We’ve spent a great deal of time talking to managers who are interested in starting a knowledge management initiative. In this article, we share some of our observations and provide some advice for organizations who are interested in implementing a knowledge management system.

What is a knowledge management system?

When we discuss knowledge management systems, we focus on systems that store and retrieve qualitative information. Common examples include:

• A document management system that provides indexed access to key business documents, such as marketing fact sheets or proposals.
• An “Expertise Finder” that provides information on who in the organization has expertise in certain areas.

Does my organization need a knowledge management system?

Many companies have very good, informal, predominantly manual knowledge management systems. Managers use shared hard drives on a network or Exchange Public Folders to store important documents. They make phone calls and send e-mails to identify an expert.

As organizations grow, especially ones that have multiple locations, an automated knowledge management system can provide significant benefits. By making information accessible and searchable the task of finding the right document or right person becomes easier.

What are some keys to a successful knowledge management implementation?

Like many large implementation efforts, executive sponsorship is critical to the success of knowledge management systems. Since few organizations have an organization responsible for knowledge management, a senior executive often must both champion the system implementation and the creation of a new organizational unit.

Human input is essential to categorize and organize the information in your knowledge management system. Many managers expect that the computer can automatically generate a taxonomy (information organization scheme) that will be intuitive to system users. This is a false assumption. Categorizing new information and managing keywords are critical tasks.

How do I begin?

Start with a focused objective. Choose a single business process. For example, make it easier for managers to find proposals. Categorize and store them in a document management system. You can then add other document types. Eventually you may even move onto a portal with an expertise finder. By starting small you are able to deliver a focused solution, gather feedback and grow your KM system based on business needs.

We have had success using Microsoft’s SharePoint Portal Server to implement knowledge management portals and document management systems. It has many commonly desired capabilities out-of-the-box. With some minor customization, your organization can get started with knowledge management.

Where can I learn more?

There has been a great deal written about knowledge management. Tom Davenport and Larry Prusak have written several books and articles that focus on the business side of knowledge management. Try Working Knowledge (Harvard Business School Press, 1998) or any of Tom’s articles in Harvard Business Review or Sloan Management Review.