A systematic approach for knowledge audit analysis: Integration of knowledge inventory, mapping and knowledge flow analysis

Knowledge audit lays a concrete foundation for any knowledge management programs. The central topic of this paper is to integrate various knowledge audit related techniques into pre-audit preparation, in-audit process and post-audit analysis in a systematic manner. Culture assessment, in the form of surveys and radar charts, along with orientation program make up the pre-audit preparation. Structured interviews are carried out to capture process-critical knowledge. Knowledge inventory, knowledge maps and knowledge flow analysis compose of post-audit analysis. Knowledge inventory is then built for stocktaking knowledge assets and thus revealing the key knowledge assets by measuring them against four performance criteria. Knowledge mapping together with social network analysis are to show the knowledge exchange path and make the key knowledge suppliers and customers visible. They are then being further applied into knowledge flow analysis, which serves to reveal the strength and weakness of the current knowledge flow. A case study of applying the designed instruments in the Engineering Division of the Hong Kong Dragon Airlines Limited and the related analysis are also present in this paper.