In an effort to test the applicability of the ICT systems and management methods to be developed within KNOWNET, the project uses as test-beds organisations tha exhibit the most complex environment for installing knowledge management strategies, tools and methods: Knowledge-Intensive Organisations.

Knowledge-Intensive Organisations (KIOs) can be defined as organisations in which:


the "products" are intangible, i.e. do not consist of goods or services, but complex non-standardised problem-solving; the end results usually consist of reports or processes either delivered orally or as hard copies;
the "production process" is non-standardised and highly dependent on teamwork;
the majority of employees are highly educated and creative people;
customers are treated individually and the "products" are rather adapted to them than vice versa.
Knowledge Intensive Organisations can be mainly found in what is commonly called "the service sector". The service sector is not a discrete phenomenon but rather a spectrum of company types ranging from hose organisations totally adapted to their customers - the KIOs - to organisations that have refined and packaged their output. The latter have more in common with manufacturing companies. For example, 50% of the fastest growing companies in the US are knowledge-intensive organisations, in the sense that they sell the knowledge and the know-how of their employees rather than manufactured products or provide services. Examples of such companies include, but are not limited to: advertising; management consulting; financial or legal advice; specialist nursing care; software development and systems design; etc.

There are generally few statistics that can be related to the size and growth of the KIO sector. According to an EEC Commission paper, the so-called business service sector contributes about 14% of the total EEC value added and 6% of the GNP, which makes it a larger sector than agriculture. The sector is growing very fast. At the EEC level, the sector's growth in current prices was an annual 14.6% in the 1990-1995 period. The fastest growing companies in europe have been companies in the professional services sector, with growth rates ranging from 10% in volume to well over 100% in some segments.

Within KNOWNET the emphasis on KIOs is evident in the participation of three user companies of the KNOWNET consortium. These companies are indicative examples of knowledge-intensive organisations.


the Greek management consultancy company PLANET strives to manage knowledge assets to satisfy client expectations;
the UK chartered surveyors company GW has critical knowledge management requirements for enhancing its property valuation processes;
UBS requires extensive knowledge sharing support for its corporate credit control processes.

.....................................................................
87%
23%
Σε έρευνα της E&Y σε 431 επιχειρήσεις της ΕΕ και των ΗΠΑ
87% των επιχειρήσεων περιγράφουν τη λειτουργία τους ως
“knowledge-intensive”
µας
87%
23%
Knowledge
Intensive
Other
87% των επιχειρήσεων περιγράφουν τη λειτουργία τους ως
“knowledge-intensive”
Γνώση - πληροφορία - δεδοµένα
Γνώση: εσωτερική αναπαράσταση των εµπειριών
µας
Γνώση για κάτι
Γνώση για το πώς επιτυγχάνεται κάτι
Πληροφορία: εξωτερίκευση της γνώσης µε στόχο την
επικοινωνία της σε άλλους
Κατεργασµένα δεδοµένα µε στόχο την ενηµέρωση και
µε ηµεροµηνία λήξης
∆εδοµένα: ∆οµικά στοιχεία που συνθέτουν αλλά δεν
αποτελούν πληροφορία
Γνωστά µεγέθη από τα οποία µπορούν να εξαχθούν
συµπεράσµατα
Ποσοτικά ή ποιοτικά χαρακτηριστικά ενός οργανισµού
και των συναλλαγών του

Λίλλυ, θα το απέδιδα περιφραστικά ως "υπηρεσίες που στηρίζονται στην διεξοδική γνώση/τεχνογνωσία" ή "υπηρεσίες με γνώμονα/κριτήριο την τεχνογνωσία/την διαδικασία γνώσης"



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Note added at 43 mins (2003-12-14 00:43:23 GMT)
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ΕΝΤΑΣΗ ΓΝΩΣΗΣ

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Δες:
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http://www.mfa.gr/greek/foreign_policy/eu/greece/lisbon_grpr...

Europe suffers from a lack of entrepreneurship, especially in knowledge-intensive sectors. Young businessmen and small businesses do not contribute as much as they could to employment, growth and regional cohesion.
http://www.mfa.gr/english/foreign_policy/eu/greece/lisbon_gr...