When to Build Web Application-Based Knowledge Management Solutions?

Knowledge management is a "hot" term in the market today. Intranet technology is no less talked about. Is there a connection between the two, as many claim to present?

Three Main Reasons for Connecting Knowledge Management to Intranet Solutions

There are three main reasons for connecting knowledge management to intranet solutions, some substantive, some less so:

Technology-Driven Need for Search Capabilities

Computer-based knowledge management often requires a connection to a powerful yet user-friendly search engine. The internet is an environment rich with search engines and search tools. After all, the main (and certainly the source on which the entire internet was based) is searching in a huge knowledge repository that is not organized in any way. Intranet technology is therefore suitable for managing such repositories.

External Knowledge Integration Requirements

Knowledge management can focus on the knowledge that exists within the organization. However, there are cases when this knowledge is already organized, such as when dealing with business intelligence, R&D, or building new knowledge infrastructures, where knowledge management focuses on locating and acquiring external knowledge. In such cases, the connection to the internet (due to its content) is critical, and building a complementary intranet-based solution is only natural, as this is the work environment in which people are already located.

The "Trendy Technology" Factor

Intranet solutions are currently "IN." When a group requests a new computer solution that doesn't rely on outdated systems, few organizations will be tempted to build the solution in an innovative environment, regardless of its appropriateness. Intranet solutions have become, in the last year, a "solution looking for a problem," and unfortunately, the intranet is not always the optimal solution.

The Critical Principle: Meet Users Where They Are

It is essential to remember that knowledge management must be performed where knowledge is produced or where it is needed. If this environment is an intranet, then it is the ideal environment. However, if knowledge is required by the human resources person who is using the ERP system, or if knowledge is needed in the Outlook environment, then that's where the solutions need to be provided. There are a few cases where knowledge seeks knowledge.

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