On the Use of a Diagnostic Tool for Knowledge Audits

The research reported in this paper outlines the construction and utilisation of a diagnostic tool for performing what we call a material knowledge audit in an enterprise of medium complexity. The tool was developed by adapting some of the more applicable techniques suggested in the literature by practitioners. It was then put on trial in five organisations - a library, an IT consulting firm, a research institute, a telecommunications service provider, and a media agency - which were involved in knowledge intensive business activities. The appendices list the three main components of such a field trial-ed diagnostic instrument. Our investigations revealed the dearth of such diagnostic tools as well as the need to continually refine knowledge audit techniques so that the practice evolves from an art into a science