YWAMKnowledgeBase:Knowledge Management

Steve will write this, in the mean time here is the opening salvo from the wikipedia article. Steve will write it with YWAM's practice in mind.

Knowledge Management (KM) comprises a range of practices used in an organisation to identify, create, represent, distribute and enable adoption of wikipedia:insights and wikipedia:experiences. Such insights and experiences comprise wikipedia:knowledge, either embodied in individuals or embedded in organisational wikipedia:processes or practice. An established discipline since 1991 (see ), KM includes courses taught in the fields of wikipedia:business administration, wikipedia:information systems, wikipedia:management, and library and wikipedia:information sciences. More recently, other fields, to include those focused on information and media, wikipedia:computer science, wikipedia:public health, and public policy, also have started contributing to KM research. Many large wikipedia:companies and wikipedia:non-profit organisations have resources dedicated to internal KM efforts, often as a part of their 'wikipedia:Business Strategy', 'wikipedia:Information Technology', or 'wikipedia:Human Resource Management' departments. Several consulting companies also exist that provide strategy and advice regarding KM to these organisations.

KM efforts typically focus on organisational objectives such as improved wikipedia:performance, wikipedia:competitive advantage, wikipedia:innovation, the sharing of lessons learned, and wikipedia:continuous improvement of the wikipedia:organisation. KM efforts overlap with wikipedia:Organisational Learning, and may be distinguished from that by a greater focus on the wikipedia:management of knowledge as a strategic asset and a focus on encouraging the sharing of knowledge. KM efforts can help individuals and groups to share valuable organisational insights, to reduce redundant work, to avoid wikipedia:reinventing the wheel per se, to reduce training time for new wikipedia:employees, to retain wikipedia:intellectual capital as employees turnover in an organisation, and to adapt to changing wikipedia:environments and wikipedia:markets.