From Data Management to Knowledge Management

urin he last decade data ma ment technology has syste at storage and retrieval e can efficiently search larg, omplex databases. At the s time, artificial intelligence tech-ology has created a number of expert systems, which use encoded knowledge to solve problems in a manner similar to that of a human expert. Many present and future computer applications could benefit from an effective and efficient marriage of these two technologies. For example, managers and their staff associates could use a system that stores expertise about company policies, plans, finances, and product evaluation to intelligently access management information system databases. Similarly , command and control systems could exploit stored expertise in analyzing and evaluating masses of battlefield data to greatly aid military de-ion making. ~jing user expectations, the ad-vancnt of computer technology, and the act of the continuing information losion are combining to hasten the transition from current data management systems to future knowledge management systems. This article reviews some of the steps necessary to achieve this transition and describes the design and experimental use of a prototype knowledge manager.