Knowledge Management Software

Knowledge management software is a suite of tools that helps companies centralize the collective knowledge across their organization and make it easily accessible for collaboration. Knowledge management systems build efficiency among teams, support faster decision-making, and streamline processes like training and onboarding. This software can help companies reach business goals more quickly, while enhancing productivity and employee satisfaction.

Knowledge management software closely correlates with Content Management Systems (CMS) tools, with both systems commonly being used together either via integrations, or with one flagship vendor offering both capabilities. While there are numerous overlaps between the two, knowledge management and CMS possess one key difference; CMS tools are used to simply store and organize data and files, while knowledge management systems ingest and contextualize all this stored data to deliver personalized recommendations and smart suggestions (usually with the help of AI).

Key Features of Knowledge Management Software

• Collaboration: Collaboration tools in knowledge management systems foster teamwork, prevent information silos, and ensure unified use of approved tools for consistent reporting and productivity.
• Feedback System: The feedback or Q&A feature allows employees to share ideas and provide input, keeping the knowledge base relevant and employees engaged in the process.
• Search Functionality: Knowledge management systems offer efficient search functionality so users can quickly find needed information across the platform.
• Reporting and Built-in Analytics: Knowledge management analytics provide insights into user behavior, such as frequently searched topics, to optimize content and improve the knowledge system’s effectiveness.
• No-Code, Flexible Workflows: Knowledge management software provides drag-and-drop capabilities to build custom workflows, through tagging and interlinking content.
• Integration with Third-Party Tools: Knowledge management software integrates with existing apps to enhance productivity and ensure seamless workflows.

Key Knowledge Management Software Integrations

Knowledge management systems frequently integrate with:

• Learning Management Systems (LMS): Knowledge management tools are a highly useful (and oftentimes even necessary) requirement for modern LMS systems, as it helps disseminate a wide variety of resources to both teachers and students. From facilitating microlearning in due course of study, or delivering contextualized search results across a knowledge base, knowledge management tools prove to be indispensable for LMS solutions today.
• Contact center solutions: Many leading contact center solutions already offer inbuilt knowledge management capabilities to assist agents with the right information, as they interact with customers over an omnichannel network. However, dedicated knowledge management solutions can be seamlessly integrated to further amplify the frequency and quality of sharing highly personalized and contextualized information.
• ITSM solutions: As IT teams scramble to make sense of user requests, a knowledge management system can help provide granular insight through past interactions, documentation and assets that may be associated with said customer, or the issue(s) they are facing.
• Workforce management solutions: Knowledge management systems, when integrated with workforce management solutions can enable HR teams to take care of an employee, from first onboarding them until right to the end of their tenure. From sharing the right induction resources to facilitating payroll, salary slips and exit documentation, knowledge management is now an integral part of most HR business units across organizations of all sizes.