TRIPLE-I: With the emergence of Web 2.0 and social software, issues of knowledge management within enterprises are experiencing a renaissance. How do you perceive this development from a Shell perspective?


Peter Kemper: One of the early realizations of Knowledge Management was that enabling technology should be at the "lowest possible threshold". I believe that Web 2.0 solutions are simple to use, and we should keep it like that. It is important not to over-engineer any solution internally that is successful externally!


On the business side: recognize the value of your staff and trust them.


TRIPLE-I: One of your major projects is the Shell Wiki. Can you give us some details of the project?


Peter Kemper: We followed the Google / Wikipedia approach as much as possible: no traditional big-bang implementation but entirely bottom up supported by "smart marketing". We concentrated on keeping it as simple as possible (e.g. transparent login / NO access control).


On the content management side, we linked to our existing discipline structures (e.g. geology, production chemistry, wells technology, etc.). Within Shell, we have had what we call Global Networks (discussion threads) since 1997; as such our staff has experience with community collaboration and community self-regulation.


TRIPLE-I: Information overflow is, counter-intuitive to what we might think, not a problem of information volume but mostly a lack of context. How do you approach this topic from a Shell perspective?


Peter Kemper: I strongly believe that user-generated content, which most of our content is today, via Web 2.0 will reduce the total amount of information.


Two examples:

• Compare the effort of an expert who writes and maintains a Wiki, basically a one-time activity, with that required for the many ad-hoc emails he writes - to restricted audiences - on almost identical questions.
• Many documents are written on the same subject because staff cannot find existing material. Wikis are very capable of linking to existing documents as well as integrating them from an overall content perspective.

TRIPLE-I: One of your current fields of research is "Information Similarity Checking". How do you apply this method in your Wiki environment?


Peter Kemper: I personally estimate that Shell has 300-500 million documents (not counting emails). Search engines are only technically capable of plowing through this mountain of information. Functionally and / or business-wise they are NOT adequate. Similarity checking offers an alternative means that is perhaps best explained by an example. In our Proof of Concept, a Wiki shows a list of documents that, through pre-processing, are identified as "similar" to the content of the Wiki. End-users do not have to search for them; they are "delivered at their fingertips".


TRIPLE-I: One of your specialties is Virtual Worlds: What role will they play in future corporate settings?


Peter Kemper: As we see it today, an immediate application of virtual worlds is within learning in combination with "Serious Gaming". But we see visualization (e.g. scenario visualizing), site planning and design, advanced collaboration, etc. emerging as well. We believe that in the coming 3-5 years, virtual worlds and gaming technologies will merge into a capability that will become common in businesses. In personal terms, I find it more difficult to predict, but it is clear that the younger generation is already growing up using these technologies.