KNOWLEDGE

MANAGEMENT IN
LENOVO
Knowledge Management Course Final Assignment

EU Business School
Instructor: Antonia Koumproglou

Sofiia Stepanova
21.01.2024
Introduction.

Lenovo is a transnational Chinese technological company that manufactures personal

computers, other electronic devices, and related services. As the company works with a lot of
technology and software in their production process, and as a transnational company with
approximately 77 thousand employees (Slotta, 2023), it works with high amounts of data and
information and needs to store large amounts of knowledge that is constantly generated within
the company. Knowledge Management is an important part of Lenovo’s operations, and the
company has a dedicated Knowledge Management Committee to support its work (Tang, 2023).

Question 1. Critically appraise how information and knowledge contribute to your chosen
organization’s strategy by supporting it in THREE (3) important ways. Clearly identify
examples of both information and knowledge in your answer. You need to remember that
the challenge for a business is to capture and use information that is relevant and reliable.
Please use at least one Knowledge Management model in your answer.

Information and knowledge significantly contribute to Lenovo’s strategy in different

departments of the company. In this essay, the examples of Supply Chain Management, Product
Development, and Training and Development departments will be reviewed.

Firstly, Lenovo uses knowledge and information management practices to make their
Supply Chain processes more secure and lower the risks. Lenovo has created a supply chain
management security system called “Trusted Supplier Program”. It is used to secure the
deliverables from the suppliers and to ensure that the software programs are safe to use. The
suppliers ought to fill out the questionnaires regarding security-related issues. The information
from the questionnaires is collected and organized for further revision of the knowledge
regarding suppliers’ risk profiles (Simkins, 2016). On the other hand, to more conveniently
access the information about the suppliers, the Lenovo Product Security Office has implemented
the Risk Analysis Model. It assesses the information about the suppliers and analyses possible
threats and risks (Simkins, 2016). All in all, knowledge and information are an essential part of
Lenovo’s supply chain management strategy, as knowledge-based systems assist in ensuring
security and successful risk management.

1
 Secondly, to improve its product development strategy, Lenovo manages its knowledge-
based assets and implements information technologies to support company operations. For
example, Lenovo uses Intellectual Property assets, such as trademarks, copyright, and patents.
Currently, the company has 63 registered trademarks and copyrighted items (Lenovo, 2024a), as
well as 57 patents on thermoplastic cushions and packaging devices (Lenovo, 2024b). Moreover,
Lenovo also implemented a digital twin technology for simulating and optimizing their
production to increase customer satisfaction and minimize risks. The company is using Artificial
Intelligence (AI) to assist the digital twin technology and implement Predictive Maintenance,
improve simulation and optimization, create an autonomous system, and allocate resources to
access and analyze data with the use of AI (Lenovo, 2024c). In conclusion, to make the product
development process more efficient and the products themselves more successful, Lenovo uses
Intellectual Property assets and AI in its strategy.

Thirdly, information and knowledge also significantly contribute to Lenovo’s Training

and Development strategy. For instance, the company conducts workshops and meetings for the
employees of different departments. These arrangements allow the workers to exchange
knowledge, accumulate skills and experiences from different people, and learn about new
attitudes to the work process by communicating with employees from other departments. (Wang
et al, 2018) Moreover, during internships in Lenovo, trainees need to work with information-
based systems. During industrial training, interns need to update product information and
validate it, work with Content Management Systems which help to access documents more
easily, and create Content Delivery Network files (Ng, 2013). Trainees learn to work with
information and apply and manage it. In conclusion, with these workshops, meetings, and
internships, the company contributes to building a workforce that is adept in the information
technology industry and will be able to swiftly adapt to future challenges of innovation.

The way the knowledge is managed and maintained could be an example of Nonaka and
Takeuchi's (1995) Knowledge Management model. By exchanging experiences, Lenovo’s
employees contribute to the creation of new knowledge via the Socialization method (exchange
of tacit knowledge), which then would be put into a written form via the Externalization (tacit to
explicit knowledge), enhanced and improved vie the Combination (explicit to explicit), and
Internalized (explicit to tacit) by sharing the documented knowledge with the colleagues in their
own words.

2
 In conclusion, knowledge and information are crucial for Lenovo’s strategy in different
departments, and the company implements knowledge- and information-based systems to
optimize its work, prevent risks, and invest in the skills and knowledge of its employees.

Question 2. What are the internal and external sources of information and data
management available for your case company? Please provide specific examples of
knowledge discovery, knowledge capture, knowledge sharing, and knowledge applications.

Knowledge Management Cycle is a process of turning information and data received

from internal and external sources into knowledge within an organization, aimed to explain the
discovery, capture, sharing, and application of the knowledge in the company. (Mohajan, 2016)

Firstly, knowledge discovery in Lenovo comes from several different sources. Among
internal sources, employee meetings and workshops contribute to the creation and discovery of
new knowledge via discussions and sharing of experiences. Moreover, Lenovo uses Information
Management Systems for planning and processing(Tang, 2023). Additionally, the company
collects data from consumers and active devices in the field for further use in their operations
(Lenovo, 2021). For external sources, Lenovo does thorough market research to better
understand customer needs to make the products suitable for the target audience. (Lenovo, 2023)
The company also implemented the Lenovo Accelerated Sales Rotational program (LARS),
which aimed to retain new talent among university students interested in sales and technology.
This program helps to discover new knowledge with new insights brought by a new workforce
that can share their perspective with new colleagues (Murdaugh, 2022).

Secondly, for knowledge capture, Lenovo uses modern technological systems and
provides its employees with the opportunity to change perspectives. The company created the
Intelligent Digital Workspace (IDW) for employees from different branches of the company to
connect and share their insights within the company’s intranet. This ecosystem secures,
personalizes, and interconnects the resources of the company to ensure the productivity of the
workers and store collected data and information in an accessible way (Hochmuth, 2023). The
company also uses simulation and experiments for learning purposes (Wand et al, 2018). Finally,

3
Lenovo organizes a cross-function job rotation program for their employees, who can discover
new knowledge by gaining new insights while changing their position (Wang et al, 2018).

Thirdly, knowledge sharing in Lenovo involves exchange of the information in different

groups. The internal exchange between the employees during workshops or meetings, as well as
training for new employees aimed to combine the interests of the company and the employees
for them to share knowledge freely, all contribute to the knowledge-sharing part of the cycle
(Tang, 2023). Moreover, Lenovo participates in external public events that involve panel
discussions to share company insights and exchange opinions with other specialists in the field.
In 2023 (Bikal Tech, 2023), Lenovo conducted a Lenovo Day in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, where
valuable insights regarding the Information Technology industry were shared.

Fourthly, Lenovo applies all the information it discovers, captures, and creates in its
operations. Most information, which includes research data, Human Resources data, customer
lists, current and future projects, and data collected from consumers or active devices (Lenovo,
2023), is confidential and restricted to Lenovo’s personnel. All collected user data and
information are used in the company’s future projects, software optimizations, security, and
marketing campaigns (Lenovo, 2024d).

All in all, Lenovo implements a Knowledge Management Cycle in its operations and uses
different sources of knowledge discovery, capture, sharing, and application.

Conclusions.

In conclusion, Lenovo, as a transnational company that operates within the Information

Technology industry, is dependent on information and knowledge capture, processing, securing,
and preserving. The company uses modern knowledge- and information-based technology in its
regular operations in different departments and encourages and trains its employees to work with
information efficiently. The knowledge Management Cycle of Lenovo includes many different
sources of information, both internal and external, which contribute to the optimization of the
company’s operations, product development, implementation, and management, as well as
Human Resources management. To conclude, the research (2019) of Wu et al indicates that

4
investments in Knowledge Management development, adoption of IT-supported processes, and
expansion of external collaboration are effective solutions for improving performance in
Knowledge Management for technological companies such as Lenovo.

References:

Bikal Tech (2023) A Successful Showcase of Digital Transformation and Innovation in Tashkent
— Bikal at Lenovo Day. Available at: [Link]
of-digital-transformation-and-innovation-in-tashkent-bikal-at-lenovo-day-669dc07792b4
(Accessed: 14 January 2024)

Hochmuth, P. (2023) Enable Workplace Transformation with Intelligent Digital Workspaces.

Available at: [Link]

Lenovo (2021) Code of Conduct. Available at:

[Link]

Lenovo (2023) Why Lenovo is Widely Regarded as a Leading Brand: Exploring the Factors
Behind its Success. Available at: [Link]
considered-the-best-find-out/ (Accessed: 18 January 2024)

Lenovo (2024a) Copyright and Trademark Information. Available at:

[Link] (Accessed: 14 January 2024)

Lenovo (2024b) Patents. Available at: [Link] (Accessed:

14 January 2024)

Lenovo (2024c) Lenovo is Revolutionizing Productivity with AI by Driving Innovation with

NVIDIA Omniverse for Digital Twins. Available at: [Link]
(Accessed: 14 January 2024)

Lenovo (2024d) Lenovo Privacy Statement. Available at: [Link]

(Accessed: 18 January 2024)

Mohajan, H. (2016) ‘A Comprehensive Analysis of Knowledge Management Cycles’, Journal of

Environmental Treatment Techniques, 4(4), pp 184-200. Available at: [Link]
[Link]/83088/1/MPRA_paper_83088.pdf

Murdaugh, D. (2022), Case Study: How Lenovo Uses a Job Rotational Program to Train and
Retain Top Young Talent. Available at: [Link]

5
development/case-study-how-lenovo-uses-a-job-rotational-program-to-train-and-retain-top-
young-talent/ (Accessed: 14 January 2024)

Ng, K.C. (2013) Industrial Training Report (Lenovo). Available at:

[Link] (Accessed: 14
January 2024)

Nonaka, I., Takeuchi, H. (1995) The Knowledge-creating Company: How Japanese Companies
Create the Dynamics of Innovation. New York: Oxford University Press.
Simkins, C. P. (2016) Letter of Attestation for Supply Chain Security Program. Available at:
[Link]
[Link] (Accessed: 14 January 2024)

Slotta, D. (2023) Lenovo number of employees from 2012/13 to 2022/23. Available at:
[Link] (Accessed: 14
January 2024)

Tang, Y. (2023) Knowledge Management in Lenovo. Available at:

[Link] (Accessed: 14
January 2024)

Wang, M., Huang, Z., Lei, J., Peng, R., Wang, C., Hu, Y. (2018) Knowledge management
assessment of Lenovo supply chain. Outstanding Academic Papers by Students (OAPS), City
University of Hong Kong. Available at: [Link]

Wu, K., Gao, S., Xia, L., Tseng, M., Chiu, A.S.F., Zhang, Z. (2019), ‘Enhancing corporate
knowledge management and sustainable development: An inter-dependent hierarchical structure
under linguistic preferences’, Resources, Conservation and Recycling, 146, pp 560-579. doi:
[Link]