Incorporating Knowledge Management into E-Commerce Applications

Background

Much confusion exists around the practical implementation of knowledge-orientated programmes, this is especially true from a technological viewpoint. KM seeks to develop a strategy for the capture, use and transfer of knowledge across the organisation, to improve efficiency and increase competitive edge (Demerest, 1997). KM is concerned with embracing a diversity of knowledge sources, cultivating knowledge wherever it resides. Technology can be viewed as both a key contributor and enabler to the field of KM (Davenport and Prusak, 1998). This perspective is related to technological ability in capturing data, information, and knowledge that surpasses human capacity in absorbing and analysing these, in a focused manner (Shenk, 1997). As technological developments become more advanced in application and utilisation, it is emerging those employees who have access to technologies that detect and manage business opportunities, will have the distinct advantage of exploiting market shifts.

While KM technologies may incorporate characteristics of traditional data and information technologies, they also extend these capabilities. Knowledge technologies attempt to push users to think beyond their current boundaries, thus facilitating organisational activity, promoting continuous improvement and growth through innovation. In today’s knowledge-intensive organisations the primary objective of ICT is to lead users to the information they need. This includes creating, gathering, storing, accessing and making available the right information that will result in insight for the organisations’ users (Davenport and Prusak, 1998). Thus, the pervasive use of information technology in organisations, qualifies it as a natural medium for information flow (Borghoff and Pareschi, 1999).