CROFT: CADIC Relational Online Framework and Toolset for Intellectual Capital Management in SME Clusters

This paper introduces a flexible methodology and toolset for efficient online management of intellectual capital (IC) in groups or clusters of SMEs called CROFT: CADIC Relational Online Framework and Toolset. Driven from the “bottom-up” by the requirements of the cluster participants themselves, CROFT provides a flexible framework to assist in managing the flow or transfer of IC. Based on observations of real-world SME clustering activities, CROFT has been developed to provide Group Decision and Communication Support (GDACS) to assist clusters in collective management of the group's intellectual capital through hierarchical gated access of online resources and networking coupled with a cluster-relevant IC management toolset. The pilot implementation of the system is ongoing, and while there remain issues around technical platform integration and early adoption, CROFT is designed to be flexible enough to benefit a broad spectrum of SME clusters with a wide variety of needs.