TABLE OF CONTENTS Michael Wagner, vice president knowledge management ShareNet
Beatriz Eguiluz Moreno, ShareNet consultant for Central and South
America, South Africa, and several European countries
Monika Sengberg, ShareNet s manager in the Brazilian office
Loraine Ricino, ShareNet s moderator in the Brazilian office
Siemens is one of the oldest and largest companies in the world. The company was founded in 1847 in Germany but now has offices in more than 190 countries. The company had around 450,000 employees and revenues of 87.0 billion (euros), approximately $80 billion, in 2001. It invests circa 6.8 billion in R&D. Its business lines include a wide range of products and services related to electrical engineering: information and communication, industrial automation, electrical power, transport, medical, lighting, semiconductors, and also turnkey real-estate and factory projects.
Although the long history of Siemens has always been associated with important innovations, over the last few years the company has been making a huge effort to transform itself into an e-business, knowledge-based enterprise. This means a focus beyond product innovation and sales: It means aligning the whole organization to provide comprehensive knowledge-based solutions for its clients. The transformation demands a complete revision of communications infrastructure, mindset, organizational structures, and rewards. Employees and managers need to think more broadly and reach across the many divisions within Siemens and to external partners (including competitors) that can provide a piece of product, knowledge, or solution that is often customized for each client.
These business goals reflect a...
