SOFTWARE REQUIREMENTS FOR KNOWLEDGE MANAGEMENT IN CONSTRUCTION ORGANIZATIONS

Software vendors are continuously introducing different tools claiming that their products are the complete and ultimate solutions to Knowledge Management (KM) problems. This research investigates the vendors ’ claims, identifies the weaknesses in existing KM software, and explores the requirements for better KM software for construction organizations. The literature on KM software is first reviewed. Major vendors and users of KM software are then interrogated for a closer investigation of what current KM software can offer. It is found that existing software address only some elements of the KM sub-processes. In addition, they do not address the majority of the requirements of construction organizations. The research concludes that construction organizations need KM software to be more oriented towards the industry by addressing its specific needs. Some of these needs are discussed, in brief, at the end of the paper