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In this post, we will cover the best knowledge management software systems and how you can use them to manage data in this digital age.
We're living in an age of big data. So much so that it's hard even to imagine a way in which we could manage more data.
But that day will come, I'm sure.
For now, the problem most organizations are running into - especially those growing quickly - is how to store, sort, manage, and use all the information they're collecting in a way that's easy to interpret and efficient.
This is where knowledge management software and systems come in to save the day.
Knowledge management software is designed to help manage all of the information that your organization is creating in a way that is accessible across the business.
There's a limit to how much data individual apps and tools can manage. There is also a limit to how organized someone can be with documenting their processes.
If you want to make managing and using company knowledge and intelligence easier as your business grows, using a good knowledge management software or system is crucial.
What is knowledge management software?
Simply put, knowledge management software will store and organize information, then present it in a way that is easy for employees and customers to use.
At its best, good knowledge management software will create a knowledge pool for all the data an organization or company has and enable users to use it in dynamic ways.
This enables companies to improve employee retention, customer satisfaction, and acquisition, identify and improve KPIs, and improve other metrics that positively impact their bottom line.
As many a philosopher has said over the years, "Knowledge is power."
Whether you're looking for effective document management or reliable content management; Knowledge management tools give you the power to organize and make informed decisions based on your actual data.
Benefits of knowledge management software
Here are some of the key benefits of using this form of knowledge base software:
Centralized data
Streamlining data from multiple sources and teammates into one place, where anyone can access it, solves many issues on its own.
Good knowledge management software will allow you to connect other tools and import your data.
With better knowledge sharing, you can arrange it how you want the end-user to see it - all in one place.
Personalized interactions
When data is up-to-date and readily available, employees can use it to make customer interactions more personal and informed.
This helps to build relationships and create a better customer experience, improving the service you're offering.
The same applies to internal communications and training, unique solutions are always better received.
Measurable ROIs
Being able to pull real-time analytics, goals, information, processes, alerts, and KPIs is invaluable to any business.
Knowledge management software is among the most effective software regarding keeping everyone clued in to company wide KPIs and tracking them in real time.
As you'll see from the list below, these benefits only scratch the surface of what this software is capable of.
With this in mind, here are 7 of the best knowledge management software and systems to consider introducing into your business:
12+ Best Knowledge Management Software & Systems
1) Spekit
Spekit invites users to "Step into the future of work." This knowledge management software is an in-app learning platform that enables you to streamline and customize all of your employee training materials and company knowledge.
As the only Salesforce Certified Partner that integrates seamlessly with the leading CRM software, you also have some powerful employee training tools at your fingertips.
Built for growing and remote teams, Spekit brings together a simple and fully customizable dashboard along with an intuitive set of tools capable of delivering powerful analytics and reporting options.
Pros
- Easy to use interface and simple onboarding process
- Seamless integration with a long list of tools
- Consolidate a knowledge base across your organization in a centralized wiki
- Easily tailor training materials to meet the individual needs of your employees
Cons
- The number of options can feel overwhelming at first
Spekit Pricing
- Spekit Lite: $10/mo. This plan is ideal for small teams. Included is free training content, their Wiki knowledge base, Slack integration, and more.
- Spekit Pro: $custom. This plan includes everything in Lite, along with Salesforce integration, unlimited content, premium onboarding, a dedicated success manager, and more.
2) Guru
Guru is a real-time knowledge management system. Its intelligent software goes through a simple 3-step process:
- Capturing your team's most valuable information and organizing it
- Transforming that information into workable, trackable knowledge
- Delivering that information when you need it, in the best format
The thing that separates Guru from many other knowledge-based tools and software on the market is its AI technology.
The more you use Guru, the smarter and more in tune with you it becomes. It will find you when you're working and help you by using the information stored in its internal knowledge bases.
Pros
- Modern, clean interface, straightforward to use
- Knowledge starts to trigger from typing as the AI learns about you
- Good range of integrations with other tools
- Content organization options are among its most vital tools
Cons
- The AI doesn't always deliver the desired results
- Can be slow and clunky at times
Guru Pricing
- Starter Plan: FREE. This plan is perfect for small teams looking to get started and try out Guru's AI. You get the browser extension, Slack integration, GSuite, and some other tools
- Builder Plan: $14/mo. This plan includes everything in the Starter plan, along with API access, analytics, knowledge triggers, and some other tools.
- Expert Plan: $24/mo. This plan includes everything in the Builder plan, along with AI, suggest text, and more tools.
Read our Guru review or our comparison of Guru vs WalkMe vs Lessonly vs Whatfix vs Spekit
3) Whatfix
Whatfix is a DAP and knowledge management software tool. This software is designed to "empower your users to make the best use of your software applications."
The real strengths of Whatfix revolve around its simple and customizable dashboard. You can create simple steps for your team members to follow, produce on-demand learning materials, and measure the ROI improvements using the built-in analytics.
Whatfix is best positioned to support small to medium-sized businesses with increasing customer queries and a growing database of customer details.
Pros
- Simple walkthroughs
- Ability to set complex conditions and triggers
- Excellent analytics tools and alerts
- Easy for multiple users to interlink and share content
Cons
- Hard and slow to edit in places; could be smoother
- The steep learning curve for staff without technical or coding knowledge
Whatfix Pricing
- Whatfix says they have different packages for customers to choose from but need to discuss your requirements first.
4) Walkme
Walkme is a Digital Adoption Platform (DAP) and knowledge management system that uses artificial intelligence to help businesses streamline their workflow processes and better use their data.
Used by 30% of Fortune companies, such as Microsoft, PayPal, and BT, Walkme is well established in the market as one of the best data management software solutions for medium to large businesses.
The strength of Walkme lies in its ability to create training materials and track key metrics. It will also automate a lot of repeatable processes and highlight other areas where time can be saved.
Pros
- Some of the best "walk thru" features of any software
- Intuitive UI and easy to integrate with existing tools
- Intelligent AI brings essential information to the locations where it's needed most
- Easy to create documentation, share, and collaborate
Cons
- The workflow builder feels clumsy at times
- Steep learning curve and lengthy onboarding process
Walkme Pricing
- Basic Plan: Contact them for a quote. This plan allows you three walk-thru's, up to 5 steps per walk-thru, 300 assists per month, and basic online support.
- Custom Plan: Contact them for a quote. If you require more walk-thru's than are included in their Basic Plan, their team will work out a custom plan for you.
Read our Walkme review or our comparison of Guru vs WalkMe vs Lessonly vs Whatfix vs Spekit
5) Edcast
Edcast by MyGuide is a DAP that provides a suite of powerful tools to help organizations and employees eliminate repetitive and time-consuming tasks.
You can set up step-by-step instructions for your users, then let them get to grips with the learning materials, videos, onboarding procedures, and anything else you've set up.
The cloud-based software also utilizes AI-powered chatbots to help guide users and has a deep pool of media types, forms, quizzes, and more.
It works out of the box, is easy to integrate, and with pre-built guides for other popular apps, you can seamlessly connect your existing software and start streamlining your processes.
Pros
- Smooth in-app walkthroughs with push notifications
- Loads of pre-built guides and tools
- Interactive sandbox to practice tasks
- Easy to use, no coding or technical knowledge required
Cons
- Survey feature is limited
- UX/UI looks dated next to some of the other software
Edcast Pricing
There are several pricing models, but each comes with a bespoke price depending on your requirements. You'll have to contact a member of their team for a quote.
6) Lessonly
Lessonly’s message is a simple one; “Do Better Work”. That resonates with any business owners turning to knowledge management system to improve their processes.
This software provides all the tools you need to streamline customer service processes, onboarding, sales, managing talent, and much more.
It does so through an intuitive and simple interface, and a suite of tools that enable you to create walkthroughs, paths, guides, and more. With detailed insights on the backend to see how your materials and employees are performing.
Pros
- No prior experience or coding necessary, very simple to use
- Lots of pre-built materials and templates to use
- Good use of graphics and images enables anyone to create user-friendly materials
Cons
- Content reuse options is limited
- Lack of transparency with pricing
Lessonly Pricing
- Pro: Contact for a custom quote. This plan gives you access to their intuitive lesson builder, quizzes, surveys, event tracking, and more.
- Pro + Coaching: Contact for a custom quote. This plan opens up webcam and screen recording, as well as some practice tools and more.
7) Confluence
Confluence is an open and shared workspace that enables organizations to bring their “team’s collective intelligence together” in one centralized place.
The intuitive structure and UI makes creating pages, walkthroughs, onboarding screens, and training materials quick, easy, and scalable.
The strength of the platform is how easy it is to bring in any number of other users to collaborate, share, edit, and communicate with each other. Turning Confluence into a centralized knowledge base and wiki for all your company data.
Pros
- Easy to create an informational wiki and pull information when needed
- Can set permissions and personalize feeds for individual users
- It makes organization-wide communication easy and seamless
Cons
- Basic text formatting capabilities
- Can become difficult to maintain hierarchy and structure as the number of users grows
Confluence Pricing
Confluence offers both cloud-based and self-managed pricing plans. Their plans also scale based on the number of users you require:
- Free: FREE. You can get started for free with up to 10 users.
- Standard: $5/mo per user. This plan opens up some more data usage and features.
- Premium: $10/mo per user. This plan includes advanced features.
8) LevelJump
LevelJump is a cloud-based knowledge management software. The strength of the software is assisting small to medium-sized companies in delivering actionable data and measuring performance.
Being built 100% on Salesforce, the world's #1 CRM, the platform is robust and detailed. It's heavily focused on sales targets and management, but you can also connect learning objectives with job performance and set individual team members' metrics.
Setting up onboarding programs has proven invaluable for most users, setting automated notices, emails, and communications.
Pros
- Wide range of customizable options
- Revenue attribution metrics and detailed analytics
- Can enable notification to alert you when a team member is behind
- Easy to use and roll out to team members to use remotely
Cons
- Hard to edit some of the modules
- Very sales-focused
LevelJump Pricing
- One Plan, No Surprises: $45/mo. Their one price plan simplifies the costing. If you need access for more than 500 users, you'll have to contact a member of their sales team for a custom quote.
9) MindTickle
MindTickle is a knowledge-based solution and sales readiness platform that helps drive business outcomes using data to transform customer-facing teams.
This could be your sales teams, customer success teams, or support groups. If you're collecting data on how your teams are performing, MindTickle will turn it into actionable outcomes.
On a basic level, MindTickle makes sharing information within an organization easy. The deeper you dig into the platform, the more areas for improvement you will identify, and with the help of MindTickle, you can improve your execution.
Pros
- Microlearning and mobile capabilities
- Personalized quiz-based scenarios
- AI insights and feedback
- Easy to navigate through multimedia learning materials
Cons
- Navigation can be confusing and the search function is weak
- Not a lot of variation in the types of exercises
MindTickle Pricing
- Mindtickle doesn't have any set monthly pricing plans. Contact a member of their team to arrange a custom plan.
10) Trainual
Trainual is a powerful learning management system (LMS) and a knowledge management platform. It provides a range of tools and features to help you create and share onboarding and training materials, SOPs, wikis, processes, and more.
This software integrates with all major platforms, such as Dropbox, Asana, Slack, Basecamp, and more. Meaning, you can easily start using Trainual to capture, streamline, and use data from the tools you’re already using.
With so many areas where Trainual can save organizations time and money, it’s no surprise companies of all sizes such as Stanford University and UPS rely on this software to streamline their processes.
Pros
- 7-day free trial enabling you to test the platform before committing
- Create simple step-by-step training guides with ease
- Tests and quizzes are fun to create and engaging
- Huge range of detailed reporting options
Cons
- Difficult to add branding and customize
- Currently no in-app video platform
Trainual Pricing
- PRO: $99/month. This plan gives you access to unlimited, templates, documentation and training materials, along with some other tools.
- Premium: $149/mo. This plan includes all the features in their PRO plan, in addition, you also get phone support and coaching, screen recording, access to stock photo libraries, and more.
11) TalentLMS
Talent is a cloud-based LMS that makes setting up and accessing training materials and knowledge easy from any device, anywhere, and at any time.
You can do everything from quickly recording screen captures and walkthroughs to share with your team, to creating comprehensive courses.
The range of features spans creating surveys, learning materials for onboarding and ongoing training, certifications, pulling reports, and lots more.
Using TalentLMS is intuitive and rewarding. Not only is the UX clean and easy to navigate, but they also utilize super-fast servers combined with Amazon’s CDN to ensure speedy file sharing.
Pros
- Can easily white-label learning materials to share externally
- Homepage and dashboard is fully customizable and even accepts custom CSS
- Native applications for iOS and Android devices
- Superfast cloud servers for speedy file delivery and sharing
Cons
- Some of the features are tricky to use without basic coding knowledge
TalentLMS Pricing
TalentLMS has a number of monthly plans that scale up as you need for additional users also does as follows:
- Free: FREE. You can get started for free with up to 5 users and 10 courses.
- Starter: $59/mo. This plan enables up to 40 users and unlimited courses.
- Basic: $129/mo. This plan enables up to 100 users and unlimited courses.
- Plus: $249/mo. This plan enables up to 500 users and unlimited courses.
- Premium: $429/mo.This plan enables up to 1000 users and unlimited courses.
12) Brainshark
Brainshark has been helping companies better improve how they communicate with, educate, and prepare their client-facing teams for more than two decades.
This LMS and knowledge management software provides some powerful tools, primarily focused on client-facing and sales teams.
These tools include onboarding and training materials, content authoring tools, coaching resources, scorecards to track progress, content management, and more.
If you want to improve and track the efficiency of your client-focused teams, Brainshark has all the tools to do so. From front-end training resources and materials to detailed data on the backend, you can track and improve how your employees are performing.
Pros
- Easy to create and manage all your content from a centralized portal
- Detailed analytics enable you to identify key areas for improvement and monitor KPIs
- Dynamic quiz options and scorecards help to diagnose skill gaps and performance
Cons
- The sales-focused tools will not suit all business types
- Limited editing capabilities when creating content, almost over-simplified in places
Brainshark Pricing
PRO: Custom quotes on request. This plan gives you access to all of their content and training applications.
Premier: Custom quotes on request. This plan includes all the features in their Premier plan plus their Coaching and Practice tools.
Final Thoughts
As you can see from the seven knowledge management software we listed above, they vary significantly in the tools, applications, uses, and pricing.
When deciding on which software you want to try, always reach out to their support team and ask for a full demo of their product before deciding which knowledge management solution fits you and your business best.