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Technologies for implementing knowledge management

The implementation of digital business applications can support knowledge management through 

providing different applications which support the five different steps of knowledge management 

described above. Binney (2001) identifies six different classes of KM applications as follows:

1 

Transactional. Helpdesk and customer service applications.

2 

Analytical. Data warehousing and data mining for CRM applications.

3 

Asset management. Document and content management.

4 

Process support. Total quality management, benchmarking, BPR, Six Sigma (see 

www.

isixsigma.com

 for further information).

5 

Developmental. Enhancing staff skills and competencies – training and e‑learning.

6 

Innovation and creation. Communities, collaboration and virtual teamwork.

Today, there is much discussion about the opportunities for using collaborative tools like 

Yammer, which we introduced in Chapter 2, to enable sharing of information using social 

networking approaches. Collectively this approach and these tools is often referred to as 

Enterprise 2.0. You can see that these are potentially applicable across all six stages identified 

above and can help share tacit and explicit knowledge.

Vendors now offer many tools for knowledge management, but it must be recognised that 

these tools only facilitate knowledge management. Major changes to knowledge creation and 

dissemination processes within the organisation are likely to be required to reap the benefits 

of this technology.

Alternative tools for managing knowledge include:

● 

Knowledge capture tools such as software for devising knowledge maps and mind maps.

● 

Knowledge sharing techniques such as chat, discussion groups, wikis, webinars and 

 video‑  conferencing.

● 

Knowledge delivery tools such as intranets and email.

● 

Knowledge storage in document databases or knowledge bases such as Lotus Notes/

Domino and content management systems.

● 

Electronic document management systems such as Interleaf publisher.

● 

Expert systems used to capture specific  task‑  based knowledge and deliver a solution.

Chaffey and Wood (2005) point out that intranets tend to have three stages of sophistication 

for knowledge management:

1 

Static. Basic web pages stored on a web server. Information publishing is centrally con‑

trolled. Employees browse and search for information but do not interact. Content 

is refreshed on an irregular basis. The danger is that the intranet will become a silo of 

underused and untrustworthy information.

2 

Interaction. The intranet evolves into a dynamic environment developing around the 

knowledge needs of employees. Publishing becomes a regular process that many employees 

are involved with. Discussion boards and bulletin boards are introduced. Employees start 

to develop trust in using the intranet to share and locate knowledge.

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