E-Learning and cooperation as elements of knowledge management

In an economic environment in which knowledge is assuming an increasingly significant role among the factors for success, a company can no longer afford to leave any knowledge unused. For that reason, due attention is paid to the importance of this fact by means of the implementation of knowledge management strategies within the company. The use of new information and communications technology is helpful in achieving the aims of knowledge management, such as speeding up processes or securing expert knowledge. In order to be able to exploit this technology it is necessary to have a certain level competence in the field of IT, which Audi AG has achieved throughout the company by means of its IT qualification offensive. Knowledge management is not, however, restricted to providing the basic technical conditions and delivering systems skills, but draws crucially on the cooperation of the employees. In this context, employee portals and e-learning make an important contribution to the accessibility, transparency and maintenance of knowledge. Operational cooperation tools such as CIP (continuous improvement process) and ideas management are to be further developed and supplemented with regard to the new technologies and the requirements of knowledge management. The correlation between knowledge management, e-learning, and employee cooperation is represented by means of examples.