An abstract methodology for developing knowledge management systems

Powerful organizations are those that manage their power factors efficiently; organizational resources are considered vital power factors, and Knowledge is one of the most important resources to manage. There is no universally accepted Knowledge Management (KM) process, but it is known that establishing the appropriate knowledge flows in the organization is the main goal of organizational KM. A Knowledge Management System (KMS) is an information system which supports the KM process, mainly by providing the required knowledge and enhancing its flow. Organizations increasingly feel the need for appropriate methodologies for developing their target KMSs. However, existing KMS development methodologies are not comprehensive enough to satisfy all organizational needs. In this paper, we propose an abstract KMS development methodology which alleviates the weaknesses of existing methodologies while reusing their strengths. Method engineers can develop concrete methodologies by instantiating the proposed abstract methodology and adding the necessary detail, thus producing bespoke methodologies which are best suited to organizational needs.