Knowledge Management System

ISO 30401:2018 specifies requirements for a Knowledge Management System. It helps organizations create, maintain, and apply organizational knowledge to achieve their objectives.

ISO 30401 covers all forms of organizational knowledge: explicit knowledge (documented processes, procedures, data), tacit knowledge (expertise, experience), and embedded knowledge (systems, routines, culture).

Knowledge-intensive organizations benefit most: consulting firms, technology companies, professional services firms, R&D organizations, universities, government agencies, and any organization where expertise is a core competitive asset.

Document management is part of knowledge management, but ISO 30401 goes much further, addressing how knowledge is created, shared, applied, and retained — not just how documents are stored and controlled.

Yes. ISO 9001 includes requirements related to organizational knowledge (clause 7.1.6), and ISO 30401 provides a deeper framework to address this requirement systematically.