The primary role of KM is to connect to "knowledge nodes" both the knowledge providers and the knowledge seekers. The knowledge of the mind of one provider may thus be ultimately transferred to the mind of someone who seeks that knowledge, so that a new decision can be made or situation handled. KM provides a means of capturing and storing knowledge and brokering it to the appropriate individual [R3]

Based on a study of 31 KM projects in 24 companies, Davenport, De Long and Beers [R4] identified four business objectives that fulfill this primary role:

1. To Capture Knowledge - This goal can be achieved by creating KM repositories. Those will consist of structured documents with Knowledge embedded in them — memos, reports, presentations, articles — stored in a way that they may be easily retrieved.
2. To Improve Knowledge Access — To facilitate the processes of knowledge transfer between individuals and between organizations.
3. To Enhance the Knowledge Environment — by proactively facilitating and rewarding knowledge creation, transfer and use.
4. To Manage Knowledge as an Asset — some companies are including their intellectual capital in the balance sheet, others are leveraging their knowledge assets to generate new income from or to reduce costs with their patent base.