Technology Support for Knowledge Management

Finding the optimum way to leverage the resources of a firm remains a prominent issue for organizational management. Increasingly, firms are realizing that the ultimate organizational resource is the knowledge that resides in the minds of employees and is embedded in the processes, products, and services of the firm. Knowledge has been identified as the new basis of competition in a post-capitalist society and has been considered the only unlimited resource. The focus of knowledge management is to capture information which resides in the individual and group experience. This paper discusses the types of knowledge found in organizations, the reasons for which knowledge is sought, and the role of technology in the facilitation of the codification, conversion, and management of knowledge. Specific examples from companies such as Shell, Coopers & Lybrand, Chase Manhatten, and others illustrate the concepts presented.