Knowledge transfer is an interaction between people, not through computers or documents. We must not confuse data with knowledge, or information technology with information. Organizational success and failure can often depend on knowing which of them you need, which you have and what you can and can t do with each. There s a clear difference between data, information, and knowledge.
Information is about taking data and putting it into a meaningful pattern.
Knowledge is the ability to use that information. Technology cannot replace the skill and judgement of an experienced human worker, but it can assist in the creation and transfer of knowledge by providing new means of knowledge collection, exchange, storage and distribution. These activities set the stage for a shared understanding of the organization s placement within its environment, its perspectives and goals, and the establishment of what it requires in order to sustain its growth and development. Solid decision making is fundamental to the success of an organization. These are all human actions and processes, and their roles within the management of organizational knowledge are as vital as the harnessing of technology.