The knowledge management stage is the final step in the ITIL Service Transition stage. It is described in the ITIL online courses. The knowledge management process ensures that all employees of an IT service provider are able to contribute to its vision and mission and ensure that the services they provide to customers add value. The ITIL foundation exam will assess your knowledge about the knowledge management process and its goals. This is what we will explain here.
A company’s knowledge and experience determines its capability. Capabilities are different from resources. While resources are primarily related to a company’s budget, capabilities can only be acquired through experience and cannot be bought. Knowledge is a valuable resource for a company. It must be kept in the company and made available to other employees. This is largely achieved through knowledge management.
The goal of the knowledge management system
The knowledge management process’ primary purpose is to enable organizations to improve their management decision making by ensuring that reliable, secure information and data are available throughout the Service Lifecycle. Let’s say that there is a best-practice for fixing a bug in an IT Service provider’s software, or a quicker way to handle a request for service delivery, or a workaround until a permanent fix is available. These are all important data, knowledge, and information that should be managed. These types of information and data are managed and controlled through the knowledge management process.
The goals of the knowledge management process
Let’s take a look at the goals of the knowledge management process. The knowledge management process has three main objectives that allow an IT service provider to:
Improve efficiency and quality of service
Increase satisfaction
Service costs can be reduced
Efficiency through simplified procedures
All employees of an IT Service provider should know the workarounds for known problems or a simpler method of doing things. This will allow for a faster delivery of services or a workaround. This will allow for efficient service delivery, better service quality, customer satisfaction, and lower costs. The knowledge management process is designed to provide critical data and information to the staff of an IT Service Provider.
Clear and mutual understanding of the value of services
Another goal of knowledge management is to ensure that all employees have a clear understanding of the value of their services to customers. Every employee must be familiar with the company’s mission, vision, and high-level strategies. When delivering a service, each employee must remember the ultimate value it will bring to customers. A telecom operator should aim to provide connectivity wherever a subscriber is. A vendor could also aim to provide support for each customer seven days a week, twenty-four hours a day, etc. The knowledge management process ensures that staff are aware of the company’s mission, vision, strategy, and the value it should deliver to customers.
Ensure that staff have the right information
The knowledge management process’s final goal is to ensure that IT service provider staff have the right information. It is essential that IT service providers have the right people to deliver successful service delivery to customers. Staff members who provide the service to customers must be well-trained, especially if they are providing the end service.