Learning from the Future: Knowledge Management Systems in the Twenty-First Century

Despite technologies having an important role in supporting the management of knowledge, progress in (technical) knowledge management systems (KMS) in the past three decades has been uneven, incremental, and discrete. In the twenty-first century’s age of digitalization, comprehensive management of knowledge occurs in a far more complex environment, and overall speaking, current KMS are grossly inadequate in supporting knowledge workers and organizations in performing proactive and comprehensive knowledge-intensive activities and making decisions. A short summary and review of the evolution of KMS in the past three decades is outlined. Based on the rapidly advancing knowledge and technology landscape in the digital era, together with the gap between current and foreshadowed KM practices, the characteristics of both near- and long-term future KM systems, services, and delivery platforms are discussed. Such platforms are needed to support knowledge harnessing, learning, and innovation in a highly personalized and digitalized world. Particular emphasis is on reimagining the role of search as it is a crucial and common knowledge process that underpins many KM initiatives. The future state of search is purposely elaborated in the context of smart KM together with a reframing of cloud computing, which leads to the concept of a knowledge cloud that acts as an e-canvas supporting dynamic capabilities, knowledge/expertise location, harnessing, and assembling new business models for the orchestration and delivery of knowledge services. Prototypical systems on peer-based personal lifelong learning and an intelligent workbench that facilitates chance discovery via serendipity over topic maps are presented as a glimpse to what future KMS will take shape.