A Knowledge Base [KB] and Knowledge Management System (KMS) are closely related technologies, but they serve distinct roles within an organisation's information and knowledge management processes and frameworks.
This article initially explains how a Knowledge Base differs from a Knowledge Management System, highlighting their varying capabilities and features, and moves on to explain why a Knowledge Management System is the right platform for your contact centre teams.
A KB is an organised source of information that users can quickly access and search, usually containing articles, documents, FAQs, and other structured content. The primary purpose of a KB is to provide quick and efficient access to specific information or solutions to common problems. A KB is an element or database often incorporated within a broader Knowledge Management System.
Alternatively, a KMS is a software platform designed to facilitate the creation, storage, organisation, retrieval, and sharing of knowledge and information within an organisation.
A KMS encompasses a wide range of tools and processes, including but not limited to knowledge bases. In addition to knowledge bases, a KMS includes features like document management, collaboration tools, processes, workflows, communication channels, and analytics.
The primary objective of a KMS is to improve knowledge sharing, collaboration, and decision-making across the organisation by connecting people to the right knowledge, expertise, and resources.
An enterprise-grade KMS like KnowledgeIQ offers features and capabilities beyond those typically found within a KB and delivers a number of additional business benefits.
Traditionally, a KB lacks the capabilities to answer your specific query. That is because it is very encyclopaedic and typically only provides static data.
A KMS fills the gaps by allowing users to contribute and provide feedback on the content, something that is not offered in a traditional KB. The benefit is that a KMS breaks down information silos by enabling more chances for collaboration.
In a KB it is common for users to upload new documents without archiving old information. Multiple copies of documents can be published without proper archiving or numbering leading to confusion on what is the most up to date content. This means KBs often have repetitive, conflicting, and outdated information. KBs allow documents to be downloaded onto local devices – which can result in old documents being shared in perpetuity.
A KMS like KnowledgeIQ however, provides versioning control. This allows users to only view the most recent version of a document, enforcing version control. Administrators that have access to the backend can view previous versions of a document
KnowledgeIQ allows users by default to print and download documents, but should it be required the system can be configured to disable this functionality.
Both KBs and KMSs have search functionality. However, the nature of the search is different because of each solution’s’ set-up. Typically, a KB has a rudimentary search based on keywords, but if you do not input the correct keywords, you will be unable to find the answers you are looking for.
Search within a KMS supports complex queries, respects user access levels, and enables fast discovery of key knowledge while also uncovering related insights that users may not have initially considered.
KnowledgeIQ's Smart Search has you covered with an intuitive, relevance-based search result for any query. It will find the best match even if the users' search does not match specifically to any articles. KnowledgeIQ will allow you to create synonyms and stop words to fine-tune search results.
In a KB the permissions are simple with minimal tiers. If you need several tiers of user permissions, a KB will not suffice. Many KBs do not have all-encompassing security groups and permissions.
Alternatively, enterprise KMS platforms allow for robust group and permission capabilities; the ability to categorise content, articles and even singular elements within a given article can be restricted to certain user groups. This allows for multiple users (agents, customers, employees, partners, etc.) to access the same article but only view the content they have the permissions to see. This makes article creation and management much simpler and cleaner, helping to remove duplicate content. This capability is enabled by Single Sign On and other authentication technology that allows organisations to serve the right content to the right people.
Often a KB lacks a hierarchical information architecture. The content itself is not categorised accordingly, but instead, is stored on the same level. This creates a poor navigational experience and weakens the findability of content for the broader user base within the organisation.
The underlying foundations of a KMS is a protected site structure which provides a framework that makes it easy for users to find and consume relevant content, either through a navigation or searching. A meaningful site structure creates the best navigation experience and allows a business to facilitate the flow of knowledge clearly and efficiently.
KBs often struggle to support governance requirements of larger more complex enterprises. They often lack functionality to double-check and approve content changes, so errors can creep in. They do not always have the ability to notify users of updates, and this can be problematic.
A KMS like KnowledgeIQ, includes sophisticated and configurable publishing and approval workflows to support governance and operational needs for diverse teams or departments. Authors will see a notification that another author is editing a particular knowledge article thus preventing conflicting actions in real time. In a similar vein, users can also receive notifications of changes, so the teams are made instantly aware – imperative for customer facing teams.
Most KBs will provide a level of reporting, but this is often basic – you may just get reports on page views and search queries.
A KMS should provide a wide variety of detailed reports available to support organisations in ensuring the available information is kept optimal. As well as analysing the content you can also use the inbuilt reporting to check peak usage times, analyse engagement across teams, locations, divisions and business units, review feedback data and monitor user behaviour.
While a KB is effectively a repository of structured information, a KMS also includes tools and processes for managing an organisation's knowledge and promoting effective knowledge sharing and collaboration across the enterprise.
KnowledgeIQ is a scalable KMS that helps businesses tackle increasingly complex challenges. With KnowledgeIQ, your information becomes more readily available and collaborative, translating data into practical outcomes.
To find out more on how KnowledgeIQ can help you capture and retain your organisations knowledge, request a discussion with one of our experienced team members today.
