An appraisal of knowledge processing capabilities as decision support tools cases in five small to medium sized software enterprises (SMEs)

KM Systems are a more recent type of organisational information system developed to facilitate data, information and KM. KMS are manifested in a variety of implementations and the range of technologies available to organisations in supporting KM is extensive. The majority of organisations use a combination of tools to support and strengthen the organisational knowledge cycle; these include document repositories, expertise databases and discussion forums. However recent economic instability has meant that SMEs lack the fundamental financial and systemic capacity to introduce innovative KM practices and technologies. Consequently, using multiple case studies, this study presents a comprehensive view of the KM approach, identifying both routine and non-routine modes of knowledge processing for small software organisations, addressing the mix usage associated with supporting knowledge requirements, in order to improve the organisation's ability to make the "right" decision and subsequently be more flexible in the face of change.