KM Artifacts Integrated Around Processes

Did Microsoft Unknowingly Create a Knowledge Management System?

Working in the KM space, I never thought of Microsoft (MSFT) tools as Knowledge Management Systems (KMS).  While KM, in its simple definition, is the methods to extract, codify, search, and present knowledge, KMS’s assist those methods using IT solutions.  Most corporate KMS’s are information or document management repositories, search engines, portals, expert finders, etc.  However, no tool integrates all aspects of knowledge capture, information organization, role access, search, knowledge components (Blogs, Wikkis, Experts, FAQ’s, etc), workflow, presence (Instant Messaging) and information retention; integrated with the users desktop seems to be even further away.

The past 5-months I have worked at MSFT promoting their Information Worker (IW) initiative and gained in-depth knowledge into their 2007 released IW tools.  Tools such as, SharePoint 2007, Office 2007, Form Server, Excel Server, Groove, Live Communication Server, Exchange 2007, OneNote 2007, and Microsoft Search.  Those tools seamlessly integrate with each other, allowing users to transverse between information and applications with single clicks and providing contextually relevant information based upon the user’s profile and the context of potential workflows.  MSFT does not market their tools as a KMS; however, it is closer to a consolidated KMS solution than any single vendor there is.

While Search is phenomenal compared to previous versions it still cannot compare with more robust Learning System or Decision Support Systems.  There is not a taxonomy builder so your KM team is still stuck organizing the Ontological format of your enterprise.  Of course, no tool completely addresses the social work aspect of KM initiatives but the integration between the Office Suite and servers promotes buy-in since the user is not required to depart from their workspace.  Even with those drawbacks, have a MSFT rep come in and show you their consolidated demo to handle Workflow (not BPM), Content Management, Document Management, Presence, and Search.  It will at least give you ideas how your ERP should or should not work.

KANA Agent IQ for Knowledge Management

I inherited a Knowledge Management (KM) project implementing KANA IQ as the Knowledge Management System (KMS).  While KANA provides many features relating to Knowledge Management Initiatives, be aware, it is not an enterprise KMS.  That is a direct quote from a KANA sales rep in 03/07.  While researching the IQ tool, this is what their first two marketing lines read:

Too often, knowledge management solutions simply improve the agent’s ability to research a problem. Unfortunately, search is the wrong solution when it comes to improving the speed and quality of customer service.

While that statement may be true within their toolsets since they incorporated a search engine that Gartner dropped from all four of the magic quadrants, in 2006.  KANA would change their illogical marketing if they demo a tool like Endeca (www.endeca.com) search.  The KANA IQ tool does have value as a repository for the placement of pristine knowledge artifacts, geared for a line of business and not the enterprise.  The tool is not an out of the box solution and requires significant customization.  My advice is to pick a tool that targets the enterprise and spend your dollars customizing that solution instead of a line of business toolset.