Managing Knowledge in a Business Intelligence Consulting Project

IT projects require diverse knowledge resources, which need to be accessed, created, and shared. The lack of these knowledge resources or their inappropriate management is one of the main sources of project delays and even failure. The present case describes the situation of a challenging, but to some extent typical, business intelligence (BI) implementation project at Hong Kong International Airport. The case highlights the diverse knowledge-based challenges encountered during the implementation of the BI system and its implications for the further development of the project. The case is designed to introduce students to Reich’s (2007) knowledge-based risk framework, which allows for a systematic analysis of knowledge-related issues in IT project environments. As knowledge has become a critical source of both shortand long-term competitive advantage for international enterprises (Fang et al. 2007), the analysis points to the diverse knowledge-based issues as the root causes of several problems the project is facing and indicates the complexity surrounding these knowledge issues. Extensive background information on the strategic position of the Hong Kong Airport and the potential role of BI technology provide the basis for further discussion and additional analyses.