Process to Product: Creating Tools for Knowledge Management

Abstract

Knowledge, a resource that was once hoarded and rare, is becoming a commodity with potential to dramatically change the world. While knowledge advances as the key strategic fuel powering an information economy, researchers and entrepreneurs race to create tools to meet needs of effective knowledge management. There is a growing urgency for new technology support structures to link organizations’ people and information worldwide in more effective and valuable ways (Kelly, 1998; Kosko, 1999; Tapscott, 1999). The development of innovative processes and supporting products directly impacts the ability of business and society to use information and knowledge for improvement (Ruggles, 1997; Davenport and Prusak, 1998). Forecasts are common for multi-billion dollar growth in knowledge management products during the next decade. Ernst & Young predicts that knowledge management “has the potential to exceed ERP (enterprise resource planning) as an application opportunity. The principal driving force for this is a growing realization that effective management of knowledge can add real value to the organization (Landau, 1998; Koulopoulos, 1998). This, according to Dr. George Kozmetsky, “will continue well into the next century” (Kosmetsky, 1999). The objective of this chapter is to provide an outline of the general and specific technology issues relating to development of electronic knowledge management tools. Although it focuses particularly on the design of software systems, it provides a coherent overview of general technical aspects and considerations.