CRM - November 2008 - (Page BPS2)

2 November 2008 CRM magazine Best Practices Series: Finally Acknowledging Knowledge Management Knowledge management (KM) is one of those strategic business processes that definitely improved with age. I was involved with Knowledge Management magazine back in the late 1990s— around the same time that CRM magazine was really taking off. Unfortunately, Knowledge Management (the magazine) never really got to enjoy the supersonic growth that sent CRM into the stratosphere during the dot-com days. KM’s main problem back then? Companies found themselves struggling to quantify the return on any investment in a KM initiative. And there were other concerns. For one, KM had yet to escape its tweedy, document-management–era reputation as a “repository of documents” technology. (Not much help in generating buzz or hype.) As if a branding image wasn’t enough to deal with, think back to the state of enterprise computing at the end of the last century: ultra-low bandwidths, limited computational power, nonexistent mobile applications, and a far less robust Internet. No wonder, then, that most companies viewed true knowledge management as a promising idea whose time had not yet come. Flash-forward 10 years: That time is now. Technology and infrastructure have reached a level of sophistication where true KM is not only possible, but thriving. What’s more, the same social factors that have driven the Web 2.0 explosion through the rest of the enterprise happen to be a perfect match for the content expertise, adoption, and distribution that are the bread-and-butter of any KM implementation. In the following sponsored supplement to CRM magazine, you’ll find seven different approaches to knowledge management. These leading vendors have achieved real-world benefits by aligning demand forecasts with inventory control and supply chain management, and by applying best practices to augment your marketing or product-introduction efforts—all using KM to guide the process. None of this was even possible just a few short years ago. As a devotee of customer relationship management, I’m particularly impressed with the natural engagement KM 2.0 solutions foster with customers at a deeply personal level. Astonishingly quick adoption rates and amazingly deep customer engagement are the drivers that have turned KM into a business strategy with immediate impact on contact centers, Web selfservice, back-office operations, and good oldfashioned face-to-face selling. This is our third annual Knowledge Management supplement—and I believe, thanks to of the diversity of solutions it contains, it’s the most exciting by far. We’d like to encourage you to visit the Web sites of these leading vendors to learn more about their particular solutions. I also want to remind you that the entire section is available for download at your convenience, on our Web site, www.destinationCRM.com/BestPractices. Enjoy! Bob Fernekees VP/Group Publisher CRM Media/Information Today, Inc. http://www.destinationCRM.com/BestPractices

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of CRM - November 2008

CRM - November 2008 Contents Front Office Feedback Reality Check Customer Centricity The Tipping Point Working with the Years CRM on Twitter Virtual Spenders Contact Centers Chatting to Success The Complexity Chasm Required Reading Generational Spending: A Special Report Who, What, Where, When, Y The Slackers’ X-cellent Adventure The Boomer Boom The Matures Endure Boosting Productivity North of the Border Changing the Channel Invicta’s Thrill of Victory Secret of My Success Connect Re:Tooling Pint of View

CRM - November 2008

For optimal viewing of this digital publication, please enable JavaScript and then refresh the page. If you would like to try to load the digital publication without using Flash Player detection, please click here.