Research On Knowledge Management Modes Of The Equipment Manufacturers Based On Knowledge Value Chain

In the knowledge economy era, the traditional equipment manufacturers relying on low cost competition are facing increasing competitive pressures. The skills of using knowledge have increasingly become the primary driving factors for success in competition. Weakness in knowledge competition and innovation has affected not only the competitiveness but also the healthy development of China’s equipment manufacturing industry, resulting in an adverse impact on the development of this country’s national economy. In the face of knowledgeeconomic challenge, it is an urgent need that equipment manufacturers carry out knowledge management according to the competition rules and their own characteristics under the environment of knowledge economy, target at transformation of their management systems and operating mechanisms, regard knowledge resources as the most important strategic resources, and see the mastery and use of knowledge as much as possible as the key to the improvement of the manufacturers’ innovativeness and adaptability to changes to reinforce their core competence and competitive advantage. Since the ability to apply knowledge is increasingly becoming a major driving factor achieving success in competitiveness. Knowledge value chain is an effective tool for manufacturers to proceed comprehensive knowledge management. Therefore, beginning with knowledge value chain, this paper gives a study on the knowledge management modes of the equipment manufacturers from more pragmatic perspectives in order to provide theoretical guidance and method guidance for optimization of the knowledge management modes, integration of the internal and external knowledge resources, improvement of the using efficiency of knowledge resources, promotion of the level of knowledge management and enhancement of their competitive advantages.On the basis of the definition of relevant concepts such as equipment manufacturer and knowledge value chain, an analysis is made of both the external and internal knowledge resources of knowledge value chain of the equipment manufacturer; the reasons or motivations are revealed for the formation of the knowledge value chain: to meet customers’ needs, to improve the abilities of employees, to optimize business processes and to enhance the competitive advantage; the forming process of knowledge value chain, constructs the knowledge value chain model of the equipment manufacturers and analyses the four main characteristics of the knowledge value chain of equipment manufacturers: customers’ demand-driven, business process-based, knowledge innovation-guided and knowledge competitiveness-aimed.The paper analyses the value-added process of the equipment manufacturers, knowledge acquisition and selection, knowledge processing and absorption, knowledge sharing and transfer and knowledge innovation and creation. In addition, the paper analyses the relationship between knowledge application and knowledge value increment, and summarizes the form of knowledge value chain based on values added. The influencing factors of the values added of the knowledge chain of the equipment manufacturers, including knowledge system quality, main body of knowledge resources, organizational culture and social psychology, for the formation of the knowledge value chain are identified in the paper.Based on the first stage of research, the four modes of the knowledge management consistent with the features of the equipment manufacturers’ knowledge management are designed on the basis of knowledge value chain of the equipment manufacturers, which are spiral mode, network mode, threedimensional mode and cluster mode. An analysis is given not only to the characteristics and operation of each mode but to the characteristics of the knowledge value chain. Based on the analysis of the compatibility of the resources of the knowledge value chain and the ability of value increment of the equipment manufacturers, and the compatibility between value increment and the characteristics of knowledge value chain, the selection system, methods and model of the knowledge management modes for knowledge management modes of the equipment manufacturers are established.Safeguard measures are studied for equipment manufacturers to implement knowledge management in terms of knowledge management driving mechanism, organizational culture leading mechanism, knowledge management motivating mechanism and government supporting mechanism. Knowledge management driving mechanism includes knowledge accumulating system, knowledge sharing, knowledge application system and knowledge creation system; Organizational culture leading mechanism includes spirit layer, system layer and material layer; knowledge management motivating mechanism includes material incentive and spirit incentive; and government supporting mechanism involves the support of the knowledge management mode of the equipment manufacturers from the viewpoint of the government.With SYMG as the object in the empirical study, the research is tested: the knowledge management modes based on knowledge value chain fits the features of the equipment manufacturers and the competitive laws of knowledge economy era, and they are helpful for the equipment manufacturers to improve their knowledge competitiveness and to get core competitive advantage.