Abstract:

To gain an understanding of businesses one can look at the relationship between the business, the knowledge it uses to create and supply its goods and services, and the structures that  have to be in place so that its knowledge may be used successfully.  Building on a previously presented model of Knowledge/Structures (KSn), this paper presents a view of how business operations may be structured.

The approach uses Soft Systems Methodology to conceptualise detailed views of knowledge structures for different KSn businesses.  The results show the sub-systems, resources, links, and knowledge/information flows  necessary for a business to meet its business objectives.

The models would not only act as a bench-mark against which a particular business may be measured, but could also be used to show how changes to the business may identified.  Such an insight would be essential in order that a business could prepare itself to be an integral part of a true ‘knowledge economy’.