Quynh Bui Tue, 16-Nov-04 @ 11:59AM

We can start it from now on!

Dear Khanh Linh,

I am a Vietnamese PhD student in University of Antwerp, Belgium who is pursuing the topic dealing with KM. I came across your letter and being very interested in what you intend to do.

Actually, I am considering to follow the topic dealing with Improving Knowledge Transfer in SMEs Vietnam by using Social Network Analysis.

As far as I understand, IT is not unique strategy for deploying KM in the organisation, though it is crucial tool. KM is harmonized among 3 dimensions: People, Process and Technology. People and social network in which people interacts is emerging as the key direction for both academics and practitioners in next few years.
That is the main idea I leant from the KM Europe Conference in Amsterdam organized last week.

Thus, I think KM for SMEs in Vietnam's context might start from People instead of Technology, especially when they lack of technological capability.

If you concern about the idea, feel free to contact to me. I think it will be very useful for both of us if we are able to collaborate our research in the future.

Bui Tue Quynh
Faculty of Applied Economics
University of Antwerp, Belgium
quynh.buitue@student.ua.ac.be

Nguyen Huynh Khanh Linh, 21-Jul-04 @ 05:28AM

KM- It's still not started in Vietnam

Dear Daniel,

Yes, you are right. There are a lots of organizations achieved ISO 9000 Accreditation in Vietnam nowaday. The Government have policies to encourage organization to do so, the main purpose is that we try to enhance the management level of companies in generally to face with the fierce competition nowaday. The first step for this effort is well done but as we are all knew that achieved the accreditation is just the first step on the journey of quality. Most of the organization, especially SMEs still cant improve their QMS so far because of many reason. Some others are just considering QMS accreditation as a paper to attach with bidding documents.

I found KM as a good way to do something to help SMEs improve their quality and wish that it can be a campain in Vietnam as the QMS campain started in 90s). To make this started, we need a pilot project as a sample to convince the SMEs owner here about the benefits of KM and we need help from outside experts. That's why i published my appeal on forum with the hope to find out helps.

There are disadvantage of SMEs (as the definition of Ministry of Plan and investment "SME is organization with legal capital is not over USD 700.000 or number of employee is not over 300") in KM application that most of them do not have IT system and the qualification of employee is not high. So the question is that without the IT system and IT knowledge, how many percentage to be sure that SMEs can successful apply KM in their system with the foresee target is improve their QMS and avoid the brain drain.

Do you have any ideas about this and any information to help me do something.

Sincerely yours,

Khanh Linh (Ms)
Management system consultant.

Daniel RENSON, 18-Jul-04 @ 14:48PM

KM in Vietnam

Dear Ms Nguyen,
It has been nice to read about your question.
I've already been in Vietnam several times for coaching projects of VSE, SME and large companies (more than 25 various projects).
One of them was including the IT manager of Veritas Vietnam(ISO).
We have always been working on the KM aspects to get more efficient solutions.
I have accumulated many and solid KM experiences as I did establish my first international "CIA" and "all around" related applications in 1975 !
I'm lecturing KM in Paris and Saigon too.
In Vietnam, we have formed a group of managers and we'll most probably start a new KM community at the end of the year.
I'll be there again in september and we'll have
the opportunity to meet I you wish ...
All the best !

Paul Spence, 17-Jul-04 @ 16:05PM

Would the accreditation organisation assist?

Ms Nguyen, I was fascinated to read of your efforts and only wish I had read this article earlier, as I was in Vietnam during early June of this year. When I was there I noticed that a great many medium and large sized manufacturing or industrial firms proudly advertise that they are ISO9000 accredited.

Presumably there is at least one accreditation organisation that conducts the ISO9000 auditing for your country. Maybe this would be a good starting point as they may have people with an understanding and enthusiasm for KM as a quality tool.

Also, I think you need to define for us exactly what "SME" means in the context of Vietnam. There are tens of thousands of micro-businesses, but I doubt that most would be in a position to take an interest in adopting a quality standard such as ISO.

I hope this helps.

Chris Macrae, 23-Jun-04 @ 14:35PM

what Human KM standardisation is not

Human KM is a huge system change process at many different interconnecting levels as we try to network more authentic local relationships between peoples at every coordinate of our globe; the only people who would say they are certain they know how to standardise it at this stage of (r)evolution are those who are trying to become controllers for ever more of something which actually blocks change than makes the human most of hi-trust inter-networking

Rather than expect you to agree with what I said above, I suggest keeping an open mind and doing an experiment. The experiment involves watching out for any type of KM expert visiting Vietnam and in advance offering to organise a one-hour cafe around their expert topic. Experts who want local cells to start practising a deep systemic idea and how to connect it to others in the local context will (if you ask them respectfully) donate an hour whilst passing through Vietnam anyhow, and the others who would only do this for immediate money aren't the first type you need to explore the local diversity of KM with.

Asking an expert respectfully means knowing someone locally who is passionate enough about that expert's subject to be able to find 5 to 10 people who want to attend the cafe as active learners, possibly even co-representatives of the expert at least on some local issues worth trying out with that expertise. If you atre in doubt about whether you know such a local ambassador in a particular expert area, I can usually fond someone who will quickly quiz them to see how deeply practical their knowledge connectivity is

We have started piloting this in London as part of London's efforts to be the most collaborative knowledge city in the world; whether you love Vietnam or another locality , we are happy to share the emerging rules of collaboration cafe hosting with anyone who cares. There is also some more at:

collaboration cafe worldwide @ ecademy http://www.ecademy.com/module.php?mod=club&c=1550

my blog on local meeting social networks at http://www.ecademy.com/module.php?mod=blog&op=view&uid=2850

Vicente Rodriguez, 23-Jun-04 @ 11:24AM

KM for SMEs in Asia

We are developing a network of people interested in KM for SMEs in the Asia Area, and currently we are carrying out pilot test in Thailand. I would like to invite you to join to our community. You could find usefull information. If you are interested, please e-mail us.

http://www.api.uniovi.es/knoqua

Nguyen Huynh Khanh Linh, 15-Jun-04 @ 09:50AM

searching way to develop KM in Vietnam

The opportunity drive me to KM community is unexpected, as a consultant i have opportunity to contact with many SMEs in Vietnam, i felt bad when seeing organization to confront with human resource crisis, ecially losing knowledge, brain-drain.
A question appeared in my mind that is there any approach to establish a system to manage knowledge like we have ISO 9000 as a generic way to manage Quality. Then i search on Internet and found the website knowledgeboard A new world opened in front of me. I took decision to write my MBA's final thesis about KM (im attending MBA program of Solvay Business school-Brussel in Vietnam) as the first step for KM campain in Vietnam to convince business owner here to adopt KM as essential tool for their management. If i success i can get the finance support to invite expert come to implement the first pilot project in Vietnam.

Everything is still in the first step, it would be appriciate for any advices from you to help us - Vietnam.

Best regard,

Khanh Linh (Ms.)

Joel Van Hoolandt, 14-Jun-04 @ 12:59PM

collaboration offer

Dear,
Please let me know if I can help, especially concerning the SME aspect of your question.
Maybe some published documents (like CEN standards) might help to achive your goals.
Don't hesitate to drop me an e-mail in case of,
regards,
Joel.