Enterprise-Wide Knowledge Management Systems
Enterprise-wide knowledge management systems are firmwide efforts to collect, store, distribute, and apply digital content and knowledge. They use an array of technologies for storing structured and unstructured content, locating employee expertise, searching for information, disseminating knowledge, and using data from key corporate systems.
Figure 11-4
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FIGURE 11-4 ENTERPRISE-WIDE KNOWLEDGE MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS
Enterprise-wide knowledge management systems use an array of technologies for storing structured
and unstructured documents, locating employee expertise, searching for information, disseminating
knowledge, and using data from enterprise applications and other key corporate systems. |
There are three major categories of enterprise-wide KMS:
- Structured knowledge systems
- Semistructured knowledge systems
- Knowledge networks
Structured knowledge systems provide databases and tools for organizing and storing structured knowledge that exists in formal documents. KPMG International's KWorld is an example. It provides online access to presentations, white papers, best practice guidelines, methodologies, human resources information, professional resumes, research reports, and external news sources. It also features a tool that permits collaboration among team members and clients in a secure Web environment.
Figure 11-5
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FIGURE 11-5 KWORLD’S KNOWLEDGE DOMAINS
KPMG’s KWorld is organized into nine levels of content that are further classified by product, market
segment, and geographic area. |
Semistructured knowledge systems provide databases and tools for organizing and storing semistructured knowledge, such as e-mail, brochures, or rich media, that is not in a formal document or report. Such systems provide a database and technical infrastructure that tracks, stores, and organizes semistructured content.
Figure 11-6
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FIGURE 11-6 HUMMINGBIRD’S INTEGRATED KNOWLEDGE MANAGEMENT SYSTEM
Hummingbird’s enterprise solution combines document management, knowledge management,
business intelligence, and portal technologies and can be used for managing semistructured as well as
structured knowledge. |
Structured and semistructured knowledge systems provide knowledge repositories. Taxonomies (schemes for classifying information) and tagging are used to classify repository content so that it is easier to access.
Knowledge network systems try to turn tacit, unstructured knowledge into explicit knowledge that can be shared in a database. To disseminate tacit knowledge, knowledge network systems may provide directories and tools for locating firm employees with special expertise, or provide solutions to commonly found problems in a central knowledge database or FAQ repository.
Figure 11-7
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FIGURE 11-7 ASKME ENTERPRISE KNOWLEDGE NETWORK SYSTEM
A knowledge network maintains a database of firm experts, as well as accepted solutions to known
problems. The system facilitates the communication between employees looking for knowledge and
internal solution providers, either through the Web-based system, standard e-mail such as Outlook,
and instant messaging solutions or handheld devices. Solutions created in this communication are
then added to a database of solutions in the form of frequently asked questions (FAQs), best practices,
or other documents. |
Technologies used for supporting knowledge management systems include:
- Enterprise knowledge portals to external information and internal resources
- Collaboration technologies, including e-mail, chat, discussion groups, conferencing
- Consumer Web technologies, such as blogs, wikis, and social bookmarking
- Learning management systems (LMS): LMS provide tools for managing, delivering, tracking, and assessing various types of employee learning and training.
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