KMS

Knowledge management systems, or KMS, are systems that help create, store and share information within an organization. These types can be very useful in promoting efficiency within a company. When many coworkers are working on the same or similar projects, KMS systems come into play by allowing them to share the knowledge that they have collected and developed for different knowledge-intensive tasks. This promotes efficiency because different can take data from these systems rather than having to collect or create knowledge themselves. This can save hours of work for all employees withing projects. (1)

KMS can also be useful to a company by assuring that all knowledge be deposited in the same place, so that employees work and creation can be kept track of so that they do not take valuable information to a competing company without the first company finding out. (2) KMS are based on databases using software such as Microsoft SQL database. On top of the database, a user interface is given, mostly in the form of a GIU, or graphical user interface, which allows the individual employees within a company able to access and add to the database on their own.(3) The architecture is based on the three uses of the KMS; knowledge creation, knowledge sharing and knowledge reuse.(4)

An example of a possibility of applying the use of a KMS in a business could be in marketing, where employees create different ideas for marketing a product based on data found in the KMS, such as demographic pricing and focus groups on the product. This would be the knowledge creation. Their ideas generated during a brainstorming session could be stored in the KMS and accessed by anyone in their organization. This would be the knowledge sharing. If one idea is used for a marketing campaign, the rest of the unused ideas could be stored and may be useful at a later date when the process resatarts. This would be the knowledge reuse.

(1) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Knowledge_Management_System

(2) http://www.ibs-company.com/content/eng/212/2122-article.asp

(3) http://uits.iu.edu/page/azet

(4) http://www.sciencedirect.com/science?_ob=ArticleURL&_udi=B6VB4-4BKPSMC-1&_user=1510644&_coverDate=02/29/2004&_rdoc=1&_fmt=high&_orig=search&_origin=search&_sort=d&_docanchor=&view=c&_searchStrId=1603866579&_rerunOrigin=google&_acct=C000053384&_version=1&_urlVersion=0&_userid=1510644&md5=14466d55e4916fe0a961eaac4e265986&searchtype=a