There are many messages on various social media platforms showcasing the profound knowledge that our ancestors had of astronomy, metallurgy, physics, and mathematics. Many go on to claim that the discoveries made by Newton, Galileo, and many other western great scientists were actually known to ancient Indians. Without going into the merit of these arguments, let us for a moment consider the probability that at least some of these claims are true.

That raises an important question, that is …… how did we lose such profound knowledge? It appears that we had a wealth of knowledge on a variety of sciences/subjects but on knowledge management! Therein lies an important message for organizations. While it is important to develop and acquire knowledge, it is equally important to preserve/store and pass on the knowledge to others / the next generation. Otherwise, organizations may suffer the same fate as the Indian civilization suffered for a few centuries.

Knowledge management can be a source of competitive advantage!