ICML 9

9º World Congress on Health Information and Libraries

Salvador, Bahia - Brazil, September, 20 to 23 - 2005

BVS4

4th Regional Coordination Meeting of the VHL

September, 19 to 20 - 2005

Mapping, socialization of work processes and strengthening of intellectual capital in organizations

Participants:
  • Diretor, Centro Latino-Americano e do Caribe de Informação em Ciências da Saúde - BIREME  - Brasil
  • Centro Latino-Americano e do Caribe de Informação em Ciências da Saúde - BIREME  - Brasil
  • Analista de processos, Centro Latino-Americano e do Caribe de Informação em Ciências da Saúde - BIREME  - Brasil
Mapping, socialization of work processes and strengthening of intellectual capital in organizations
 
The mapping, socialization, automation and record of work processes via Intranet – communication processes between its many role-players, may contribute to the effective increase and development of an organization.The theory and practice of organizations based on knowledge, recognized as management and operation models of organizations, businesses, projects, and so on, have been improved since the publication of the book “The fifth discipline” (Peter Senge, 1990). Another related fundamental theoretical aspect is that of the intellectual capital, characterized by intangible resources. In addition to the other resources essential in organizations – financial, physical or infrastructure resources, which support the operation and growth of businesses and projects, an organization’s intellectual capital acquires a relevant role and function within planning and management activities. (Leif Edv insson, Corporative Longitude, Chapter 1, 2003). A broad range of characteristics and objectives is related to the concept of organizations based on knowledge. These objectives have been strengthened and accelerated with the extraordinary advances of information technology, particularly of the Internet, around which the developments and innovations of information technology converge, in addition to enabling automation processes to be carried out on line. These processes contribute to the establishment of a new paradigm of universal communication between computers, between software programs, between information products and services and especially between people.These advances have facilitated the development, strengthening and maintenance of the intellectual capital in the organizations, allowing their role-players to have full on-line access to information, so that they are able to communicate and interact both physically and in virtual spaces.The Internet in particular, and specifically the Intranets, restr icted to the environment of an organization, allow work flows to have their processes socialized, shared, recorded, documented, and followed on line.When we consider the mapping and automation of work processes of BIREME/PAHO/WHO – Latin American and Caribbean Center on Health Sciences Information, a specialized PAHO center in Brazil, which includes the Virtual Health Library (VHL) as a model of technical cooperation oriented to the management of information and scientific/technical knowledge on health for the equal access to information and knowledge – the development phases of an organization’s work processes may be characterized by: 1. Identification of Processes 2. Cycle of each process3. Flowchart and description of activities4. Identification of responsibilities5. Elaboration of checklists and forms6. Recordings and files for data base7. Organization in manuals and interactive practical guides8. Socialization in electronic media and trainingThese processes involve the participation of countless role- players and organization levels, and require effectiveness and confidence in their communication processes, which are essential components for the strengthening of the intellectual capital as well as of the social capital of an efficient organization based on knowledge.