Inside knowledge

This month’s editorial comment. By Simon Lelic.

2001 proved a tumultuous year for a huge number of companies. Some were able to weather the economic downturn, but others had a rough ride, which for many ended in disaster. While scandal on an unprecedented scale has already clouded the beginning of 2001, the year nevertheless offers hope for most firms.

In the world of knowledge management, exciting times are ahead. For the first time, Ark Group will be hosting major KM exhibitions in Europe, Asia and North America in the same year. KM Asia and KM Europe are already established as unrivalled international events, and Global KM eXchange will aim to replicate this success in the US come June.

For the magazine itself, there are a number of changes to look forward to. Not only is the website currently undergoing a major overhaul, we are also preparing to expand our editorial board to bring in even more of the world’s foremost KM experts. In fact, this process has already begun, and this month we welcome Paul Louis Iske, chief knowledge officer at ABN AMRO, to the fold.

Under the guidance of Iske and his peers, we aim to continue providing you with the same high quality case studies, features and news from around the world. Among the topics we will be covering in the next few months will be knowledge management in the public sector – an issue that is gaining rapidly in importance – and how to measure and evaluate return on investment. In the summer, we will also be exploring the evolution and globalisation of KM.

Remember, this magazine is written by KM professionals for you, the reader, but any feedback or suggestions you may have is gratefully received. Please feel free to contact me directly at slelic@ark-group.com, and I will be delighted to discuss any ideas you may have. I look forward to hearing from you!