Unformalized Knowledge Audit as a Modern Management Tool

The Article summarizes and provides systematic approach to knowledge audit in connection development of the information society. It gives assessment to specific development of an organization and offers knowledge audit tools in accordance with modern requirements of the 21st century audit. The question at issue is that formalized knowledge audit involving the knowledge expressed in objects, words, numbers, images, pictures, specifications, manuals and procedures seriously differs from unformalized knowledge audit that includes theoretical, behavior and prospective models based on empirical data. As one of the main streams of business audit, the knowledge audit is highly professional consulting services in numerous subject fields such as economy, finance, law and many other areas of the modern business. Study of demand for this audit type in the world has shown that absence of aligned methodology prevents from decision-making to conduct a knowledge audit. The article reviews modern approaches permitting to integrate modern audit in general and the audit of information, IT systems, operations, intellectual capital and, in particular, the audit of knowledge into an aligned system of business audit. The conclusion is made that when these audit types are united into the integrated business audit, it gives large effect to the business. As a result of this research, authors outline that the new reality of the 21st century changed attitude towards the traditional audit that requires substantiation of business effect when new IT systems are implemented and upgrade of old ones, shifting away from complex automation of business processes in favor of customized solutions aimed at use of unformalized knowledge. Nevertheless, the demand for business- and IT strategies and feasibility studies steadily grows. Corporate knowledge projects prevail at all management levels but it is impossible to implement them without practical audit of the whole business.