Technology has two roles within the knowledge management mix: to connect people and to provide a shared space where organizational knowledge can be easily stored and retrieved. When implementing new technology or improving existing technology, organizations need to consider some key points.
What are we trying to achieve with this technology? What is its function?
Before looking at any available technologies, you first need to decide what the function is for the program. Is its function to connect people or to store data? Is it supposed to be a place for people to share best practices or ideas worth replicating? Answering these questions will help you decide which programs to investigate further.
What forms of knowledge management technologies are out there? How have these technologies been working for businesses like ours?
Do your research to ensure you have a thorough understanding of what is available to meet your organization’s needs.
How much will this technology cost to implement?
Make sure to include the cost of the initial purchase, hardware and software requirements, training, maintenance, future upgrades, support, and yearly renewal fees.
Do we have the existing components required to launch a new knowledge management technology?
Once you have selected a technology, make sure your existing company IT can support the new technology you want to implement. If it does not, take the necessary steps to upgrade.
Will this technology be easy to use and navigate?
Ease of use should be a design criterion.
How much training will be needed to ensure people know how to use the program?
Make sure you have the tools to offer the support to the end user. Without proper training, your investment will fall flat.
Do we have the internal expertise to train people or will we have to bring in consultants to help with implementation?
Find out whom in or outside your organization can deliver the training and what the costs will be for each option.
Do we want to pilot the program first or do a full organizational launch?
Even when we think we have chosen the best program, we may like to see how this upgrade will function in our organization before doing a system-wide change. Decide whether you would like to do a small pilot of the program or get everyone on the same page at once. Both approaches have their pros and cons. It is up to you to decide based on the parameters you are working with.
How long will it take to get the programs we need up and running?
This question should be addressed to give yourself and any invested parties a better idea of the time you will need to deliver. Make sure you have given yourself a reasonable amount of time to deliver. Allot extra time for unforeseen roadblocks.
Summary
Thorough answers to these questions will better enable your company to choose the technology it needs to best support the knowledge system it would like to implement. These answers are also contextual; the technology that works for one business may not be the best choice for yours. When choosing your knowledge management technologies, you have to consider what your company is trying to achieve with your knowledge management program.