Often, the optimal approach for implementing knowledge management is unclear. The manual processes, built-in inefficiencies and redundancies, the unexamined assumptions underlying “the way we do things around here”, and the lack of inertia imposed by legacy systems all contribute to impeding progress toward defining and realizing the full potential of a knowledge enabled organization.

Knowledge management solutions, in general, are complex. They almost always require much more than just implementing a new software package or two. In this Section, we describe some of Iknow's proven consulting approaches and methodologies for defining the optimal implementation roadmap and conducting several important implementation steps.

• Phases of a KM Initiative. Iknow's larger KM projects typically follow four distinct phases: Strategy; Solution Design and Development; System Design and Development; and Organizational Change. For large KM initiatives, Iknow prefers to break them down into smaller, more manageable projects. This disaggregation helps our clients because each of the smaller projects has its own workplan, project team, and list of specific outputs.
  
  
• Project Approach. Iknow approaches all its client assignments, large or small, with sound project methodologies and processes. Our consulting methodologies have been developed and refined through years of experience in the knowledge management field, and this experience translates into more efficient and effective project management and savings of time and money for our clients.
  
  
• KM Business Case. Iknow specializes in creating and architecting knowledge management solutions that transform a company’s intellectual assets into sustainable “knowledge-based” competitive advantage. Click on this link to learn more about how Iknow creates a business case for a KM initiative.
  
  
• Inventory of Intellectual Assets. 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 project is to identify and inventory the company's intellectual assets.
  
  
• Rapid Prototyping and Pilots. Iknow incorporates rapid prototyping and pilots during the design and development phases. Prototypes and pilots are an important element of our consulting approach.
  
  
• Technology Recommendations. Iknow uses a proven approach for developing its KM technology recommendations; the steps are: identifying technology needs from the business requirements, defining the technology requirements from the technology needs, and developing the specific technology recommendations.
  
  
• User Centered Design Framework. Iknow's User Centered Design (UCD) Framework provides a structure for conducting user interface design, software product design, and usability activities.
  
  
• Project Support Processes and Infrastructure. Iknow excels at KM project planning, requirements management, and quality assurance/quality control processes and uses a leading-edge technology infrastructure to support our KM consulting assignments.
  
  
• Getting Started. The process for getting started is straight forward and typically follows three simple steps.

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