APQC Logo Register Sign in Search Icon TOOLS GEAR ICON Menu Breadcrumb APQC EXPERTISE KNOWLEDGE MANAGEMENT Start Your Program Starting a knowledge management (KM) program for your organization might seem daunting, but APQC can help. With more than 25 years experience working with organizations to help them establish, measure, optimize, and evolve their KM programs, we can provide you with the resources and expertise you need. Get tools and templates, best practices, advice, and other essential content to put you on the path to success. APQC’s Interactive KM Framework APQC’s Interactive KM Framework is your essential guide to KM strategy and program development. Use the framework as a reference for planning and action, whether you’re just starting to talk with business leaders about the need to protect and share knowledge or looking for strategies to sustain your program over time. View the Framework Start here... Questions about getting started with KM? CONTACT APQC Define the Value Proposition & Business Case for Your KM Program The first step in creating a call to action for KM is to define the specific benefits your organization will realize by enhancing the flow of knowledge (the “value proposition”). Look closely at your organization’s strategic goals and talk to executives to understand current and future knowledge needs. Here are a few popular APQC resources that can help you define your KM value proposition: Defining a Value Proposition and Business Case for Your KM Program 20 Questions to Ask Yourself When Developing a KM Business Case Why You Need a KM Strategy, Business Case, and Engagement Plan LEARN MORE ICON--ARROW--RIGHT Identify Critical Knowledge Organizations create and share an enormous amount of knowledge every day, but not all of it is important. To use resources effectively, you must separate business-critical knowledge from the rest of the noise. Knowledge mapping is the most effective way to gather input and create consensus on what constitutes critical knowledge. To create a knowledge map, you will need to understand your business strategy and pinpoint knowledge domains aligned with that strategy. LEARN MORE ICON--ARROW--RIGHT Align KM to Business Priorities Your organization’s knowledge strategy should be directly linked to its mission and goals. Alignment often occurs at the level of business units or functional areas, each of which has distinct knowledge needs. When KM activities further strategic priorities, they are more likely to gain the support of senior leaders, who in turn will advocate knowledge sharing and model knowledge-sharing behaviors. Here are a few popular APQC resources that can help you align your KM efforts to business priorities: Knowledge Analytics: A Fresh Way of Thinking About an Old Problem Finding & Interviewing KM Stakeholders (Article) Allow Senior Leaders to Set KM Priorities with Input from the Business LEARN MORE ICON--ARROW--RIGHT Get Executive Buy-In for Your KM Program If you want to build a sustainable KM program, support from senior leaders is critical. Executives lend credibility to knowledge-sharing and collaboration approaches and convey their importance to the organization. This, in turn, promotes middle management and workforce buy-in. The best way to secure endorsement from senior leaders is to align KM with business priorities, as described above (“Align KM to Business Priorities & Function”). Here are some popular APQC resources that can help you get support from senior leaders in your organization: Developing a Knowledge Strategy That Senior Leaders Can Get Behind Making the Case for KM at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory LEARN MORE ICON--ARROW--RIGHT APQC’s resources are an essential part of our organization’s ability to grow a strong knowledge management program. April Buckland, Lead Human Resource Specialist Get Expert Guidance to Optimize Your KM Initiatives CONTACT OUR ADVISORY SERVICES DIRECTOR APQC Advisory Services You might be in the early stages of developing your organization’s first ever KM program. Or maybe you already have a KM strategy, but need help evolving your KM capabilities. At any stage of your KM strategy implementation, our expert consultants can provide individualized support and customized on-site training to help you accelerate and optimize your KM initiatives. To learn more, contact our advisory services director: Jeff Varney, Director of Advisory Services Direct: +1-713-685-7253 Toll-free: (US and Canada) 1-800-776-9676 Contact via Email icon-check-star Membership matters APQC membership provides you—and every employee in your organization—access to research-based best practices and business drivers, benchmarking tools and data, and expertise so you can discover, understand, and implement the most effective methods for process and performance improvement. Want to take the next step? Learn more about our membership icon--arrow--right Already have an account? Sign in. APQC (American Productivity & Quality Center) is the world’s foremost authority in benchmarking, best practices, process and performance improvement, and knowledge management (KM). With more than 550 member organizations worldwide, APQC provides the information, data, and insights organizations need to support decision-making and develop internal skills. Learn more. 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