Research and knowledge management consulting services in Europe
Keywords Information management, Internet, Research
European companies can dramatically reduce the time it takes to search for business-critical information
Sopheon, the rapidly-expanding European knowledge management solutions provider, has entered into an exclusive agreement with Teltech Resource Network Corporation, the USA's leading independent provider of research and knowledge management consulting services to technology-driven companies, to expand Teltech's services offering to Europe. The services will enable companies to find the information they need and then effectively manage that information for re-use.
This relationship is a major commercial step for both companies as they await completion of Sopheon's proposed acquisition of Teltech, which was announced in March 2000. Teltech's research services and knowledge management consulting services are immediately available in Europe through Sopheon.
"Success in today's e-conomy hinges on quickly acquiring, and effectively managing, the right knowledge", said Barry Mence, Sopheon's executive chairman. "The ever-increasing amount of available information makes finding that which is truly relevant, timely and actionable a huge challenge for companies. In fact, the average professional spends nearly 30 per cent of his or her time searching for information. Teltech's research and consulting capabilities enable companies to get hold of and manage the knowledge they need,allowing their people to do what they do best – apply information, not hunt for it."
Teltech's research services range from on-demand answers to technical and business questions to in-depth research on markets, industries, technologies and companies.
Clients reach Teltech's research services through industry-specific Internet portals that provide instant access to needed information. The portals offer a unique integration of technology-based search functionality and human research assistance, allowing users to either search on their own or request the services of a personal research analyst.
The analysts specialise in specific areas of technology and business. Their skills and understanding are backed by access to thousands of research sources throughout the world, such as databases and journals. Service users can also consult with members of Teltech's proprietary network of leading technical and industry experts. The network covers more than 30,000 areas of science and technology.
"We estimate that 90 per cent of the problems technical professionals face in their day-to-day work have already been solved by someone else",said Dave Erlandson, Teltech's director of research services. "However,searches for information are often time-consuming and ultimately unsuccessful,resulting in decisions being made in the dark, missed opportunities, needless trial and error, reinvented wheels and unresolved problems. Our research services give customers the answers they need, fast, allowing them to make better-informed decisions, in less time."
Product development is one area where Teltech can make a dramatic difference,shrinking time to market, improving decision-making and planning, lowering development and production costs, improving product quality and quickly resolving problems.
Every stage of a product's development cycle, from ideation to manufacture,poses challenging questions – for example: "What is the market like?",and "How can we solve this manufacturing problem?" – to which Teltech can provide answers. It can even help stimulate innovation by providing access to industry experts who are sources of elusive "tacit" knowledge and insight.
Since 1984, Teltech has fulfilled nearly one million research requests from tens of thousands of organisations across a broad range of industries and disciplines, including half the Fortune 500 companies. Customers can use Teltech's research services on either a subscription or a project basis.
Through its agreement with Teltech, Sopheon can provide consulting services to help companies manage their knowledge, whether that intelligence is provided by Teltech or resides internally. Sopheon and Teltech work with companies to design, develop and implement custom knowledge management solutions, which could include the "harvesting" of a company's knowledge – identifying the know-how that exists, and then collecting it into "knowledge repositories";setting up "expert forums"; developing e-business strategies; designing and building new information-intensive portals; or redesigning existing portals to increase "stickiness" and transactions.
"An ever-increasing share of a company's market value stems from its intellectual capital – but this precious knowledge has little value unless it is gathered, organised and made readily available to the people who need it",according to Andy Michuda, Teltech's president and CEO. "An effective knowledge management programme is essential, particularly in today's world of globalisation, increased competition and information overload. In fact, Gartner Group forecasts that by 2001, enterprises that lack knowledge management programmes will lag the competition by 30-40 per cent in speed of deployment of new products and services. This is where Sopheon and Teltech come in."
For further information, please contact Corinne Morton, European Marketing Manager, Sopheon. Tel: +44 (1)483 883000; Fax: +44 (1)483 883050; E-mail: corinne.morton@sopheon.com.
Or contact Teresa Horscroft/Hannah Robertson, Roger Staton Associates. Tel:+44 (0)1628 487222; Fax: +44 (0)1628 487223; E-mail: teresa@rsagroup.com
