7−9 April 2010, Tokyo, Japan

The three-day expert meeting for the Practical Guide on Knowledge Management for SME Owners/Managers started at the APO Secretariat in Tokyo on 7 April 2010. Four experts headed by Senior Consultant Naoki Ogiwara, Knowledge Dynamics Initiatives, Fuji Xerox Co., Ltd., Japan, gathered together to discuss the content and structure of a KM publication that will be practical and easy to use for SME owners and/or managers.

APO Secretary-General Shigeo Takenaka welcomed the experts in his opening remarksand stated, “We are also lucky to have a group of the foremost experts on KM to discuss and eventually produce practical guidelines on KM adoption for SME owners and managers.” Secretary-General Takenaka summarized the APO’s KM-related activities and underscored the difference between the methods used to introduce KM in large enterprises and in SMEs. “In the case of SMEs, more often than not they cannot afford KM managers who work full time on KM. Therefore, right from the beginning, CEOs must be convinced of the utility of KM and of the need to take initiative by themselves.”

The APO has published a series on KM. The two most recent are Knowledge Management: Facilitators’ Guide and Knowledge Management: Case Studies for Small and Medium Enterprises, which were published in 2009. Another publication for KM practitioners and consultants, Knowledge Management: Tools and Techniques Manual,will be available soon which will introduce key KM methods, tools, and techniques in KM activities. The new publication, differentiated from and not overlapping with previous one, will emphasize practical use of KM.