Knowledge Systems are the hottest subject of the day. This is because KS is a
conscious strategy for moving the right knowledge to all employees at the right time to
assist sharing and enabling the information to be translated into action to improve the
organizational performance (OP). This research aims at harnessing the concept of KM
as an essential element in the creation of sustainable competitive advantage for
organisations. A conceptual model based on the literature review and consultations with
knowledge workers was developed. Additionally, a pilot study with collaborating
organizations active in manufacturing in Iraq was performed to validate the conceptual
model and facilitate an exploratory investigation regarding the relationships. Data was
collected using personal interviews with managers and knowledge workers at the
enterprises and the use of surveys circulated by random samples to the firms. The study
identified a high correlation between KS and OP. Findings revealed high correlation
between computer based decision support systems (DSS) and OP from the study