An important dimension of knowledge management is the creation, use, storage, reuse, and repurposing of an organization's important intellectual assets. Often, we find that even the most knowledge-intensive industries and companies don't have a clear understanding of the various types of intellectual assets they have within their organizations, the number or extent of their assets, and the business value of the assets.

The first step in any knowledge management engagement is to identify and inventory a company's intellectual assets. The Exhibit below describes some of the important asset types and gives several representative examples in each category. While this table in not comprehensive, it can serve as a useful checklist for beginning to catalog and value intellectual assets.

Digital Assets | Knowledge Assets | Intellectual Assets | Social Assets | Information Assets

analysis asset business classification collaboration content data document information intelligence knowledge learning management mining portal process repository taxonomy visualization workflow

Intellectual Assets | Digital Assets | Knowledge Assets | Information Assets | Social Assets

KM business change companies consultants consulting firms management program project services software solutions suppliers systems tools top vendors

Knowledge Assets | Intellectual Assets | Digital Assets | Social Assets | Information Assets

mining content visualization classification repository management learning data intelligence information portal analysis document knowledge business taxonomy asset process workflow collaboration

Digital Assets | Knowledge Assets | Intellectual Assets | Social Assets | Information Assets

management services suppliers software systems tools solutions firms consultants business companies top km project consulting program change vendors

Intellectual Assets | Digital Assets | Knowledge Assets | Information Assets | Social Assets

business content collaboration information management mining analysis taxonomy data knowledge portal classification repository learning document workflow process visualization intelligence asset

Knowledge Assets | Intellectual Assets | Digital Assets | Social Assets | Information Assets

firms km software change services tools companies consultants systems program business project top suppliers management consulting vendors solutions

Digital Assets | Knowledge Assets | Intellectual Assets | Social Assets | Information Assets

business management content asset analysis information knowledge repository process collaboration document portal taxonomy data classification intelligence mining learning visualization workflow

Intellectual Assets | Digital Assets | Knowledge Assets | Information Assets | Social Assets

consulting tools software business km change suppliers companies project management services vendors systems program top solutions consultants firms

Knowledge Assets | Intellectual Assets | Digital Assets | Social Assets | Information Assets