Knowledge management (KM) is the process of identifying, organizing, storing, and disseminating information within an organization. It refers to a multidisciplinary approach to achieve organizational objectives by making the best use of knowledge. KM includes courses taught in the fields of business administration, information systems, management, library, and information science. Other fields may contribute to KM research, including information and media, computer science, public health, and public policy. Several universities offer dedicated masters degrees in knowledge management.
The goal of knowledge management is to improve organizational efficiency and save knowledge in an easily accessible form. Successful knowledge management includes maintaining information in a place where it is easy to access. KM involves data mining and some method of operation to push information to users to make it easily accessible. A knowledge management plan involves a survey of corporate goals and a close examination of the tools -- both traditional and technical -- to address the needs of a company.
Types of knowledge management include explicit knowledge (knowledge that is easy to write down and share), implicit knowledge (applied knowledge), tacit knowledge (knowledge gained from personal experience), declarative knowledge (static knowledge that is specific to a topic), and procedural knowledge (knowledge that focuses on the process of doing something) . Knowledge management is not a new concept and has been slowly developing in the business and academic worlds for a number of years.
