LLRX has a new article up discussing the experience of Bryan-Cave in attempting to determine the Return on Investment of a major firm-wide Knowledge Management
initiative.

First, the article discusses, from a conceptual perspective, whether the
notion of ROI even applies to a KM project.  Traditionally,
ROI is easy to measure (meaning hard to fudge) with cost-saving initiatives,
such as scanning and digitizing a sub-basement full of documents, but
much harder to measure (and easier to blue-sky) with revenue-generating
initiatives, such as a marketing campaign.
Knowledge Management yields benefits, of course, which are far more
intangible even than marketing.  How can one put a price tag on
such things as:

• more efficient and effective collaboration


• faster and more targeted responses to client issues


• less rote work and more high-quality work

The answer is, with a great deal of discipline.