MBA 2nd Semester, Management Information System

Unit 02
What Does Transaction Process System (TPS) Mean?
A transaction process system (TPS) is an information processing system for business
transactions involving the collection, modification and retrieval of all transaction data.
Characteristics of a TPS include performance, reliability and consistency.

TPS is also known as transaction processing or real-time processing.

Techopedia Explains Transaction Process System (TPS)

A transaction process system and transaction processing are often contrasted with a
batch process system and batch processing, where many requests are all executed at one time.
The former requires the interaction of a user, whereas batch processing does not require user
involvement. In batch processing the results of each transaction are not immediately
available. Additionally, there is a delay while the many requests are being organized, stored
and eventually executed. In transaction processing there is no delay and the results of each
transaction are immediately available. During the delay time for batch processing, errors can
occur. Although errors can occur in transaction processing, they are infrequent and tolerated,
but do not warrant shutting down the entire system.

To achieve performance, reliability and consistency, data must be readily accessible

in a data warehouse, backup procedures must be in place and the recovery process must be in
place to deal with system failure, human failure, computer viruses, software applications or
natural disasters.

Processing Types
Transaction processing is distinct from and can be contrasted with other computer
processing models, such as batch processing, time-sharing, and real-time processing

Batch processing
Batch processing is execution of a series of programs (jobs) on a computer without
manual intervention. Several transactions, called a batch are collected and processed at the
same time. The results of each transaction are not immediately available when the transaction
is being entered; there is a time delay.

Real-time processing
"Real time systems attempt to guarantee an appropriate response to a stimulus or
request quickly enough to affect the conditions that caused the stimulus." Each transaction in
Realtime processing is unique; it is not part of a group of transactions.

Page | 1
MBA 2nd Semester, Management Information System

Transaction processing
A Transaction Processing System (TPS) is a type of information system that collects,
stores, modifies and retrieves the data transactions of an enterprise. Transaction processing
systems also attempt to provide predictable response times to requests, although this is not as
critical as for real-time systems. Rather than allowing the user to run arbitrary programs as
time-sharing, transaction processing allows only predefined, structured transactions. Each
transaction is usually short duration and the processing activity for each transaction is
programmed in advance.

Transactions Processing System Features

Performance
Fast performance with a rapid response time is critical. Transaction processing
systems are usually measured by the number of transactions they can process in a given
period of time.
Continuous availability
The system must be available during the time period when the users are entering
transactions. Many organizations rely heavily on their TPS; a breakdown will disrupt
operations or even stop the business.
Data integrity
The system must be able to handle hardware or software problems without corrupting
data. Multiple users must be protected from attempting to change the same piece of data at
the same time, for example two operators cannot sell the same seat on an airplane.
Ease of use
Often users of transaction processing systems are casual users. The system should be
simple for them to understand, protect them from data-entry errors as much as possible, and
allow them to easily correct their errors.
Modular growth
The system should be capable of growth at incremental costs, rather than requiring a
complete replacement. It should be possible to add, replace, or update hardware and software
components without shutting down the system.

Transactions Processing
Processing in a batch
Transactions may be collected and processed as in batch processing. Transactions will
be collected and later updated as a batch when it's convenient or economical to process them.

Page | 2
MBA 2nd Semester, Management Information System

Historically, this was the most common method as the information technology did not exist to
allow real-time processing.
Processing in real-time
This is the immediate processing of data. It provides instant confirmation of a
transaction. It may involve a large number of users who are simultaneously performing
transactions which change data. Because of advances in technology (such as the increase in
the speed of data transmission and larger bandwidth), real-time updating is possible.

Advantages

 Batch or real-time processing available.

 Reduction in processing time, lead time and order cycle time.
 Reduction in inventory, personnel and ordering costs.
 Increase in productivity and customer satisfaction.

Transaction processing system components

1. Inputs

An input is an original request for a product or payment that an outside party sends to
a company's TPS. If your company uses batch processing, its TPS stores groups of inputs and
then processes them at a later time. In comparison, if your company uses a real-time system,
it processes each input as it arrives.

Inputs typically include:

 invoices
 bills
 coupons
 custom orders

2. Processing system

The processing system reads each input and creates a useful output, such as a receipt.
This element can help you define the input data and what the output should be. Based on the
kind of TPS your company is using, processing times can vary.

3. Storage

The storage component of TPS refers to where a company keeps its input and output
data. Some companies store these documents in a database. The storage component ensures
the organization, security and accessibility of every document for later use.

For example, if a vendor would like to confirm that your company has paid an
invoice, you can check your system's storage to find the invoice and determine if you
delivered a payment.

Page | 3
MBA 2nd Semester, Management Information System

4. Outputs

TPS outputs are documents the system generates once it completes processing all
inputs, such as receipts the company stores in its records. These documents can help validate
a sale or transaction and provide important reference information for tax and other official
purposes.

For example, if a vendor sends your company an invoice, you can pay the invoice and
send the vendor confirmation of your payment. Then, you can amend the original invoice and
mark it as "paid" in the company's TPS.

TPS benefits
Increased transaction speeds

With a TPS in place, businesses can effectively increase the speed of each transaction
to minimize wait times for customers. Some systems process transactions in real time, while
others collect transaction information during a set period and then process it at a later time,
often after business hours.

Improved cost efficiency

A TPS can potentially conduct and organize thousands of transactions throughout the
day. This can save a company money by reducing the need to upgrade the system or use more
than one system to meet demand.

Improved reliability

Using a TPS can ensure that you process customer transactions quickly and
accurately. A reliable TPS can also help your organization save money on potential
troubleshooting or coding costs for malfunctioning systems.

Automated management

ATPS automates much of a company’s internal resource and revenue management.

By increasing automation, employees can spend less time reviewing transactions. Automation
is an important part of increasing the profitability of a business because it offers employees
more time to focus on engaging tasks that require critical thinking.

Page | 4
MBA 2nd Semester, Management Information System

What is Office Automation Systems?

With the realization of its benefits, automation is becoming an everyday practice in
many organizations. Both SMEs and large-scale enterprises are now leveraging the power of
automation in boosting their productivity while reducing costs simultaneously.

Whether it’s downloading that accounting software or acquiring an app to help with
processes such as data reporting or screening applicants during hiring, automation is slowly
taking over the workplace. However, this doesn’t imply that such an organization has
achieved automation. You can only achieve full-scale automation if an organization rolls out
an office automation system.

This article covers all that you need to know about office automation systems,
including meaning, benefits, implementation process, and the features of an effective
automation system.

What’s the Meaning of Office Automation System?

By definition, office automation is the process of setting and watching data flow
around by itself such that there’s no human intervention, errors, and inaccuracies of any kind.
For this to happen, there needs to be an office tool responsible for collecting, organizing,
storing, analysing, and disseminating the data. Such tools are designed to be reliable and can
be trusted in the handling of confidential organizational data. Technology is revolutionizing
how work is done in the office and organizational settings. Traditional systems and office
practices quickly become employees’ mistakes extinct with the infiltration of new and
seamless technologically advanced tools that improve efficiency, save on costs and enhance
quality. For instance, email communication has taken the place of memos, shared drives have
kicked cabinet filing through the window and employee timesheet stamping has been
rendered useless by biometrics.

What Is an Office Automation System?

Now that we know what office automation is let’s now shift our focus to the office
automation system, the real deal. It’s Defined as the tool that facilitates the movement of data
from one system to another by itself without the intervention of human mechanisms or
inaccuracies. Such tools provide tremendous assistance in collecting data, secure analysis,
and accomplishing everyday tasks with ease. The goal of such tools is to automate and
optimize all the business procedures and processes.

What are the Benefits Office Automation System?

Many benefits are accruing to businesses that have already implemented full office
automation systems. Regardless of the organization’s size, there’s no shortage of benefits that
these organizations can reap. But the feature that cuts across organizations of all sizes
regardless of their industry is the ability of the office automation systems to reduce manual
effort, save on time, and store a large volume of data.

Page | 5
MBA 2nd Semester, Management Information System

The tools work to streamline the daily administrative and management practices,
ensuring no delay and errors are a thing of the past. Another benefit is that these tools
enhance process visibility, giving the administrators an upper hand at spotting and tackling
bottlenecks well in advance before they even crop up.

1. Mobile Compatibility

Companies and businesses are quickly adapting to the new normal by adopting remote
working. Many of them have implemented mobile office systems, which has enabled many of
their employees to work.

All this wouldn’t have been possible without the input of office automation systems.
And it doesn’t need to be employees working who benefit from this automation. In other
words, it’s now possible to work from anywhere. You could be seated at the airport waiting
to get onto your next flight and need to check in to see how things are running.

Better still, you don’t have to cut short your adventurous escapade in Hawaii just to
return to the office to accomplish a task. So long as your organization has a fully automated
office system, all you need to do is log in, do whatever it is you want to be done, and get back
to traveling or enjoying the beautiful beaches of Hawaii.

2. Saves Time and Resources

Automation, in other words, means getting more done with fewer resources while
saving time. It means getting rid of the highly tedious, complex, and sometimes monotonous
tasks so that the workforce can focus their energy and time elsewhere. For instance, the
paperless filing system that staff doesn’t need to waste a lot of time cruising the file cabinets
back and forth just to find a single file.

Instead, it’s simply a matter of clicking and Walla; your document is right there
before you. It takes seconds to spend their time on high-value tasks like generating reports or
going through the analysed ones. According to this study, automation can save up to 3 hours
of a single employee’s time.

3. Availability of Reports and Analytics

There’s only one way to tell if your investment in office automation systems is
generating a favourable ROI; data. Factors like employee motivation could be a pointer, but it
doesn’t necessarily mean that things are working out according to projections and plans.

Data, on the other hand, makes all the difference. It makes it possible to compare the
process history, actual vs. anticipated outcomes, speed of delivery, and many other metrics.

By adopting a single piece of multifaceted software, it’s possible to synchronize and

harmonize all operations that entail everything from collection, organization, analysis, and
storage of data, generation and sharing of reports.

Page | 6
MBA 2nd Semester, Management Information System

4. Minimal Errors

You know what they say; humans are to error. But a properly implemented office
automation system will rid you of that worry. One thing about errors is that they lead to
production delays since they have to be rectified, cross-checked again before they can
proceed to the next level. In many cases, a single task will take twice or even thrice the
amount of time it should have taken if you did everything right.

The worst news is that some of these errors are costly. It may be a simple one, such as
adding a single or couple of digits when paying vendors or employees. But the outcomes are
often devastating if these aren’t spotted and corrected.

Some of these errors could lead to compliance issues or even bridge the security
protocols of the organization. Without automation, it’s almost inevitable to escape heavy
fines and penalties resulting from the mistakes committed by employees.

5. Compatibility with Other Software

You can easily integrate office automation software with other systems such as CRM,
internal database and accounting software. It’s important that when you’re implementing
automation in your organization, you choose a system that will not make you spend a lot of
time pushing data from one system to another.

If it’s not compatible with the already established systems, then it’s probably not
worth your time and efforts.

6. Facilitates Easier Creation of Workflows

A good and effective workflow automation system is one that’s designed with the
business in mind. Before settling on one, you need to ensure that it gives you an easy time
when you want to create your workflows, e.g., create a sequence of relevant tasks needed to
complete a process.

Ideally, this is a process that shouldn’t take you more than five minutes to figure out,
even if it’s your first encounter with the software. Above all, you know it’s the right choice
when it fits into your already established processes instead of complicating things and forcing
you to overhaul many already established systems.

What Are the Functions of Office Automation Software?

An ideal office automation software:

 Eliminates paperwork
 Requires less storage space
 Minimizes errors
 It makes data storage and retrieval easy
 Allows several people to access data

Page | 7
MBA 2nd Semester, Management Information System

 Retrieves information instantly

 Eliminates data redundancy
Important Features of an Office Automation System
You shouldn’t take an office automation system to be the same as downloading a few
essential apps and calling it a day. In the actual sense, a comprehensive office automation
system will comprise of the following key features:

The seven essentials of office automation tools

1. Process Modelling and Workflow Design

Your system of choice needs to grant you the flexibility to create and modify
workflows in a short period. That can only happen if the design is simple to navigate and has
drag and drop features.

2. Task Management and Deadlines

The system you’re considering must make it possible for employees to know who is
required to do what and when. It should make it easy to create, assign and reassign tasks as
the need arises.

3. Communication

You can only be as successful as your communication. That means the ideal
automation system needs to allow back and forth communication with the stakeholders. It
needs to have a form builder that will help breakdown the communication while collecting
the most important details needed.

4. Integration

If the option you’re interested in doesn’t integrate with most of your already
established systems and process, move on to the next; it’s a waste of time.

5. Security and Access Control

A cloud-based office automation system that comes with features that help you set
access privileges and one that has advanced security protocols is the best option.

6. Reporting and Analytics

Consider working with an office automation system that comes with inbuilt reporting
and analytics capabilities and other key performance indicators.

Page | 8
MBA 2nd Semester, Management Information System

7. Mobile Compatibility

The pandemic era has taught us that mobility should be an integral factor of every
organization and business. An effective automation system offers a cloud-based security
solution for remote-working and accessibility.

Bottom Line

You can only reap the full benefits of automation if you work with a vendor that
offers a system rich in all the features, we’ve shown you above—the difference between an
office that’s only digitized and one that’s fully automated. If you can’t attest to the benefits
and features in this piece, then you’re most probably digitized, at best.

Page | 9
MBA 2nd Semester, Management Information System

What is Executive Information System/Executive

Support System?

An information system designed to cater the specific needs of executives is known

as Executive Information System (EIS). It is also known Executive Support System (ESS)

EIS is commonly considered as a specific form of Decision Support Systems (DSS) as

it helps in the information gathering and decision-making process of senior executives in a
company and meeting the strategic goals of the organisation. This is ensured by easy access
of internal as well as external data.

Executive Information System is an association of many features of Management

Information System (MIS) and DSS. It was first developed to meet the requirement of the top
management for strategic information. This provided the management team with instant and
easy access to information about a company's Critical Success Factors (CSF) which are
important for attaining a company's strategic goals.

Definitions of Executive Information System

According to Meall :
"EIS is a resource tool; a system that delivers rapid access to the selected
key information executives need for their decision making. User should need no IT
or keyboarding skills. Access is more likely to be via icons and a mouse or a touch
screen, than a keyboard. Data is presented with the help of colour and graphics, in
a form which is highly structured and easy to understand".
According to Matthews and Shoe Bridge:
"Executive Information System (EIS) is 1 computer-based information
delivery and communication system designed to support the needs of top
executives".

Page | 10
 MBA 2nd Semester, Management Information System

Characteristics of Executive Information System (EIS)

1) Drill-Down Capabilities:
This helps the executive to get the details from particular information, e.g.,
drop in corporate sales in a particular region. In systems that use graphical user
interface, hypertext-style connections are used for information gathering. In menu-
driven systems, sub-menus are used to access the detailed information at each
level.
2) Designed with Management's Critical Success Factors in Mind:
Each company has its own critical aspects to achieve the organisational
objectives. These aspects can be at the individual, departmental and organisational
level.
3) Status Access, Trend Analysis and Exception Reporting:
This permits executives to get the recent data on any key variable. Trend
analysis supports the executive to study data over a given timeline. Hence, timing
and significance of information are too crucial. Permission to highlight deviations
from the established norm in the organisation is allowed in case of exception
reporting, which also include reason of deviation.
4) Personalized Analysis:
Built-in functions are used to examine problematic situations in EIS. With
the help of these functions, executives become capable to specify the data required
for the analysis and the format type (in which results are displayed) of results.
5) Navigation of Information:
This allows access of large amounts of data in a very short time span with
accurate results. Forward and backward path access, skipping screens while
accessing a selected part of the system are the examples of it.
6) Presents Graphical, Tabular and/or Textual Information:
Terminal presentation of gathered information to executive users may be in
various formats like textual formats, tabular and/or graphical.

Advantages of Executive Information System (EIS)

 Executive Support System or Executive Information System can be easily used by
upper level executives for decision-making, as extensive computer knowledge is
not required for this.
 It has trends analysis capability.

Page | 11
 MBA 2nd Semester, Management Information System

 Enhances the manager's leadership skills.

 Helps in better personal thinking and decision making.
 It involves strategic control flexibility.
 Leads to healthy competition in the market place.
 Existing information can be easily accessed.
 Acts as an instrument of change.
 An executive time horizon is increased.
 Leads to a better reporting system.
 Helps executives to get a better mental model of business.
 Assists in consensus building and communication.
 Adds to the efficiency, timeliness, and accuracy of office automation.
 Considerably reduces time taken for finding and integrating information.
 Organisation's performance can be recognized early.
 Detailed scrutiny of critical success factors.
 Provides better understanding of enterprise operations.
 Increases productivity by helping time and team coordination.
 Capacity and quality of communication is increased.

Disadvantages of Executive Information System

 Its functions are limited, as it cannot perform complex calculations.
 It is difficult to quantify the advantages and justify its implementation.
 Information overload is encountered by executives.
 Systems are prone to become slow, large and hard to manage.
 Keeping recent data is tough.
 Leads to less reliable and insecure data.
 Huge cost of implementation encountered by small scale organisations.

Difference between Executive Information System (EIS) and Decision Support

System (DSS)

Executive Information
Dimension System Decision Support Systems
Focus
Accessing of Status, drill Analysis for decision
down. support.

Page | 12
MBA 2nd Semester, Management Information System
Typical Users Senior administrators.
Impetus Expediency
Performance evaluation,
environmental scanning,
identification of problems
Application and opportunities.
Supports indirectly high-
level and unstructured
Decision Support decisions and policies.
News items. customers
information, Information
supporting particular
situations, competitors, and
Type of the external environment:
Information scheduled and demand
reports on internal
operations.
EIS is used for tracking
Principal Use and controlling as well as
identification of
opportunity.
Custom-made to the
Adaptability to decision-making style of
Individual Users each individual executive,
offers several alternatives
of outputs.
Graphics are necessarily
Graphics used for EIS
User-Friendliness is
User Friendliness necessary for EIS.
Tracks critical data and
Processing of information, filters and
Information compresses information.
Supporting Immediate access the
Detailed supporting details of any
Information summary.
Model Base Limited built-in functions.
Professionals, Analysts,
managers.
Effectiveness
They are applicable in
different areas where
managerial decisions are
made.
Supports semi-structured
and non-programmed
decision-making, ad-hoc
decisions etc.
Information supporting
particular situations.
DSS are mainly used for
planning, organising,
staffing, and controlling.
Permits individual
judgments, what-if
capability es some choice of
dialog style.
It is the main part of many
DSS.
If no intermediaries are
used, then user-friendliness
is must for DSS.
EIS generates questions and
answers worked out by
using the DSS and gives
back to the EIS.
This can be programmed
into the DSS but generally
not happens.
Model base is core of the
DSS.
Page | 13
MBA 2nd Semester, Management Information System
The vendors or IS
Construction specialists generally DSS
is constructed by users.
constructs the EIS.
Hardware RISC Workstations,
Mainframe, Web, LANs or
distributed system.
Easy access to multiple
databases.
Nature of
Software Packages
Shows the pre-generated
Nature of information about the past
Information and present, generates new
information about the past,
present, and future.
DSS is constructed by users.
RISC workstations,
Mainframe, LANs, or
distributed systems.
Large computational
capabilities, modelling
languages and simulation,
application and DSS
generators.
Generates new information
about the past, present. and
future.
Page | 14
MBA 2nd Semester, Management Information System

Knowledge Management System

What is a knowledge management system?
A knowledge management system (KMS) is a tool used by companies to help
organize documentation, frequently asked questions, and other information into easily
accessible formats for both internal and external customers.
Using knowledge management software can help keep documentation up to date,
assist customers in finding their own answers, and manage knowledge access and
permissions across user groups. It’s a tool that’s valuable to both small businesses that are
just starting out and global enterprises that need to distribute knowledge to a wide variety of
audiences.
Knowledge management is the process of identifying, gathering, storing, evaluating,
and sharing all of the valuable information organizations create in their day-to-day
operations. It involves capturing answers to frequently asked questions and documenting
them in an easy-to-understand format across multiple file types, like step-by-step written
articles, videos, or images. A KMS makes it a whole lot easier to have an answer ready and
easily accessible to share.
But if you just store all of that knowledge in a chaotic word document, no one will be
able to find it or update it. Knowledge management acts like the catalog system at the library,
which helps you find exactly the right shelf and the right book to answer your question
In customer service, managing knowledge effectively means that accurate answers to
common questions are easily accessible to both customer support agents and customers.

What are the types of knowledge to include in knowledge management?

There are three types of knowledge to gather:

Explicit knowledge
This is the knowledge that needs to be documented and is usually easy to turn into an
article. It is a description about, or a set of steps towards, achieving something. Examples
include clothing measurements and fabric information or where to change your login
information on a software application. Gather explicit knowledge through fact-finding with
your subject matter experts.

Implicit knowledge
This is information customers need to infer from explicit knowledge. It requires
customers to interpret existing pieces of explicit knowledge as described above, or general
knowledge to create desired outcomes. For example, how to combine software features to
achieve a business need or knowing a certain material is waterproof. Gather implicit
knowledge by documenting your customers' use cases and then explain how to combine other
knowledge to achieve them.

Page | 15
MBA 2nd Semester, Management Information System

Tacit knowledge
This is knowledge coming from experience and typically requires a lot of context and
practice to acquire. It could be something like knowing immediately what to do during an
emergency or that a specific shoe brand doesn't give you enough arch support. Tacit
knowledge is hard to gather because it is often specific and requires individual testing. Start
by getting specialists or senior members of your team together to disseminate complex ideas
and use that to build larger training content.
Bringing these all together: Explicit knowledge is knowing what apples, cinnamon,
flour, and sugar are. Implicit knowledge is knowing they can be combined to make a pie.
Tacit knowledge is knowing the exact combination of the ingredients that makes the most
delicious pie.

Benefits of a knowledge management system

Whether you’re a SaaS company supporting business customers, a consumer product
shipping out retail items, or a helpdesk manager dealing with internal customers, a
knowledge management portal will help you effectively deliver information to the people
who need it. Not only is a knowledge management system great for business, but it’s also
great for your customers. Providing a thorough knowledge management system is key to
helping customers help themselves and improving the overall customer experience.

1. Organizes and makes information accessible from a single source of truth

A Gartner study on the top priorities for customer service leaders in 2022 revealed
that 74% of the leaders pointed to improving content and knowledge delivery to customers
and employees as important in their support strategy. Organizing and presenting knowledge
in easily-accessible formats from a centralized content repository breaks down information
silos within organizations. With clear organization and effective search capabilities, visitors
can locate exactly what they need and when they need it.

2. Keeps information up to date

A knowledge management system helps you identify out-of-date articles and update
them with new information. This provides a big advantage over a file folder of documents.
Where folders can become unwieldy and messy, a KMS will keep your valuable information
organized. Out-of-date information can mislead customers and lose your company business,
so it’s important to get that taken care of quickly.

3. Makes self-service functionalities more effective and deflects support tickets

78% of US leaders are investing more in self-service, offering customers self-help
portals and AI-powered chatbots to help themselves. Self-service, or customers helping
themselves through documentation, is the most cost-effective way of supporting your
customers. You may be extending self-service through an exhaustive knowledge base,
chatbots, or community forums. Each of these self-help options works by retrieving relevant
solution articles and FAQs from a centralized, updated knowledge management system,
deflecting tickets away from our customer support team.

Page | 16
MBA 2nd Semester, Management Information System

4. Allows agents to share and reuse knowledge and learnings

Do your customer support agents spend a lot of time writing out thorough and detailed
support emails to customers? If you’re using a modern KMS, you can capture that knowledge
by converting the support email into a knowledge base article. A knowledge management
system democratizes valuable information so that everyone in the company can access it.

5. Empowers customers to help themselves and improves customer satisfaction

About 39% of customers prefer self-service options rather than speaking to agents. A
knowledge management software provides 24/7 support to customers, so they can find what
they need quickly and don’t have to wait in a phone queue. With many of your customers
being able to find their own answers effortlessly, you’ll see your customer satisfaction
(CSAT) scores rise. Continually improving the way you deliver information to your
customers via an online help canter will reduce churn and improve customer loyalty.
Grouping your FAQs on a branded, easy-to-read page can also help win business and prevent
support issues from cropping up later.

6. Provides more detailed help to customers

There’s only so much you can communicate over email or the phone. Knowledge
management systems allow you to pull together multiple types of media together to provide
extremely thorough help. All customers have their own preferred way of learning, whether
it’s through text, videos, or images. Providing all of these options in your help centre will
make sure none of your customers are left without help, no matter how they prefer to
consume online material.

How to implement a knowledge management system

Now that you know all about knowledge management systems, you need to decide who this
knowledge is for, find the best format to convey it, and organize it.
Start capturing the information you want to document
Decide what information you want to record in your knowledge management system.
It could be product information, onboarding guides, how-to tutorials, FAQs, or
troubleshooting instructions for common issues. Find out common customer inquiries that are
submitted at your support helpdesk and build your knowledge repository based on customer
needs.
Arrange the information with your audience in mind
You need to start by thinking about who will be searching for the information and
when. You can do this by analysing your customer journey and figuring out the information
that’s required at each state, and identifying the best way to efficiently convey that. For
example, as you move down the customer journey, you’ll want to restrict some content like
information on referral or loyalty programs to logged-in customers. Or, for an internal KMS,
you can set your support agents up for success with deeper product details and pricing
specifics.
Track and analyse feedback
In order to measure the success of your KMS, you need to tap into user feedback. Add
feedback surveys at the end of each article and guide to understand if the information was

Page | 17
MBA 2nd Semester, Management Information System

useful or not. For example, Freshdesk articles offer an option for readers to vote Yes or No to
“Did you find it helpful?” at the bottom of each article. If many customers report that an
article is not helpful, it’s almost certainly time for an update.
Modern knowledge management software has built-in analytics in them that tracks
and projects the article feedback and article view count on intuitive dashboards. Integrating
your online knowledge management system with Google Analytics gives deeper insights into
how users navigate within your KMS and how relevant your content is.
Update your KMS regularly
Rarely is any knowledge static. You need to include a process that constantly revises
your knowledge base as the product expands, as customers express confusion or
dissatisfaction, or as your offerings change. Invite multiple stakeholders within your
organization like the customer support team or the sales department to collaborate, contribute,
and update the knowledge shared periodically.

Top 7 knowledge management software

1. Freshdesk
Freshdesk is a feature-rich, powerful knowledge management software that can be
used to manage, curate, and share company knowledge for both employees and customers.
You can host a vast content repository organized in categories, folders, and articles that your
customers can use to find answers to their knowledge-related queries easily.
By making the knowledge base articles private, you can also own an employee-facing,
internal knowledge management system that can help in onboarding new agents and also be
used by agents to find the right solutions to share with customers.
On Freshdesk, your knowledge base or help canter can also be customized and
branded with the company logo, themes, and colours for a seamless user experience. The
domain URL of your online KMS can also be modified to align with the rest of your website.
Since the knowledge management system is built into a help desk, it becomes
extremely easy to extend customer support using your knowledge base. Customer service
reps can easily attach a solution article from the KMS into support tickets and can also
convert ticket responses into knowledge base documents. You can also host a variety of self-
service options like chatbots, community forums, FAQs, and web widgets from one
centralized knowledge management system with a customized, branded look and feel.0:14

2. Document360
Document360 helps build online public and private knowledge bases to manage and share
company knowledge.
Key features include,
- Article version history
- Document tagging
- Content migration

Page | 18
MBA 2nd Semester, Management Information System

3. Click Up
Click Up is primarily a project management tool that helps teams be more productive
by streamlining their tasks and projects. Their Docs feature serves as an effective knowledge
management platform with multiple teams collaborating to create comprehensive company
wikis.
Key features include,
- Multiple text formatting options
- Real-time team collaboration
- Integration among docs, workflows, and tasks
Click Up has a forever-free plan for an unlimited number of users but limited storage. The
paid plans begin at $5 USD per user/month.

4. Guru
Guru is a company wiki tool that organizations can use to streamline internal
communication and make product information accessible for employees.
Key features include,
- Simple editor
- Powerful integrations, including a deep Slack integration
- Browser extension
Guru has a free plan for up to 3 users, and the paid plan comes at $5 USD per user/month if
you want to add more users.

5. Help juice
The Help juice knowledge management tool has a range of features to host a
customized knowledge base to create and share content with customers and employees.
Key features include,
- Customization
- Team collaboration
- Advanced KM analytics
There’s a 14-day free trial offered by Help juice, and their starter pack begins at $120 USD
for up to 4 users a month.

6. Zoho Desk
Zoho desk has a knowledge management system that can be used by customer support
teams and customers to power self-service.
Key features include,
- SEO-friendly Kbase
- Auto-suggest of articles for tickets

Page | 19
MBA 2nd Semester, Management Information System

- Security controls
Zoho desk provides the option to host help centres with limited features as part of its free
plan, while its paid plans begin from $10 per agent/month.

7. Proports’
The Proports’ knowledge management software can be used as a corporate wiki or a
help canter for customers with ready-to-use templates to help organizations build a
knowledge management system.
Key features include,
- Branding and KMS customization
- Security controls
- Multilingual support
- Integrations with ticketing tools and G-Suite
Proports’ has a 15-day free trial period, and the basic plan is available at $30 USD for three
authors/month.

Choosing a knowledge management software

There are so many different knowledge management solutions and tools available
today, but not all of them offer the same value. To help you understand your options, look at
your current knowledge management system needs as well as what you might need in the
future. The cost of switching later can be quite high in terms of time and money, so you want
a solution that will grow with your team and customer base.
Ease of use
How quickly can you get up and running with your new solution? Is it set up out of
the box, or do you need to download and install software on your own server to get started?
Modern knowledge management solutions should be simple to use - just choose a
theme, copy and paste in your existing articles and click publish. If you need to set up much
more than that, you need to ask yourself if the extra hassle is really worth it.
Cost
The price tag is always a significant factor when it comes to choosing a new tool.
Using the knowledge management app that is built into your help desk can help save those
valuable dollars in your budget. If you’re pricing out an entirely new knowledge management
software, make sure to evaluate the price point of each plan and the features offered in each
plan. While you might be able to use the starter plan initially, the costs can grow
exponentially if the features you need are locked in an advanced plan.
Scalability
Switching from one KMS to a new one is never a fun experience, so make sure you
choose one that will expand with your team as you grow and add new support options. Also,
consider if your team will be expanding into other languages in the future. You might require
the ability to track translations and display multilingual articles to your new customers.

Page | 20
MBA 2nd Semester, Management Information System

Type of support
The kind of support you offer will make a big difference in the features you need in a
knowledge management software. If you offer multiple products, you might need a multi-
brand help centre that keeps everything separate for customers on the front end but integrated
for agents in the backend. For a simple retail product that only receives questions about
shipping and delivery, a full KMS might be overkill - instead, focus on providing helpful
FAQ pages. If your product is highly technical and requires code samples in your knowledge
base, you will want to ensure that the tool you choose embeds code nicely

Page | 21