How to Start a Knowledge Management System

Knowledge Management (KM) is becoming an important part of many
organization's strategies. Knowledge Management is the collection of
the knowledge that makes the business run successfully. It asks
employees to share what they know for the benefit of the organization.
It is estimated that a huge percentage of knowledge is lost due to
employee attrition as well as forgetfulness on the part of employees.
Here's a basic outline on how to get a Knowledge Management system up
and running.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

1. The absolute first thing you need to do is assess what the company's
   greatest needs are. Is it training? Is it employee attrition? Is it a
   total lack of document access?

2. After assessing, you must put together a flow chart. The most
   important items should be at the top. Those should be done first as
   they will have the greatest impact.

3. Next, you must evangelize. You have to get people on board with the
   idea. It can be a hard sell, but when people start to see how it makes
   their jobs easier, then they are more apt to come along.

4. Then you have to make the material. You have to make sure that the
   quality is top-knotch. If it seems like you are not putting in 100
   percent, it may be hard to sell the idea.

5. You have to find an electronic platform to post your material. Some of
   the more common platforms are wikis and content management systems.
   You can also use simple HTML pages.

Tips & Warnings

• Whatever you decide to do, make sure to have a plan and be organised. That can make all the difference,
• This can be a daunting undertaking.