The inherent appeal of knowledge management is clear to many executives.  Lew Platt, former CEO of Hewlett-Packard and Chairman of the Board of Boeing, expressed the view from the executive suite when he said "If only HP knew what HP knows, we'd be three times as profitable!"

Can KM improve a company's profitability by a factor of three?  Perhaps in some extraordinary cases, but not often.  Knowledge management projects can produce sustained increases in performance, even for mature processes, and they can reduce the likelihood of expensive mistakes caused by cultural or technical barriers to knowledge sharing.

If you're just getting started with KM, we recommend that your project team include an experienced consultant for the same reason that wagon trains crossing the Great Plains included a scout as well as a wagon master.  If you want to arrive safely, it's good to be traveling with someone who's already been where you're going.

The consultant's role is not to lead the project, but to serve as an advisor and mentor to the KM Project Manager.  The consultant can point out approaches that will lead to success and steer you away from paths that lead to failure.

Please contact KM-Experts to draw upon our many years of experience in designing and implementing successful KM projects and culture-change initiatives.