By Carl Frappaolo

Every senior manager knows that the pulses of certain life lines must be monitored. Ask any CEO how profitable his or her organization is, how productive the organization is, or what percentage of the market his or her organization commands, and chances are an answer will be forthcoming.

But ask how intelligent the organization is, and you are likely to get only a blank stare. Some managers may feel they instinctively know how intelligent their enterprise is, but a quantifiable assured answer is difficult to render. And yet most would agree that, in today's Web-paced e-conomy, enterprise intelligence (in other words, intellectual capital and innovation) is paramount to both short- and long-term success.

So then, why do so few managers know how to answer to the question "Is Your Enterprise Intelligent?" For many, the inability to answer likely lies in the fact that no metric or methodology for measuring an enterprise's intelligence exists -- at least to the best of their knowledge. The fact is, such methodologies do exist. Enterprises that utilize these methodologies become in tune with not only how intelligent the enterprise is, but also gain an appreciation for how to increase the enterprise's intelligence, and how to leverage that intelligence to effect greater profit, market mind share, rapid product innovation, and shorter times to market.

Imagine being able to create a roadmap of where your organization's best practices exist, and a system for emulating these across your enterprise. What if you could pinpoint the inherent strengths and the weak links in your organization's intellect? Imagine being able to show a return on intelligence, similar to showing a return on investment.

Measuring the intelligence of the organization is, for most managers, a completely new and different environment. It is a difficult proposition, because structure and control needs to be imposed on that which is typically without boundaries (namely, the creative intelligence of the organization). There is little precedent upon which to establish a return on intelligence. Measuring your enterprise's intelligence implores a look at informal networks and protocols, any and all approaches to sharing experiences and know-how, as well as any and all cultural, technological, and personal elements that spur creativity and innovation.

By undergoing a knowledge audit, your organization can determine not just how intelligent it is, but gain an overview of the strengths and weaknesses of the organization; obtain a scientific analysis of your organization's potential for competitive advantage; and uncover the benchmarks of successful leveraging of intelligence within the organization. Effective knowledge audits also identify potential areas for improvement and opportunities to leverage knowledge.

Read more here from intelligent.com.