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The world is changing rapidly. The organizations in the modern world need to carry out useful organizational data and financial management using a quality information system to lead the market. If there is an issue at the organization related to the reliability and accuracy of the information system, it will undoubtedly experience a decline in performance (Castro, 2015). MotherCare, a famous expecting mothers and baby retail company, is currently facing an issue in managing its performance effectively. For the same reason, the study will be proposing a suitable information system for the company to overcome these issues along with the explanation of its key features, such as data management.

MotherCare is a retailing company; the company needs to understand the customer needs to serve them appropriately. The proposed information system is a Knowledge Management System that will help store and retrieve all the knowledge to benefit the company in different areas, including understanding, collaboration, and alignment of the process activities (Chang & Lin, 2015). MotherCare can use the knowledge management system for its teams and customers for better support. It will provide sufficient knowledge to the concerned individuals for carrying out the required tasks proactively to achieve better results.

There are various critical functions of a Knowledge management system that make it unique and better from other information systems including;

• Intermediation: KMS ensures the proper flow of knowledge or information between knowledge seekers and providers. It maintains data transfer for better understanding and timely decision-making (Donate & Pablo, 2015).

• Externalization: It will ensure the transfer of knowledge from the owners' minds to an external source effectively. It will provide a competitive advantage to the companies to help them lead the market through detailed information regarding their competitors' actions and strategies (Chang & Lin, 2015).

• Internationalization: It will ensure that the relevant information is shared with the concerned party properly. The knowledge will be shared effectively for comprehension. The company will be able to categorize all the activities at the workplace to achieve better results.

• Cognition: The cognition function of KMS will benefit the company to carry out proper decisions based on available knowledge.

• Measurement: It will help in carrying out a proper evaluation of the activities undergoing at the workplace against the agreed objectives. 

Figure 2: KMS System Usage in the modern world (Inkinen, 2016)

Figure 2 provides information regarding the rising usage of KMS in the companies in modern times showing effective results.

The old information system at MotherCare uses manual functions to evaluate data resulting in suitable information to the company for the next action plan. The pace of the process is quite slow, restraining the company from making timely and effective decisions (Inkinen, 2016). The KMS system will require the company to provide all the information in the specific aspect as per their requirement. It will help the company to use desired technologies like electronic task management, computer-mediated collaboration, data mining, intelligent assets, search and retrieval, web browsing, group decision support, messaging, and visualization to perform functions of intermediation, externalization, internalization, measurement, and cognition (Santos & Wane, 2013). It means that the proposed information system will be managing the data timely and effectively to ensure competitive decision making.

KMS offers an opportunity for the company to store and use both specific and tactical data types. It means that the company could store the codified data in the system for effective transferring and storage (Shehzad, Davis, & Ahmad, 2020). They could also arrange tactical data types contributing to their experiences, practices, and values. They will ensure secure communication between the employees for positive results (Wang & Han, 2011). It will also benefit them in gaining regular information regarding their competitors for sustaining long-term advantage and continuous contribution to innovation.

KMS will be making use of the digital storage method to store all the information digitally. It benefits in fast storage and easy retrieval of data by the system as per requirement (Castro, 2015). The old information system mainly uses a manual storage method that lemmatizes the company's ability to conveniently store or retrieve the desired information decreasing the decision-making power of the company (Shehzad, Davis, & Ahmad, 2020).

KMS will be providing all the required information as per the provided data. The company must ensure the quality of data provided to KMS for expecting positive results (Castro, 2015). The company needs to ensure proper allocation of roles to provide desired data to KMS for processing and retrieving data (Wang & Han, 2011). Moreover, the company also needs to conduct a regular audit for ensuring that there is no discrepancy within the data provided to the system.

The company will require undertaking a complete project for transitioning the current old system to a new knowledge management system. It will be required to update all the necessary information in manual or hard form to digital form in the KMS. The company could use digital sources for the timely transfer of digital information present in the old system to the new knowledge management system (Chang & Lin, 2015).

Although the cost of KMS varies as per the scope of the system involving hardware and software costs, the company will have to pay labor costs to provide desired data to the system. Shehzad, Davis, & Ahmad (2020) provide information that KMS carries the potential to enhance organizational productivity by 10 – 40%. Geisinger Medical Group experienced a decline in cost by $2,000 after implementing the knowledge management system at the workplace (Inkinen, 2016). Therefore, it is evident that the company must build KMS at the workplace to gain more benefits compared to the incurred cost.

References

Castro, G. M.-D. (2015). Knowledge management and innovation in knowledge-based and high-tech industrial markets: The role of openness and absorptive capacity. Industrial Marketing Management, 47, 143–146. http://doi.org/10.1016/j.indmarman.2015.02.032

Chang, C. L.-H., & Lin, T.-C. (2015). The role of organizational culture in the knowledge management process. Journal of Knowledge Management, 19(3), 433–455. http://doi.org/10.1108/jkm-08-2014-0353

Donate, M. J., & Pablo, J. D. S. D. (2015). The role of knowledge-oriented leadership in knowledge management practices and innovation. Journal of Business Research, 68(2), 360–370. http://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2014.06.022

Inkinen, H. (2016). Review of empirical research on knowledge management practices and firm performance. Journal of Knowledge Management, 20(2), 230–257. http://doi.org/10.1108/jkm-09-2015-0336

Putra, R. R. J., & Putro, B. L. (2017). Knowledge Management System (KMS) readiness level based on group areas of expertise to improve science education and computer science quality (cross-fertilization principle) (Case study: Computer science program course FPMIPA UPI). 2017 3rd International Conference on Science in Information Technology (ICSITech). http://doi.org/10.1109/icsitech.2017.8257203

Santos, M. J., & Wane, R. (2013). Knowledge Management Fostering Innovation: Balancing Practices and Enabling Contexts. Management and Engineering Innovation, 155–178. http://doi.org/10.1002/9781118733202.ch6

Shehzad, M. U., Davis, K., & Ahmad, M. S. (2020). Knowledge-Oriented Leadership And Open Innovation: The Mediating Role Of Knowledge Process And Infrastructure Capability. International Journal of Innovation Management, 2150028. http://doi.org/10.1142/s1363919621500286

Wang, C., & Han, Y. (2011). Linking properties of knowledge with innovation performance: the moderate role of absorptive capacity. Journal of Knowledge Management, 15(5), 802–819. http://doi.org/10.1108/13673271111174339