Developing a knowledge sharing strategy for a South African IT consultancy

Abstract

Information Technology (IT) consultants find themselves in a fast-paced, fast changing environment where client satisfaction, project success, and problem solving are their greatest responsibilities. Because of the characteristics of this environment, there is a need in the IT consultancy industry for effective knowledge sharing, to assist their consultants to solve problems faster, therefore creating better products and solutions in shorter lead times. In order for knowledge sharing to be more effective, a knowledge sharing strategy can be implemented, providing guidelines to consultancies on how to effectively implement knowledge sharing and create a knowledge sharing culture that suits their needs. The focus of this study was therefore to create such a knowledge sharing strategy by investigating what would be included in a strategy, what the benefits of a knowledge sharing strategy is, and what could hinder consultants from sharing their knowledge. Qualitative data was collected through semi structured interviews with the consultants from the IT consultancy, with the intention to investigate their current knowledge sharing habits and needs, while literature was also consulted to determine the current practices within similar industries. The outcome of the data and literature analysed lead to the development of a knowledge sharing strategy for the IT consultancy where the research was conducted. This strategy serves as a guideline for IT consultancies to combine People, Processes, Technology, and Governance in order to change their knowledge sharing practices to suit the needs of their consultants. In summary, this study concludes with the development of a customised knowledge sharing strategy, based on a known knowledge management framework, with the intention to increase the IT consultancy’s ability to deliver better products and enhance problem-solving abilities of their IT consultants.