CUSTOMER KNOWLEDGE MANAGEMENT: AN OVERVIEW

International Journal of Computer Science (IJCS) Published by SK Research Group of Companies (SKRGC)

Abstract

Over some previous years, two management strategies have come to the forefront for enhancing the global competitiveness of companies. The two strategies are knowledge management and customer relationship management. While knowledge management focuses on the creation, sharing, and dissemination of both tacit and explicit knowledge within organizations, as well as the tools, methods, and challenges in knowledge sharing, customer relationship management (CRM) addresses the management of current customer relationships and the attraction of new customers through computerized tools for CRM. In knowledge management, the primary focus is on how to develop and manage knowledge within organizations, rather than solely on a particular topic or content of knowledge. Conversely, customer relationship management concentrates on the company's customers, emphasizing their treatment and management. Research conducted in the past has shown that one of the most essential types of knowledge for companies is knowledge regarding their customers, whether they are business clients or consumers, and end users of the products or services. In this context, the challenge for companies is how to acquire, manage, and leverage knowledge about their customers. We can assert that knowledge and insights about knowledge management can be leveraged to improve customer relationship management, and customer relationship management can be perceived as an application of knowledge management. By amalgamating both CRM and KM approaches into a customer knowledge management framework, the advantages of utilizing CRM and KM can be amplified, thereby diminishing the likelihood of failure. Managing knowledge for the customer, knowledge about the customer, and knowledge from the customer significantly aids in relationship management. Hence, KM functions as a service provider for CRM. The integration of knowledge management with customer relationship management presents an opportunity for organizations, making it easier to identify market opportunities and enhance their competitive edge.

References

1. P. F. Drucker, "Knowledge-worker productivity: The biggest challenge," California management review, vol. 41, no. 2, pp. 79-94, 1999.

2. N. Milton, Knowledge Management for Teams and Projects, Chandos, 2007.

3. T. Haridimos and E. Vladimirou, "What is Organizational Knowledge?," Journal of Management Studies, vol. 38, no. 7, 2001.

4. C. Gronroos, "From Marketing Mix to Relationship Marketing: Towards a Paradigm Shift in Marketing," Management Decision, vol. 32, no. 2, pp. 4-20, 1994.

5. M. Xu and J. Walton, "Gaining customer knowledge through analytical CRM," Industrial Management and Data Systems, vol. 105, no. 7, pp. 955-971, 2005.

6. C. V. Zyl, "Knowledge management intersects with customer relationship management (CRM) for increased organizational competitiveness," South African Journal of Information Management, vol. 5, no. 2, june 2003.

7. S. M. Allameh, A. Shahin and B. Tabanifar, "Analysis of Relationship between Knowledge Management and Customer Relationship Management with Customer Knowledge Management," International Journal of Academic Research in Business and Social Sciences, vol. Vol. 2, no. No. 10, October 2012.

8. A. Afrazeh, knowledge management (concepts, models, sizing and performing), first edition ed., Tehran: Amir Kabir Sanati University publications, 2005.

9. S. Paquette, "Customer Knowledge Management Systems Supporting Innovation," in 9th Annual Great Lakes Information Sciences Conference, Toronto, Canada, 2004.

10. M. Gibbert, M. Leibold and G. Probst, "Five Styles of Customer Knowledge Management, and How Smart Companies Use Them to Create Value," European Management Journal, vol. 20, no. 5, pp. 459-469, Oct 2002.

11. H. Gebert, M. Geib, L. Kolbe and W. Brenner, "Knowledge-enabled customer relationship management," Journal of Knowledge Management, vol. 7, no. 5, pp. 107-123, 2003.

12. F. A. Uriarte, Introduction to knowledge management, I ed., JAKARTA: ASEAN FOUNDATION, 2008.

13. Gallagher, "Knowledge management and knowledge automation systems," 2001.

14. P. Allen, "Mining change for competitive advantage – knowledge based strategies help marketers to adapt their principles to the new economy. [Online].," 2000. [Online]. Available: http://www.destinationcrm.com/articles/default.asp?ArticleID=1542&KeyWords=
%22mining+change%22. [Accessed Feb/March 2003].

15. Manning, Nadia, Pels and Jaup, "Knowledge Management," Development Journal, vol. 5, no. 2, pp. 31-34, 2009.

16. T. H. Davenport, J. G. Harris and A. K. Kohli, "How Do they Know Their Customers So Well?," MIT Sloan Management Review, vol. 42, no. 2, pp. 63-73, 2001.

17. M. E. Jennex, Knowledge management: Concepts, methodologies, tools, and applications., vol. I, J. Neidig, Ed., New York: IGI Global, 2008.

18. D. Andriessen, "IC valuation and measurement: classifying the state of the art," Journal of Intellectual Capital, vol. 5, no. 2, pp. 230-242, 2004.

19. L. Handen, "Putting CRM to Work: the rise of the relationship," in Customer Relationship Management: A Strategic Imperative in the World of e-Business, New York, john Wiley&sons, 2000, p. 8.

20. M. Stone and G. Findlay, "Data chaos-A court case waiting to Happen," International Journal of Customer Relationship Mangement, vol. 4, no. 2, pp. 169-184, Sep-Oct 2001.

21. B. Stone and M. Forss, Successful customer Relationship marketing, LONDON: Kogan Page Business Books, 2001.

22. A. Parvatiyar and T. N. Sheth, "Customer relationship management: Emerging practice,process, and discipline," Journal of Economic and Social Research, vol. 3, no. 2, 2002.

23. V. Kumar and W. Reinartz, Customer relationship management: A databased approach, NEW YORK: Joh Wiley, 2006.

24. D. Brink and et.al, "The effect of strategic and tactical cause – related marketing on consumers' brand loyalty," Forthcoming Journal of Consumer Marketing, 2006.

25. A. L. Goh, "Adoption of Customer Relationship Management (CRM) Solutions as an Effective Knowledge," Journal of Knowledge Management Practice, 2005.

26. H. Gebert, M. Geib, L. Kolbe and G. Riempp, "Towards Customer Knowledge Management: Integrating Customer Relationship Management and Knowledge Management Concepts." in 2nd International Conference on Electronic Business, Taipei, 2002.

27. Y. Lin, H. Y. Su and S. Chien, "A knowledge-enabled procedure for customer relationship management," Industrial Marketing Management Journal, pp. 446-456, 2006.

28. S. Mithas, M. S. Krishnan and C. Fornell, "Why Do Customer Relationshi Management Applications Affect
Customer Satisfaction?," Journal of Marketing , vol. 69, pp. 201-209, 2005.

29. N. Belbaly, H. Benbya and R. Meissonier, "An empirical investigation of the customer Knowledge creation impact on NPD Performance," in 40th Hawaii International Conference on System Sciences. IEEE., Hawaii, 2007.

30. J. Rowley, "Customer knowledge management or consumer surveillance," Global Business and Economics Review, vol. 7, no. 1, pp. 100-110, 2005.

31. A. Bueren, R. Schierholz, L. Kolbe and W. Brenner, "Improving performance of customer processes with knowledge management Business," Process Management Journal, vol. 11, no. 5, pp. 573-588, 2005.

Keywords

Knowledge, Customer Relationship Management (CRM), Customer Knowledge Management (CKM).