At the Core of a Knowledge Base

As organizations have become increasingly effective at reducing costs and improving efficiency in their operations, their attention has shifted to revenue growth. Tapping the collective creativity and know‐how of employees is emerging as one of the best ways to anticipate customer needs and grow new markets. Typically, when companies set out to create knowledge bases, the first issue that they tackle is technology. In many cases, resources and patience are exhausted by the time they have resolved technology issues. This paper reviews Arthur Andersen’s experiences in developing knowledge bases ‐ focusing on content; knowledge sharing; and culture change.