Logical Concept for Building an Organizational Portal - User-Oriented, Not Knowledge Provider-Oriented
- Dr. Moria Levy
- Feb 1, 2002
- 2 min read
When we set out to build an organizational portal, one of our primary goals was to ensure the portal's success and utility. This goal is not easy to achieve, as there are pitfalls that can easily be fallen into. There is a logical concept that, if we adopt and implement it during portal construction, we can more easily overcome obstacles and achieve our goal. This concept has several different aspects. We have chosen in the first stage to give you several rules in the context of the portal's orientation aspect:
Orientation 1
The knowledge system should be user-oriented, not technology-oriented. This rule is relevant to both the content displayed and its organization. This rule seems simple, but there is almost no knowledge system that doesn't fall into this trap, some more so than others.
Orientation 2
The knowledge system should be user-oriented, not knowledge provider-oriented. A common problem with knowledge management systems is that they are written and organized through the eyes and according to the needs of the knowledge creator, rather than those of the knowledge consumer. The knowledge in the system should be organized according to user needs and in a manner that follows the order of operations, making the information intuitive to the user. Knowledge that is arranged in a way that is not convenient for use is knowledge that will not be used.
Content Display
For the system content to be oriented toward the information consumer and not the information producer, one must first investigate who is the knowledge consumer the portal is aimed at, what is the critical knowledge most needed by them, such that will provide added value when using the portal, and finally find who is the producer of this knowledge and collect the required content from them.
Organization Method
There is a tendency to group knowledge items in a method that is convenient and intuitive for the knowledge creator and/or system administrator, but which may not be as convenient and intuitive for the user. For example, grouping all reports in one area instead of organizing them according to report topics in the relevant menu for the topic, grouping by the information producer, or by the system or tool where the information resides. The recommendation is to group by content topic.
In Summary, the emphasis in building a knowledge system is on user needs, with the system being built around them and tailored to their specific requirements.
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