11-Bre 437 Notes 11-Information and Knowledge Management for Facilities
Information & Knowledge management for Facilities Management
Facilities Management is making a web of decisions across the whole process. Making informed decision needs information; making correct decision needs knowledge. That is why we will talk about information/knowledge management in Facilities Management 1. Concepts of data, information, and knowledge 2. Major information in the practice of construction project management 3. Significance of promoting information management in the practice of construction project management 4. Major principles of implementing information management 5. Information management system 6. Typical problems with information management in the practice of construction project management 1. Concepts of data, information, and knowledge 1. Data: symbols 2. Information: data that are processed to be useful; provides answers to "who", "what", "where", and "when" questions 3. Knowledge: application of data and information; answers "how" questions 4. Understanding: appreciation of "why" 5. Wisdom: evaluated understanding. Ackoff indicates that the first four categories relate to the past; they deal with what has been or what is known. Only the fifth category, wisdom, deals with the future because it incorporates vision and design. With wisdom, people can create the future rather than just grasp the present and past. But achieving wisdom isn't easy; people must move successively through the other categories.
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A further elaboration of Ackoff's definitions follows: Data... data is raw. It simply exists and has no significance beyond its existence (in and of itself). It can exist in any form, usable or not. It does not have meaning of itself. In computer parlance, a spreadsheet generally starts out by holding data. Data usually refers to facts obtained through empirical records, research or observation. Data will be processed and then become information. Data is derived from facts or events in the real world and that can be recorded.
Facilities Management is making a web of decisions across the whole process. Making informed decision needs information; making correct decision needs knowledge. That is why we will talk about information/knowledge management in Facilities Management 1. Concepts of data, information, and knowledge 2. Major information in the practice of construction project management 3. Significance of promoting information management in the practice of construction project management 4. Major principles of implementing information management 5. Information management system 6. Typical problems with information management in the practice of construction project management 1. Concepts of data, information, and knowledge 1. Data: symbols 2. Information: data that are processed to be useful; provides answers to "who", "what", "where", and "when" questions 3. Knowledge: application of data and information; answers "how" questions 4. Understanding: appreciation of "why" 5. Wisdom: evaluated understanding. Ackoff indicates that the first four categories relate to the past; they deal with what has been or what is known. Only the fifth category, wisdom, deals with the future because it incorporates vision and design. With wisdom, people can create the future rather than just grasp the present and past. But achieving wisdom isn't easy; people must move successively through the other categories.
1
A further elaboration of Ackoff's definitions follows: Data... data is raw. It simply exists and has no significance beyond its existence (in and of itself). It can exist in any form, usable or not. It does not have meaning of itself. In computer parlance, a spreadsheet generally starts out by holding data. Data usually refers to facts obtained through empirical records, research or observation. Data will be processed and then become information. Data is derived from facts or events in the real world and that can be recorded.