We have to admit that knowledge, Knowledge Management (KM), and technology have changed and are still changing our way of thinking, our behaviour, attitudes, life styles, and types of relations. In short, knowledge management, Information and Communication Technology (ICT), Computer-Based Technology (CBT), and other nano-technologies are the latest paradigm shift that has changed the entire way of many people's minds and lives. Few studies have been conducted on the link between KM, CRM, IT, and TRM. The purpose of this chapter is to develop a better understanding of the interrelationship between KM, CRM, IT, and TRM. This chapter presents a proposed model of Knowledge-Oriented Total Relationship Management (KTRM) with some technological knowledge management directions. Finally, recommendations regarding the implementation of KTRM are provided.
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In our modern cyber world which is done by augmenting innate human knowledge handling capabilities with computer-based technology (CBT). Limiting ourselves to paper, pencil, typewriters, filing cabinets, manual archives, shelving systems, face-to-face meetings, stationary telephone conversation, fax machines, postal services, etc. is hardly a recipe for succeeding in the twenty-first century.
Since the launch of social plugins in April 2010 an average of 10,000 new websites integrate with Facebook every day. in early 2011 there were more than 500 million active Facebook users. People interact with over 900 million objects (pages, groups, events and community pages) and more than 30 billion pieces of content (web links, news stories, blog posts, notes, photo albums etc.) are shared each month. ICQ, Hotmail, Yahoo, Facebook, YouTube, Twitter and other social networks also tend to have a bandwagon effect and accelerate the adoption of new products, services and experiences, as well as all kinds of businesses, political, social or personal relationships.
We search all kind of knowledge and information online (e-information). We meet and chat with new people online (e-meeting/smart meetings). We buy, market and sell everything online (e-shop, eBay, e-marketing). We search and apply for conferences online, we even attend conferences online (e-conferences). We find our soul mates and dating online (e-marriage and dating), people even do sex online (cybersex). We manage and govern our organisation and even nations virtually (e-government). Even most crimes are committed online: money laundry, pornography, terrorist activities, etc. (e-crimes) and our minds have been laundered everyday by e-media (e-brain laundering).
Today it is difficult to manage comprehensively many spheres of people’s lives without e- and/or @ activities. Many actions, phenomena, events, etc. which once used to be considered casual and habitual are being cybernised now. In order to cyber everything successfully effective knowledge management tools and strategies are needed.
Many organizations use technology enablers to better exploit and develop the internal and external tacit, explicit and cultural knowledge which then strategically used to expand the organization’s intellectual capital (knowledge), and customer relationship management (CRM). Social Media is one of the sources of data, information and knowledge and is an important tool for KM, TRM and CRM.
As knowledge management (KM) and information technology (IT) have developed and grown, there is a need for a holistic approach to integrate the KM and IT (KMIT) to make the organization's overall knowledge explicit and effective in order to be more innovative and competitive. Individuals and organizations need a holistic Total Relationship Management (TRM) approach to treat the internal and external organizational knowledge as a valuable strategic asset. To remain innovative and competitive, organizations must efficiently and effectively create, locate, capture, and share their organization’s knowledge and expertise. They should be able to bring that knowledge to bear on problems and opportunities (Zack, 1999; Brown & Duguid, 1991). Thus, organizations should consider TRM and KM as part of their overall business strategy.
ICQ currently has over 200 million users worldwide and the user base is estimated to be growing at the rate of about 100,000 new users every day (Subramani & Rajagopalan, 2003; Constantinides and Fountain, 2008). By mid-2000, Windows Live Hotmail, the world’s largest web-based e-mail service, had over 66 million users with 270,000 new accounts being established each day. It, in 2010, had nearly 364 million users. Second and third are Yahoo mail with 280 million users and Gmail with 191 million users. This web-based e-mail service is available in 36 different languages. During April 2010 – April 2011, entrepreneurs and developers from more than 190 countries build with Facebook Platform. People on Facebook install 20 million applications every day. Every month, more than 250 million people engage with Facebook on external websites (Bullas, 2011).