Evolution of EKM Tool as a Solution for Skill Set Deficiency

These are brutal economic times. Performance in a few areas of a firm s operations can spell success or failure. These areas, called critical success factors ( CSF s), vary from one firm to another, but tend to follow certain patterns based on industry. One of the critical success factors is cross-training. From a positive view point, recession actually means a new beginning, a fresh start from a break. The CEOs who feel the pressure from all sides to do more with less, can take this time to be a perfect opportunity to make the pitch for one more alternative: An Enterprise Knowledge Management (EKM) Tool. To put it rightly the challenge with HR is to create a balance among the employees to create a right mix of both tacit and explicit knowledge which facilitates cross training. EKM is a perceptual model which can assist a company's not only to plan and track existing skill sets but also create a portfolio of existing and future knowledge base of employees categorized by such criteria as budget size, schedule, or business line from company s perspectives and feelings.