Knowledge management

WHAT IS IT?

Modern knowledge management systems consist of components such as content management, document management and a search function, which can also make the content of documents accessible.

WHAT DOES IT DO?

Whenever an employee leaves a company, the knowledge they have accumulated over the years goes with them – even today. In addition, a lot of knowledge is held in a non-digital form or is buried somewhere within non-searchable documentation. This is why companies are endeavouring to gather all this information together in a structured format so it can be reused.

In a Service department, for example, it is vital that the correct documentation, instructions and any notes are readily available for the exact machine that the engineer is about to service. Knowledge management ensures that all these documents are complete and presented in the right format. A knowledge management system makes the collated information available to engineers, agents and – in the self-service sphere – the customer.

WHAT ARE ITS BENEFITS?

A knowledge management system opens up to companies the treasure trove of knowledge and experience that previously resided in the heads of their employees or was hidden in impenetrable documentation, assuming it was ever consigned to paper in the first place. Document management systems that index existing documents and make them accessible provide a simple way of taking the first steps along the path towards knowledge management.