an investigative reporter!Let’s say a customer is asking for something you know won’t work, how could you get this across without being abrasive and potentially alienating them? SharePoint, when used in conjunction with well thought out processes, coupled with just-in-time training is a tremendously effective tool. Just getting folks to stop saving files to their desktop or worse (I shudder to even think of it) to network/shared drives is a tremendous boost in efficiency and dramatically reduces the risk of losing critical data to a DOA PC! I read a statistic somewhere that said 66% of business critical information is tied up in inboxes (which are often located on the PC due to storage limitations on the Exchange Server). Can your business afford to be a part of that statistic? How can we teach folks to avoid that problem??Throwing technology at problems will not work; just as throwing good money after bad on balanced scorecards and other trendy tools rarely achieves the desired results. You must factor your workforce into the equation. Too many times I see IT folks in charge of KM projects. Please take no offense but as stated earlier, no piece of technology is going to solve the problem. People have the answers, processes support getting the right people in touch with each other in a timely manner do work. Social Networking/KM can be the difference between being in the red or black, how does PP&T fit in where you work? Bio:Mr. Davis is a Lockheed Martin contractor, working for the US Army’s Combined Arms Center, Fort Leavenworth, Kansas. In this capacity he serves to enhance collaboration and knowledge sharing through teaching Microsoft’s SharePoint and Office 2007 applications in support of key knowledge management practices to enhance and continuously improve the practice of Battle Command. Prior to his current assignment, Mr. Davis served 18 years in the Army’s Chemical Corps in a variety of assignments. He also worked as contractor providing SME to the Biological Detection Community and as a Trainer/Developer for Battle Command Sustainment Support System (BCS3). His personal interests are in the areas of knowledge management, Scuba Diving/Instruction and teaching CPR/First Aid. His wife is a Nurse working at College Park Medical Center, and he has one young daughter living at home. Mr. Davis is a Certified Knowledge Manager and is an active member of the KMPro Society as well as other KM and IT Groups.Sponsor: Power IT, will be providing food