Abstract

Abstract: Knowledge Management (KM) has come to be regarded as an important activity in todays organizations. Technology plays a crucial role in KM of facilitating knowledge flow through the knowledge life cycle. This role is mostly realized by the im plementation of a Knowledge Management System. However, the development of these systems is still haphazard, as organizations implement systems that are not guaranteed to enhance knowledge processing activities, and which may not be knowledge management s ystems at all. Most of these systems are groups of technologies brought together, with no theoretic and/or conceptual framework to justify the way in which they are integrated. The various forms of knowledge are not handled appropriately, as there is no d istinction between the processes involved in managing these knowledge forms in the systems. Hence knowledge distribution and use is not done consistently, efficiently, and effectively. There is therefore a need for a reference point from a technical pers pective, emanating from a theoretic and conceptual framework that will guide in developing these systems. This reference point is best provided in the form of a generic knowledge management system architecture, which will guide all technological implement ations for KM. This paper seeks to outline the need for a generic knowledge management system and what is to be taken into consideration in terms of technical as well as organizational objectives when developing it. The paper also presents some of the qua lity attributes to be considered in developing the architecture, and the technologies that can be incorporated.