Purpose - Knowledge management (KM) needs a systematic approach to develop capabilities which accelerate the evolution of knowledge into a key organizational resource. This paper aims to address this issue. Design/methodology/appraoch - This paper reports the empirical findings of a case study offering insights into the infrastructure and process capabilities required to provide knowledge support for organizational routines and activities. Findings - It also presents a four-stage framework that helps to make sense of the development of capabilities during the implementation of KM initiatives. Practical implications - The research moves KM capability development from being a mere concept to being a clearly articulated set of stages, which underpin organizational growth. Originality/value - As above, the research moves KM capability development from being a mere concept to being a clearly articulated set of stages, which underpin organizational growth.