The Zack Knowledge Management Cycle

Knowledge management cycle is a process of transforming information into knowledge within an organiz
ation. It explains how knowledge is captured, processed, and distributed in an organization.
 Four models have been selected based on their ability to meet the growing demands. The four models ar
e the Zack, from Meyer and Zack (1996), the Bukowitz and Williams (2000), the McElroy (2003), and the
Wiig (1993) KM cycles.
Zack Knowledge Management Model
The Zack model is extracted from work on the design and development of information products. In Meye
r and Zack’s approach, the network between each stage is designed to be logical and standardized.

In this cycle, the major developmental stages of a knowledge repository are analyzed and mapped to the
stages of a KM cycle

The stages are acquisition, refinement, storage/retrieval, distribution, and presentation/use. This cycle is
also known as the “refinery.

Stages of the Meyer & Zack KM Cycle:

 Acquisition
 Refinement
 Storage
 Distribution
 Presentation

1. Acquisition of Data or Information:

Acquisition deals with issues regarding origin of raw materials such as scope, breadth, depth, cre
dibility, accuracy, timeliness, relevance, cost, control, and exclusivity.

Example:The guiding principle is "garbage in, garbage out”.Incorrect or poor quality input
inevitably produces faulty output.

2. Refinement:

Refinement may be physical (like migrating from one medium to another) or logical (like restructuring,
relabeling, indexing, and integrating.)

 The primary source of added value, this stage creates more readily usable knowl
edge objects and stores the content more flexibly for future use.
 Physical : migrating from one medium to another
  Logical : restructuring, relabeling, indexing, integrating
 Cleaning up/sanitizing
 Standardizing
 Performing statistical analysis
Example:
Refinement is removing the impurities from oil so that the oil can be processed and used to provi
de power.
Another example of refinement is taking a product you designed and making many small change
s so it becomes cheaper to produce and more user friendly

3. Storage / Retrieval:

Storage or Retrieval forms a bridge between the upstream addition and refinement stages that feed the r
epository and downstream stages of product generation. Storage can be physical (file folders, printed inf
ormation) as well as digital (database, knowledge management software)

4. Distribution

Distribution defines how the product is to be delivered to the end-user (like fax, print, email) and enclos
es not only the medium of delivery but also its timing, frequency, form, language, and so on.

Example:
Distribution channels include wholesalers, retailers, distributors, and the internet.

5.Presentation:
In this stage, we evaluate the effectiveness of each of the preceding value-added steps.
For example, does the user have enough context to be able to make use of this content? If not, the KM c
ycle has failed to deliver value to the individual and ultimately to the company.

Meyer & Zack in Practice

For the cycle to work as intended, some knowledge may need to be provided at either e
nd:
 front end - rules on how to identify source info, acquire it, refine it, and ad
d it to the repository.
 final stage - rules on how content may be distributed and used, such as copyrig
ht, attribution, confidentiality.