Implementing KM Lessons from the Frontline

Abstract

While the KM initiative highlighted in the case study in the previous section is still in its formative stages, it would be safe to say that the majority of KM implementation projects are likely to take anywhere between one to three years to even begin to have any significant impact on the organizations involved. In other words, KM is something that takes time to embed itself into the working fabric of the organization, and so anyone who thinks that KM implementation is going to be a short-term affair is fooling themselves; as well as setting a dangerous and unattainable level of expectation in any potential stakeholders. Overall, there are many barriers that stand in the way of successfully implementing KM, whether it is a lack of access to current information, a lack of clear communications, difficulty in transferring knowledge and information, difficulty in maintaining the relevance and currency of knowledge and information, lack of support from senior managers, or limited resources – both in time and personnel.