University of Minnesota - UMN Executive Leadership Insights
Smart Things to Know About Knowledge Management
Book

Smart Things to Know About Knowledge Management

Thomas M. Koulopoulos and Carl Frappaola
Capstone, 1999
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Editorial Rating

8

Qualities

  • Innovative
  • Applicable

Recommendation

Knowledge management sounds impressive over the water cooler, but what exactly is it? We advise you to spend some time pondering this question before you invest a single dollar on KM systems or consultants. A great place to start is this introductory text by Thomas M. Koulopoulos and Carl Frappaola, KM consultants extraordinaire. Starting from square one, the book defines knowledge management, identifies the theories behind it, explains its critical components and examines implementation strategies and results. Of course, any book reflects its subject matter, so this one is thick with jargon and heavy with somewhat abstract concepts like open culture and continuous renewal. The ultimate return on current knowledge management investments remains to be seen, and for that reason getabstract.com recommends this detailed explanation to any executive who might one day find himself faced with a critical decision about KM strategy.

Summary

The Shift to a Knowledge Based Economy

The knowledge revolution is reshaping the world’s economy. By the middle of the 20th century, businesses in the United States were characterized by an intricate bureaucracy, organizational segmentation and an impersonal environment. However, this type of organization was too rigid. Some of its early evolutions were affected by the quality movement that brought workers into the planning process, the work of Thomas J. Peters and Robert H. Waterman on the common values and practices of excellent organizations, and the 1992 call for reengineering by Michael Hammer and James Champy.

Now the shift is to a knowledge-based enterprise, with knowledge management as its core competency. Your company needs knowledge management to handle new market challenges and opportunities more quickly. Through knowledge management, you can leverage your company’s collective know-how, talent and experience, which is now your most valuable resource. You can expand and facilitate the application of knowledge using technology. However, the heart of knowledge management involves collaboration, knowledge-sharing and open communication among the people in your...

About the Authors

Thomas M. Koulopoulos is President of the Boston-based Delphia Group, a leader in the field of knowledge management and e-business, and a frequent speaker and author on these topics. He also lectures at the Graduate School of Business at Boston College. Carl Frappaola is Executive Vice-President of the Delphi Group. He has 20 years of experience as a consultant to Global 1000 companies on a wide variety of technologies, including knowledge management, document management, and workflow.

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