Knowledge Audit in Transportation Sector: A Detailed Analysis Report

This report analyzes a research article on knowledge audits, focusing on a case study within the transportation sector, specifically a railway company. The report examines the objectives of the article, the background of the company under investigation, and the systematic knowledge audit approach employed. It details the major findings, highlighting the benefits of a systematic approach in identifying critical knowledge and recommending improvements for knowledge management. Furthermore, the report compares the study's approach to similar studies, emphasizing the importance of knowledge audits in both structured and unstructured business processes. The conclusion emphasizes the significance of knowledge audits in revealing organizational needs, risks, and opportunities, thereby improving knowledge management strategies within organizations.

Running Head: KNOWLEDGE AUDITS FOR BUSINESS ANALYSIS
KNOWLEDGE AUDITS FOR BUSINESS ANALYSIS
Name of the Student
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Table of Contents
Introduction................................................................................................................................2
Discussion..................................................................................................................................2
Knowledge Audit...................................................................................................................2
Main Objectives of Article.....................................................................................................3
Background of Company under Investigation.......................................................................3
Knowledge Audit Approach Followed in Study....................................................................4
Major Findings of Study........................................................................................................5
Comparison to Similar Studies...............................................................................................6
Conclusion..................................................................................................................................6
Reference....................................................................................................................................8

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Introduction
The knowledge audit is investigation of what is known by organization, mapped
against the users and needs by organization. It helps in paying attention to where, what, why,
who and why of the core knowledge activities. Knowledge audit is the first step towards
shifting of knowledge sharing initiatives. This requires investigation of the information the
person have and the way one stores and maintain the information (Knechel and Salterio
2016). Hence, this report aims to analyze research article on knowledge audit and discussion
will on objectives of article, background of company under the investigation, knowledge
audit approach followed in study, major findings of study and comparison to the similar
studies.
Discussion
Knowledge Audit
Knowledge audit is principal tools for the construction of ‘as is’ views of knowledge
landscape. The particular techniques is described well in literatures and it focuses on
producing evidence-based assessment of current state of the firm’s knowledge relating to its
weaknesses and strength. It helps in answering the questions for instance existence of
relevant resources of knowledge and its location, the way knowledge flows in between people
and groups and lastly, the gaps in knowledge and barriers to the flow of knowledge
(Parkinson, Somaraki and Ward 2016).
The various programs of knowledge management fail because firms were having
absence of knowledge on knowledge management and their knowledge firm. In case, firm
does not knows what knowledge they have and what knowledge they don’t have, what is
significant knowledge or what not, it becomes risky and difficult for firm for implementing
strategies of knowledge management. The firm may waste resources for developing policies

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or tools, which they does not require or worthy. The knowledge audit is considered to be vital
stage for the program of KM. It is because it helps in providing accurate assessment,
measurement, qualification and identification of explicit and tacit knowledge in firm. This
reveals the firm’s needs, risks, weakness, strengths, threats and opportunities (Barton and
Bruder 2014).
Main Objectives of Article
Reliable, comfort and safety are significant for the industry of railway. There consists
of various needs of the compliance, which is required by the public transport firm for
compiling with. Hence, this demands for the effective and efficient way for management of
knowledge towards management of crisis, management of safety, accidents, risk
management, hazard mitigation, handling of incidents’ and so on. The knowledge audit is
considered indispensable towards KM success (Serrat 2017). It helps in providing assessment
that is evidence-based of where firm is required for focusing on its effort towards KM. There
are various methods of the knowledge audit that has been proposed in the prior studies but
most of them is general and are not suitable for ranges of the critical functions in the industry
of railway. Hence, the main objective of the research paper is presenting systematic approach
for the knowledge auditing that is composed of certain number of the phases by focusing on
establishing overall framework as well as customized tools for the knowledge auditing (Eaves
2014).
Background of Company under Investigation
The article has proposed systematic approach for the knowledge auditing in Railway
Company. Railway is considered as effective mass transportation of the passengers for most
of the countries around world. Further, as railway provides massive transit service, disaster
can be definitely caused, if there will any accident on the railway because of hundreds of the
passengers on train. For ensuring that the provided service operates in safer environment,

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various requirements for the regulatory compliance are required for compiling with by the
public transport firm (Power and Gendron 2015). The knowledge for the safety management,
crisis management, incidents and accident handling, hazard mitigation and risk management
are important for public transport company operators because these are vital factors for
ensuring comfort, safe and reliable service of riding to public (Cheung et al. 2007).
The research paper has conducted pilot study in the unit in Transport division of the
West rail of KCRC in the Hong-Kong. In December 2003, HK$46.4 b worth and West Rail
30.5 km long that started from the Tuen Mun in west and ends in Nam Cheong were launched
and created for the service of revenue. Therefore, for delivering railway service that are
reliable, fast and environmental friendly, the various preparatory and readiness activities were
performed so as to provide higher quality transportation for serving passengers who commute
between urban Kowloon and North West New Territories. The company launched massive
programs of recruitment and provided training. It involved learning significant know-how
and the job-related knowledge as well as also familiarized work with team mates. They
provided courses of training, on the job training activities and the drilling exercises for
ensuring that the staff member were well qualifies and equipped to recover and operate the
system operations and sustains efficient service of transportation open revenue operation.
Despite of all these effort, there was still more knowledge required for learning. There was
the requirement of more technologically advanced and sophisticated system for improving
the existing operations of railway (Cheung et al. 2007).
Knowledge Audit Approach Followed in Study
Knowledge management leads towards way for the firm for knowing what is known
by them and what is not known, the requirement for retaining, sharing and reusing
knowledge. It is true particularly for inherent knowledge owned by the individuals, which is
key for firm to compete in the environment that is highly competitive. The knowledge audit is

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important for providing evidence-based assessment of where firm is required for focusing its
effort of knowledge management. It consists of complete investigation and analysis of
company in the terms of the fact that what are the knowledge that exists in firm, who owns,
where it is and how it is being created (Siriwardane et al. 2014).
The systematic approach framework for the knowledge management is consists of the
8 different stages that are consists of background and orientation study, assessment of culture,
in-depth investigation, building the inventory of knowledge and mapping of knowledge,
network analysis of knowledge and analysis of social network, recommendation of the
knowledge management strategy, KM tools setting out and building of culture of
collaboration and last one is continuous re-auditing of knowledge (Barton and Bruder 2014).
Major Findings of Study
The research paper has proposed systematic approach for the knowledge auditing and
the successful trial has been implemented in Railway Company. It is composed of various
stages with focus on establishing overall customized tool and framework for the knowledge
auditing. The undertaken pilot study in research paper is based on the proposed approaches in
the railway company (Westermann, Bedard and Earley 2015). The results have found that
systematic approach of knowledge auditing yields number of benefits, which includes
identifying critical knowledge as well as subsequent recommendation could be derived for
the good management of knowledge in the Railway Company. It allows firm for revealing its
needs of knowledge management, threats, opportunities, risks, strength and weaknesses. The
appropriate strategy of knowledge management could be derived for the better management
of its knowledge (Akenbor and Ironkwe 2014).

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Comparison to Similar Studies
The research article by Jessica has aimed for studying methodologies of knowledge
audit, which are required in unstructured business processes and structured business
processes. Further, the methodology of knowledge audit that is used for the SBP, has aimed
for identifying and capturing procedural knowledge, however, UBP aims for facilitating
sharing of the experimental knowledge. The first case helps in providing usual knowledge
audit in the SBP and second case helps in pinpointing development of the new knowledge
audit methodology that is applicable for the UBP. Hence, in comparison to systematic
knowledge auditing approach reviewed in the research paper of Cheung, this research paper
has found that the vital differentiation in between the knowledge audits in UBP and SBP is
that the knowledge captured in SBP is the procedural knowledge, however, in UBP is
experimental knowledge. Further, deliverables in SBP is consists of lists of the knowledge
workers, knowledge inventories and knowledge assets, whereas deliverables in UBP includes
interplay of the interaction in between stakeholders, activities and displayed knowledge in
method of the knowledge activity network (Yip, Lee and Tsui 2015). Moreover, research
paper by Mazin investigated framework, techniques, processes and methodologies for
bringing new dimensions. The researcher found that the requirement for managing tacit
knowledge is by focusing on the people and enhancing their capability with the help of
improving collaboration, information transfer and communication. Hence, any unit of
business consisting of computer centers and IT should determine needs of the knowledge
management before the development of system of the knowledge management (Mohammed
2015).
Conclusion
Therefore, this report concludes that knowledge audit helps in providing evidence-
based assessment of the fact that where firm requires to give focus on their efforts of

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knowledge management. This helps in revealing organizational needs of knowledge
management such as risks, threats, strengths, weakness and opportunities. Further, this report
has analyzed that the major objective of this research article is presentation of systematic
approach for the knowledge auditing that is being comprised of various stages. It focuses on
establishment of the overall frameworks and the customized tools for auditing of knowledge.
Further, this report has also analyzed that the knowledge auditing followed in the study is
systematic approach. Moreover, major findings of this study is that the approach followed in
this study yields various benefits.

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Reference
Akenbor, C.O. and Ironkwe, U., 2014. Forensic auditing techniques and fraudulent practices
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Barton, H. and Bruder, N., 2014. A guide to local environmental auditing. Routledge.
Cheung, C.F., Li, M.L., Shek, W.Y., Lee, W.B. and Tsang, T.S., 2007. A systematic
approach for knowledge auditing: a case study in transportation sector. Journal of knowledge
management, 11(4), pp.140-158.
Eaves, S., 2014. Middle management knowledge by possession and position: a panoptic
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Knechel, W.R. and Salterio, S.E., 2016. Auditing: Assurance and risk. Routledge.
Mohammed, M.A., 2015. Investigating Role of Knowledge Auditing in Profile of the
Business Unit-Information Technology& Computer Center (ITCC) University of
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Siriwardane, H.P., Kin Hoi Hu, B. and Low, K.Y., 2014. Skills, Knowledge, and Attitudes
Important for Present‐Day Auditors. International Journal of Auditing, 18(3), pp.193-205.

9KNOWLEDGE AUDITS FOR BUSINESS ANALYSIS
Westermann, K.D., Bedard, J.C. and Earley, C.E., 2015. Learning the “craft” of auditing: A
dynamic view of auditors' on‐the‐job learning. Contemporary Accounting Research, 32(3),
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