Knowledge management tools have become a runaway new niche in the business software industry. With the need for better access of information with open search syntaxes, and the need for training to become more managed and accessible with less ceremony, this was just a matter of time. Knowledge management tools are not just about the organizational learning model of the same name, though heaven knows they work great for that. It’s about connecting people with questions to information with answers, without any complexity or tedium in doing so.
In truth, many things are knowledge management instruments. Things such as the internet itself, search engines, wikis, even this blog are in fact knowledge management facilitators of one form or another, highly specialized. But, I’m not here to talk about such general environmental components as these, I am here to recommend some business software to make this powerful ability even more powerful for the glory of your business.
Knowledge Management Tools to Use
#1 Bloomfire
This is the Swiss army tool of the knowledge management universe. This general purpose information sorting and indexing system works to track queries, index information for best results through intrinsics, and power exchange of information within an organization across any standard channel from any standard devices with a solid central line.
It’s not very expensive, and brings in the power of social management and connectivity for cooperative information exchange and small subsets of information for group tasks. It’s handy, and good for small and medium businesses. Large businesses could use it, but they can afford the bigger beasts and generally will.
#2 – Mindflash
Trainers, rejoice! There is a program to suit all of your training logistics needs and it is Mindflash. This dynamo has an easy to use interface that allows you to design, dispatch and receive results from courses, tests and presentations through Flash, MS Office and Adobe powered media integration.
This is the school of the future system, the 1968 film “1999 A.D.” predicted we would use. It’s here, so let’s use it. Trainers, what’re you waiting for?
#3 – Litmos LMS
This is also a training system, but works if repurposed, as an oddly powerful tool for big businesses. It’s strange, but it’s the interoperability of this thing, targeting an eccentric but useful range of platforms, such as iPhone, iPad, and even Blackberry. This gives it the ability to reach out to more devices for a mobile business environment, which helps reduce the grip of location from workers.
We will one day see a future where workers can use whatever device they like, to do their mundane job from anywhere, so many office jobs will be done by people causally operating portable devices in coffee shops, malls, at home or heck, on a camping trip.
Life will be better, we all agree, when this happens. So, let’s show Litmos some interest, as it brings this concept into training, where people can take a course from the beach on their little apple device now. Let’s encourage this line of thinking in other fields as well.
I’ll also throw in a good word for of course for WalkMe as well. WalkMe transfer Knowledge Management Tools to the employee in the moment of work, as a really invaluable performance support tool. While too many times training sessions are not relevant or applicable to the actual work required on a daily basis, WalkMe actually guides users of websites of enterprise software, step-by-step, enabling them to easily complete even the most complex tasks.
These are the most interesting developments in knowledge management tools right now, from my standpoint. There are a billion choices, but I recommend the ones I think are worth applying right now, or taking an interest in, due to the promise they bring. This is far more constructive overall. I advise you to read time management techniques, to level up your management skills.
