KEY PROGRAM-LEVEL MEASURES FOR

KNOWLEDGE MANAGEMENT
Almost every organization with a knowledge management (KM) program monitors key
measures to determine how the program is operating, who is participating and how often, and
what impact KM is having on the business. The results are used to improve the efficiency and
effectiveness of the program and to justify continued/expanded funding for KM.

Figure 1 lists measures commonly used to evaluate KM programs. These measures inform high-
level KM leaders and sponsors about where and how efficiently KM resources are being
deployed. For measures used to quantify the business value of KM, see Organizational
Performance Measures Impacted by Knowledge Management.

KM Program Measures

CATEGORY MEASURES

Structure and » KM maturity and capability (as measured by APQC’s KM

maturity Capability Assessment Tool or a similar mechanism)

» Number of KM participants as a percentage of total employees

Adoption and » Number of KM participants as a percentage of the total
participation intended target audience

» Total cost of the KM program per $1,000 revenue

» Systems costs for KM applications, platforms, and related
Cost technology per $1,000 revenue
» Cost of KM activities per participant
» Total cost for the KM program per employee
» Number of full-time equivalent (FTE) employees devoted to KM
per $ 1 billion revenue
» Number of supported employees per KM FTE
» Number of KM products, services, or projects offered or
delivered per KM FTE
Productivity and » Number of communities/networks launched or supported per
efficiency KM FTE
» Number of KM activities/events held or facilitated per KM FTE
» Number of people trained on KM products, services, or
capabilities per KM FTE
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 » Organizational engagement:
o Number of searches, views, contributions,
attendees, etc. per time period
o Percentage of target audience who engages
regularly (e.g., daily, weekly, monthly)
o Qualitative assessment of KM behaviors throughout
the workforce (e.g., percentage of employees
exhibiting desired knowledge-sharing behaviors)
Engagement and o Qualitative assessment of KM behaviors within
satisfaction targeted employee populations
» Connections and collaboration:
o Number of employee/expert profiles
completed/updated as a percentage of total
employees/experts
o Qualitative assessment of effective use of
collaboration tools
» User satisfaction with KM program
» Net Promoter Score for KM program among participants
» Return on investment for KM program (e.g., ratio of estimated
business value generated by KM to cost for KM program)
» Estimated business value generated by the KM program per KM
Value FTE
» Correlation to key business measures (see Organizational
Performance Measures Impacted by KM)

Figure 1

The measures in Figure 1 are a good starting point for organizations looking to track the health,
maturity, and efficiency of their KM programs. However, this is only a sample of the possible
measures that can be used. Each firm must develop its own set of measures based on the details
of its KM program, its internal culture, and the business objectives it aims to achieve through
KM.
Knowledge managers should also be aware that measures may have different degrees of
relevance to different audiences. In general, executives are most interested in the link to
strategic goals, KM professionals are interested in participation, and employees are interested in
operating measures that affect how they work. Therefore, APQC recommends pursuing a
balanced portfolio of measures that covers engagement and participation, operational
outcomes, and business impact.

Further Reading
Additional information about measuring your KM program can be found in APQC’s collections
Measuring Knowledge Management Initiatives and Key Measures for Knowledge Management.

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 ABOUT APQC
APQC helps organizations work smarter, faster, and with greater confidence. It is the world’s
foremost authority in benchmarking, best practices, process and performance improvement,
and knowledge management. APQC’s unique structure as a member-based nonprofit makes it a
differentiator in the marketplace. APQC partners with more than 500 member organizations
worldwide in all industries. With more than 40 years of experience, APQC remains the world’s
leader in transforming organizations. Visit us at www.apqc.org, and learn how you can make
best practices your practices.

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