What are Knowledge Management Systems?

Knowledge Management Systems provide a platform for storing, organizing, and sharing frequently requested or needed information. They tend to be very configurable platforms, since the structure and application of knowledge management software will vary dramatically from organization to organization. This level of customization tends to require bespoke implementation and clear internal owners of the platform. On the other hand, this configurability will also allow organizations to use the system to serve multiple use cases at once.

Knowledge management systems can be used internally to store and share company and team information. They can also be shared externally to provide company or product information to customers or users. Self-serve repositories of information are also often referred to as knowledge base systems, especially when used to share information with external users.

Knowledge management systems are also designed to handle a wide range of knowledge formats. This can include:

Historical reporting
Process or technical documentation
Timeline tracking
Team data
Contact information
FAQs
Tutorials
Community/forum discussions

Knowledge management systems primarily help users access information more quickly, easily, and reliably. These products can dramatically reduce the time it takes for users to search for the required information. They also mitigate the time and effort spent re-learning and re-teaching knowledge internally. Proper knowledge management can lessen the risk of knowledge loss from employee turnover.

A good customer-facing knowledge base system can increase customer satisfaction and decrease help desk employees’ workload. Customers can find the answers to commonly asked questions on their own, saving time for them and the customer service team.

Knowledge management is a broad category and has significant overlap with other categories. For instance, some organizations will use knowledge management systems as rudimentary learning management systems. Others may use business process management systems to facilitate knowledge management. Knowledge management systems can handle HR data, but they lack the built-in processes found in HR management systems. Knowledge base systems typically integrate with content management systems so they can be displayed on your company’s website.

Knowledge Management Systems Use Cases

Some knowledge management systems are designed to support specific use cases. Internal knowledge management systems can include work instructions (especially for technical work), as well as best practices and standard operating procedures (SOPs). Outside of day-to-day use, knowledge management systems are used internally for onboarding instructions, HR documentation, and employee training.

Externally facing knowledge base systems can also help customers or external users access useful knowledge. For example, they often provide FAQs for customers or site visitors, Wikis and forums, or support customer self-service.

Knowledge Management Systems Comparison

Consider these factors when comparing knowledge management systems:

Internal Vs. External Use: Is this system going to be used internally, externally, or both? For internal use only, security features, audit trails, and version control might be more important than appearance and design. For a customer-facing system, integration with your content management system, support for any types of content you want to share, like video and forums, and easy search and navigation are likely most important.
Ease of Use: The user interface should be easy to navigate and as self-explanatory as possible. Otherwise, much of the self-service utility of the platform will be lost.
Standalone vs. Suite: Knowledge management systems are frequently offered as suites with other kinds of software, including CRM, Help Desk, Project Management, and Intranet. Standalone solutions are typically less expensive, but if your company will be using a knowledge management system in conjunction with these other systems anyway, a suite may make the most sense.

Start a knowledge management systems comparison here

Knowledge Management Systems Pricing Information

Pricing for knowledge management systems varies depending on desired features and whether the knowledge management system is a standalone system or part of a larger software suite. Pricing is typically per user, per knowledge base, or both. Entry level plans start around $5-$15 per user per month or $50-$100 per knowledge base per month and increase to several thousand dollars per month for large teams with complex use cases. Many vendors offer free trials, as well as free plans for small teams.

Deployment Types	On-premise, Software as a Service (SaaS), Cloud, or Web-Based
Operating Systems	Windows, Linux, Mac
Mobile Application	No
Supported Countries	All
Supported Languages	All

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