We are now in the Information Age, as evidenced by the rapid growth of information and knowledge all around us. Globally, the volume of information doubles every five years, and computing power doubles at least every two years.
The problem we face today is not, as it was in the past, a lack of information; rather, the challenge now is to deal intelligently not only with the vast amount of available information but also with the wide variety of means and methods for transmitting, storing, and exchanging information.
Information Technology has emerged as a multifaceted industry and an indispensable tool for people at all stages of life, whether in decision-making, research, implementation, or even in their daily lives.
- Knowledge Management
In light of the above, the concept of knowledge management emerged in the late 20th century. It refers to the process of managing data, information, and knowledge within organizations, with the aim of collecting, organizing, classifying, tabulating, analyzing, and storing data and information; adding to it; retrieving it; and making it available in appropriate and understandable formats for organizational employees to utilize.
Therefore, knowledge Management is the shared responsibility of both managers and employees, who must utilize and be guided by knowledge, data, and information when making decisions, analyzing and solving problems, formulating policies, designing programs, and defining strategies, and when analyzing the organization’s internal and external environments to identify strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats (the SWOT Analysis model).
- The Computer Revolution
Contemporary Organizations of all types are facing a wave of rapid transformations and changes sweeping the world today, foremost among which are the computer revolution, the communications revolution, and the information revolution.
The information revolution relies on advanced scientific knowledge and the optimal use of the flow of information resulting from tremendous progress in scientific research, computer technology, and the Internet.
Furthermore, many contemporary organizations have come to realize that the competitive advantage gained solely through reliance on technology is illusory; the true advantage lies in the organization’s employees themselves and the expertise and knowledge they possess. Management has become one of the vital roles of a manager through the systematic use of data, information, knowledge, and the expertise of the organization’s employees.
- Knowledge Management
Upon examining the reality of organizations in Arab countries in general, and in Egypt in particular, we find that interest in the application or practice of knowledge management has been limited to date, and this applies more to government institutions than to the private sector.
Companies that implement knowledge management aim to achieve numerous benefits, including: providing better customer service; reducing work time and production time; cutting costs; improving products, whether goods or services; delivering higher-quality products; enhancing flexibility; and increasing adaptability and alignment with the work environment.
- We can summarize the importance of knowledge management in the following points:
1- Helping organizations learn from and benefit from past experiences and mistakes.
2- Contributing to the development of the organization’s capacity for creativity and innovation.
3- Strengthening the organization’s ability to preserve its knowledge and competencies to prevent them from being copied or lost.
4- Enhancing the organization’s ability to replace outdated knowledge.
5- Developing the right competencies and skills over the long term.
6- Efficiently utilizing available knowledge and disseminating it to benefit the organization across multiple areas and functions.
- Knowledge Management and Knowledge-Based Management
We may find ourselves faced with an important and pressing question: What is the difference between knowledge management and knowledge-based management?
Knowledge management focuses on the processes of collecting, classifying, and analyzing data and information, as well as storing, adding to, modifying, retrieving, and making them available to the organization’s employees for their use.
Knowledge-based management, on the other hand, operates under the principle that there can be no decision without the required data and information, no plan without the required data and information, and so on. In other words, knowledge-based management is implemented or practiced based on knowledge management, which provides the data, information, and knowledge required for knowledge-based management.
- Effective Use of Knowledge
In other words, knowledge-based management is the effective utilization of the knowledge provided by knowledge management.
Furthermore, those responsible for knowledge management include computer engineers, programmers, data entry clerks, data collectors, and those responsible for operating and maintaining systems, while those responsible for knowledge-based management include all employees of the organization, particularly decision-makers and those who formulate policies, strategies, plans, and programs.
By Dr. Samuel Essam Ammanoeeil
Professor of Management and Strategic Planning – At Egyptian Universities