Definitions of information management and knowledge management

4 Mar 2004

      Date: Thu, 4 Mar 2004 12:51:12 +0530
From: Subbiah Arunachalam 

Friends:

This is what Paul Whiffen, a KM consultant, says on the
distinction between knowledge and information:

"This (the distinction between knowledge and information)
used to trouble me until I came up with this:

a) Knowledge is what is inside peoples' heads;

b) Information is what you get when you write it down (or make a report,
tape, file or whatever - ie, Information is the physical media
representation of knowledge).

At first I thought that surely it can't be that simple - but this
distinction has served me very well now for years.

Outcomes of using this distinction lead to the following deductions:

KM is about putting in place the environment to enable and facilitate
knowledge moving from human head to human head whether they are
separated by time or geography or both (all aspects of the environment
including cultural, technology and process aspects);

IM is about managing your documents (or whatever your media is) in
support of KM;

I.T. (which, after all, stands for Information Technology) is therefore
about the technology being in place to enable / support IM (which in
turn enables KM).

As I say, this is simple. To me it was worryingly simple at first but so
far it has always served me well.

Hope this helps,

Paul.

Paul R.Whiffen
Knoco  Ltd
www.knoco.co.uk

Phone:
Mobile   + 44 (0) 7808 162 302
Office     + 44 (0) 1420 560 147 (Alton, Hants, UK)

Email:
paul.whiffen@knoco.co.uk  or
paul.whiffen@global123.freeserve.co.uk

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<P><FONT SIZE=2>Friends:</FONT>
</P>

<P><FONT SIZE=2>This is what Paul Whiffen, a KM consultant, says on the </FONT>
<BR><FONT SIZE=2>distinction between knowledge and information: </FONT>
</P>

<P><FONT SIZE=2>"This (the distinction between knowledge and information) </FONT>
<BR><FONT SIZE=2>used to trouble me until I came up with this:</FONT>
</P>

<P><FONT SIZE=2>a) Knowledge is what is inside peoples' heads;</FONT>
</P>

b) Information is what you get when you write it down (or make a report,
 tape, file or whatever - ie, Information is the physical media
 representation of knowledge).

At first I thought that surely it can't be that simple - but this
 distinction has served me very well now for years.

<P><FONT SIZE=2>Outcomes of using this distinction lead to the following deductions:</FONT>
</P>

<P><FONT SIZE=2>KM is about putting in place the environment to enable and facilitate</FONT>
<BR><FONT SIZE=2>knowledge moving from human head to human head whether they are</FONT>
<BR><FONT SIZE=2>separated by time or geography or both (all aspects of the environment</FONT>
<BR><FONT SIZE=2>including cultural, technology and process aspects);</FONT>
</P>

<P><FONT SIZE=2>IM is about managing your documents (or whatever your media is) in</FONT>
<BR><FONT SIZE=2>support of KM;</FONT>
</P>

I.T. (which, after all, stands for Information Technology) is therefore
 about the technology being in place to enable / support IM (which in
 turn enables KM).

As I say, this is simple. To me it was worryingly simple at first but so
 far it has always served me well.

<P><FONT SIZE=2>Hope this helps,</FONT>
</P>

<P><FONT SIZE=2>Paul.   </FONT>
</P>

<P><FONT SIZE=2>Paul R.Whiffen</FONT>
<BR><FONT SIZE=2>Knoco  Ltd</FONT>
<BR><FONT SIZE=2>www.knoco.co.uk</FONT>
<BR><FONT SIZE=2> </FONT>
<BR><FONT SIZE=2>Phone:</FONT>
<BR><FONT SIZE=2>Mobile   + 44 (0) 7808 162 302</FONT>
<BR><FONT SIZE=2>Office     + 44 (0) 1420 560 147 (Alton, Hants, UK)</FONT>
<BR><FONT SIZE=2> </FONT>
<BR><FONT SIZE=2>Email:</FONT>
<BR><FONT SIZE=2>paul.whiffen@knoco.co.uk  or</FONT>
<BR><FONT SIZE=2>paul.whiffen@global123.freeserve.co.uk</FONT>
<BR><FONT SIZE=2> </FONT>
<BR><FONT SIZE=2> </FONT>
</P>

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