Some managers use learning and knowledge management interchangeably. However, in some management circles, business learning is closely associated with organizational management. It is defined as the enrichment of body of knowledge related to managing organizations through constant practice. On the other hand, knowledge management is closely associated with capturing intelligence or cultivating the knowledge assets of companies to improve performance. Both principles however emphasize the need for information and the efficient use of it in managing the enterprise or organizations.

In essence, learning and knowledge management aim to optimize the business process through correct management of information assets. The methods of getting the necessary information may vary but the determining factor in both management systems is the utilization of knowledge to advance the general interest of the enterprise. That is why some management professionals may refer to knowledge management as a learning process both for the agents and companies. On the other hand, organizational learning proponents have categorized their field as part of the entire knowledge management systems.

Companies can simplify their business terminologies by integrating learning processes as important components of any knowledge management systems. Besides, adding knowledge to the intangible assets of companies usually involves a long process of learning the intricacies of business intelligence gathering, storage, retrieval, and dissemination. This follows the basic pattern used in knowledge management where intelligence is captured and processed in order to be utilized to create quality output. Performance of companies therefore can be measured based on the quality of inputs and the ability to learn those inputs. If any of this process is deficient, then output will suffer from quality issues.