BSNL AS A KNOWLEDGE CORPORATION

In the “third wave” civilization today, information is more important than physical capital to any business. Intellectual capital is embedded more deeply in the ethos of organizations.
It is increasingly being acknowledged that the value of a product or service is hidden in its knowledge components. The ultimate component of a computer chip is sand. But the value of the chip lies in its design and the design of the complex machines that make it. Even manufacturing concerns constantly upgrade the intellectual content of their product. For instant, to compete, a motorcycle has to made be intelligently, economizing on weight, engine design, etc. We are in a knowledge economy made up of knowledge corporations with knowledge workers.
Knowledge is not discovered like oil or gold. It is constructed through concepts that have observation of objects and events as its basis. Swanstorm, in his book, what is knowledge management states that knowledge is created through the reconstruction of older concept as well as invention of new ones. It becomes knowledge only when a particular group or society validates the concept. Knowledge is therefore a social and organization construct.
Established principles of management do not accurately measure the intellectual assets of a company. For instance, companies are sold many times more than their book value based on the perceived value of their intangible assets. To call this, “Goodwill” is rather simplicity.
Thomas Steward states that there are three kind of intellectual capital (in his book Intellectual Capital).
1) Human capital, which is the value of knowledge held by the company’s employees. This is tacit knowledge, which must be tapped.
2) Structural capital, which is the physical means by which knowledge and experience can be shared. Various information technology tools such as Data Mining, Artificial Intelligence, Lotus Notes, Online Analytical Processing (OLAP), Data Visualization, Intelligent Client Serve, etc. fall under this category.
3) Customer capital, which is the value of the company’s on going relationships with its customers and vendors. Understanding Knowledge from all the three angles mentioned above is the first step in managing it effectively. There is a perceptible change in the knowledge today.

In the past, Knowledge = Power, so hoard it.
Now, Knowledge = Power, so share it and it will multiply.

Knowledge Management (KM) may be defined as an amalgamation of management strategies, methods and technologies for leveraging capital and know how to achieve gains in human performance and competitiveness. It involves the metamorphosis of activity-based data into meaningful, strategic and tactical information. It directs people, processes and culture to common goals and aligns information technology with corporate bottom line.

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In India too, the service sector has been emerging as the dominant component of the economy. Agriculture and industry are growing at a slower pace, while services are growing more rapidly. Share of services in the country’ GDP has increased from 36 percent in 1980-81 to 44 per cent in 1997-98. In the latter year, the share of services was in fact, just 25 per cent in 1955-56. It increased to 40 per cent in 1987-88 and 46 per cent 1999-2000.

It seems that the notion that the majority of the people need only roti, kapda and makan has to be given up. Even the poor seem to need and be availing of several services, especially the ones like education, entertainment, information and healthcare. The middle class and the affluent are, of course, availing of a much larger variety of services, including dining out, and travel.

Certain types of services have been growing particularly rapidly. Higher education services is one example. Health care is another. Financial services is yet another. Health care has, in fact, become the fastest growing sector of the economy, growing at a compound rate of 26 per cent annually between 1993-2000. Entertainment too is now among the fastest growing sectors. Spending on hotels and restaurants has grown at a compound rate of 18 per cent. Services backed by technology and equipment, like vending machines, coffee and sandwich dispensing machines, computerized patient history records, etc., have also registered good growth.

COMPONENT TASKS IN SERVICE MARKETING


UNDERSTANDING THE NATURE OF THE SERVICE

As a starting point in understanding the nature of the service, the marketer should figure out what exact need is met by the services. It gives the basic clue to its nature. It gives the basic clue to its nature. Some services are directed at people while others are directed at goods, through in the final analysis both aim at satisfying people. For example, entertainment is directed at people while dry-cleaning is directed at goods (clothes). Again, out of the services directed at people bodies, those directed at people’s minds, and those directed at their bodies as well as minds. An analysis from this angle will give some additional clues on the nature of the services.

UNDERSTANDING THE CUSTOMER AND HIS EXPECTATION OF THE SERVICE

Services marketers must understand the customers well and correctly size up their expectations of the service. For this, they must obviously carry out a thorough customer analysis. The important point is that customer analysis in a service context involves first-hand and not second-hand knowledge about the customers. The sales and service staff must be encouraged to make plenty of personal contacts with the customers and gather relevant first-hand data on their requirements/expectations of the service.