Understanding Knowledge Management Software Acquisition in Organisations: A Conceptual Framework

The increasing importance of Knowledge Management (KM) has prompted many researchers to examine facets of the topic. However, understanding the acquisition of KM software in organisations and particularly the factors and conditions that affect the acquisition process has been largely ignored in the literature. Here we argue that incorporating an understanding of issues relating to KM software acquisition into KM frameworks could have real business benefits such as substantial savings in terms of cost, time, and improved administrative procedures, and could lessen the risk and uncertainty associated with KM software. The paper first examines KM definitions, KM processes and frameworks. Then, it briefly reviews evaluation criteria for acquiring KM software. A conceptual framework is introduced to describe the nature of the KM software acquisition process. Lastly, that framework is illustrated using two case studies to highlight its usefulness. This framework can also be used as a tool to explore the appropriateness of a particular software solution to an organisation by analysing the solution against the factors and conditions depicted in the framework. Empirical examination of the factors identified in our framework could also lead to a better understanding of the critical success factors of KM initiatives.