Knowledge Management System in Maroochy Water Services - Case Study Example

Knowledge Management System: Maroochy Water Services Case Study Name: Tutor: Course: Date: Knowledge Management System: Maroochy Water Services Introduction Global organizational structures and communication influences the way knowledge is shared and utilized. According to Ronald Maier (2004) integration of principles, concepts, processes and information constitutes knowledge management. This entails creating a purpose and sense or rationale out of the information at disposal. Organizations have therefore been forced to develop systems that assist in outdoing competitors and being ahead in curving a larger market share. This ideal was reinforced by Thierauf (1999) who demonstrated that knowledge management systems can be utilized as a source of power to outdo competitors. Enterprises and businesses have discretion to how best knowledge can be tapped and sustained. Moreover, Sankaran and Kouzmin (2005) caution that failure to decipher information external or internal to the organization, enemies and rivals can utilize it to incapacitate or build a strong competitive edge. In the current world of Information Technology (IT) adequate information security is required or else hackers can get into the secrets and sensitive documents of the organization. This case study is aimed at delineating ideas and concept knowledge systems in theory and practice. Incidentally, the discourse evaluates knowledge management scenario in an organisation identified in addition to describing utility of Knowledge Management System (KMS) in addressing ordinary circumstances through investigating knowledge requirements and analyzing knowledge origins (Geisler, & Wickramasinghe, 2012). The context of this discourse experiences KMS as an authority in practical situations such as that of Maroochy Water Services. The report from the organization shows that it was unable to manage knowledge within their hold due to widespread interference and deliberate attack by a person deemed to be knowledgeable. Theories on Knowledge and Knowledge Management System (KMS) A range of theories are available in evaluating information and knowledge applicability in business organisations so that they can execute their business strategies and outdo competitors. According to Zeleny (2005), organisation or firms applying knowledge-based theory ingrains crucial information parameters on how knowledge, data, and information is applied, kept and shared in daily operations of the business. The knowledge-based theory identifies knowledge as a crucial and strategic resource for an organisation to command competitive advantage and superior business performance (Geisler, & Wickramasinghe, 2012). Many organisations value knowledge resources and demonstrate through business philosophy, policies, processes, and systems making it difficult to copy its knowledge based resources. Muzzucato (2006) asserts that organisation’s data, information and knowledge are essential knowledge assets. Technology and information systems generated by the organisation constitute its intellectual and knowledge-based assets. The management element comes up at the point of knowledge assets generating value. This entails data coding from employees, clients, business partners, while sharing the information inside and outside an organisation hence deriving best practices (Geisler, & Wickramasinghe, 2012). Some information may not be valuable to an organisation hence the need to establish information suitable for business and organizational strategy requirements. For human beings to intelligently function, knowledge is needed for understanding, practical know-how and technical insight. Knowledge manifests itself in business practice, technology, strategy formulation of companies and corporate (Gottschalk, 2000). Through transformation, proper use of expertise engenders business and employee effectiveness in the organization (Fink & Ploder, 2009). It bestows greater business performance and competitive advantage to rivals. Knowledge management process involves technology, people, methods, and structures which is fundamental for many technological solutions. Information transfer and sharing relies on knowledge management systems. According to Blomkvist (2012), knowledge uptake provides value through integrating knowledge residing in various geographical dispositions and allows proper partial and splintered organisation development. Transfer allows organisations to mutually learn based on their corporate relationships. For Maroochy Water Services which uses National Institute of Standards Technology and Industrial Control System, security standards apply objectively. How Knowledge Management is applied at Maroochy Water Services Since Information communication technology (ICT) is an economic cornerstone of a nation, shift in business operations occurs in a restricted geographical location where physical presence reverts to a ubiquitous approach (Abrams & Weiss, 2008). Business operations involve Industrial Control System. Protocols in business enables steady control operations employing information technology. This makes it possible to deliver services, lower operation costs, and goods delivery. The case of Maroochy Water Services that relies on radio-controlled sewage equipment based on Data Acquisition and Supervisory Control. Commands and access is required for data integrity. From this case, the company lacks internal capacity to execute such projects making it necessary to sub-contract or outsource which is not witnessed at Maroochy Water Services (Fong, 2003). If such arrangements are done, parties and stakeholders become subjects of information sharing especially with regard to ethical utility, maintenance, and security. Outlining knowledge management in the organisation requires examination of knowledge; gap needs, source, utility, and the actors in the knowledge management. The impact of the attack could have been lower if it had adhered to the Special Publication (SP) 800-53 which is a body that advises on Security Controls for Federal Information Systems. Knowledge requirements and utility An approach to knowledge in this case will involve using and securing the operating system. Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) is an automated operating system used by the Council in its sewerage system management with Maroochy Water Company owning the knowledge. Watertech Boden, which is a contracted company in developing its system have workers with access to the system security. This system forms the knowledge core because it controls the sewer system operations and pumping. It has a central control centre using radio frequencies in which the command prompts determine start and stop time for pumping. High restriction levels and prudence were required to manage this knowledge to guarantee the system integrity and mitigate potential attack. Moreover, more knowledge is needed to mitigate attacks as developed and shared by NIST. Another knowledge set in this case is on handling attacks emanating from within or without the company. This demands adherence to the policy outlines deal with attacks likely to come from dissatisfied employees. In addition, third parties and contracted employees who provide Industrial Control System ought to own the responsibility of keeping classified documents secrets by signing a secrecy document. According to Abrams and Weiss (2008) families, identifiers, and security control classes should be listed. Knowledge Gap at Maroochy Water Services According to Dunford’s (2000), Knowledge management constitutes six stages one; synthesizing, acquisition of knowledge by gathering, and information interpretation. The second involves indexing through conceptualization schemes; third stage involves filtering by screening the indexed information. Other stages include linking array information to be sensible. Finally, various agents distribute and apply the information. The knowledge gap is experienced in Maroochy water services from the initial stage to the last one one. Maroochy Water Services in this knowledge management issues failed to create a close working relationship with key stakeholders such as National Institute of Standards Technology who could have offered direction on Security Controls for Federal Information Systems through Special Publication (SP) 800-53. The sense that this argument bases on involves the organization and its contractor who lacked the contingency or emergency preparedness plan to mitigate attack by knowledgeable employees or external interference on their system. To crown it, the knowledge gap seen result from the failure to partner with other knowledge sources on how to secure the integrity of industrial control systems. Knowledge Source and Actors Involved in its Management Petruzzelli, Albino and Carbonara (2009) observe that knowledge source can be internal and external for co-localized firms to exchange technological information. This is postulated and proved since knowledge from outside sources is essential and demands creation of links between Maroochy, NIST and Watertech. The set of source knowledge regards SCADA created by Hunter Watertech Company to be used by Maroochy Water services. The other source knowledge comes from NIST providing the framework on security of the system. Actor one involved in knowledge management provides information on ICS security is NIST who has policy guidelines to be used by Vitek Boden and Maroochy Water Service. These policies and guidelines require all organisations to incorporate a cyber policy and methods like AC-18 Wireless Access Restriction. Maroochy services did not apply this. Personnel security comes second as on who should restrict third party on wanton employee changes. Awareness and training was lacking since employees went blank in the event SCADA failed. Hence, the NIST developed guideline could have mitigated risk on SCADA attack. Conclusion Hunter Watertech and Maroochy could have acted as developer and custodian/ user of the same respectively. The rationale is based on their engagement level at the investigation stage and Boden arrested after the massive failures were noticed. Evidence on the irregularity on command prompts and login details at the time of the attack was incriminatory. It was wrong for a dissatisfied person to revenge, punish or sabotage her company that had received a contract from the water company to work on industrial control system. The security measures stipulated by the National Institute of Standards Technology (NIST) on Industrial Control System (ICS) were not adopted by the organization hence failing on the concept of knowledge management. References Abrams, M. & Weiss, J. (2008). Malicious control system cyber security attack case study- Maroochy Water Services, Australia. Available at: http://csrc.nist.gov/groups/SMA/fisma/ics/documents/Maroochy-Water-Services-Case- Study_report.pdf. Blomkvist, K. (2012). Knowledge management in MNCs: the importance of subsidiary transfer performance. Journal of Knowledge Management, 16 (6): 904-918. Dunford, R. (2000). Key challenges in the search for the effective management of knowledge in management consulting firms. Journal of Knowledge Management, 4 (4): 295-302. Fernandez, I. B. (2010). 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