Most people who specialize in business or IT are should already be familiar with the concept (and benefits) of knowledge management.  For those of you who are just discovering it (knowledge management), KM can be defined as sort of comprehensive approach to gathering, using and distributing information, experiences and practices within an organization.  In other words, KM is chiefly concerned with making sure that all insights and beneficial practices get adopted and that the mechanism by which information (knowledge) is gathered becomes self-sufficient.

In the same way that knowledge management can beef up the way an organization or business functions, social knowledge management can bring new insights by way of social media.  So, what is social knowledge management, specifically?  Simply put, SKM is a way of using social media to discover, share, store, distribute, utilize, cultivate or assess old or new forms of information / knowledge.

For example, recently collected data could easily be shared across a network of employees or customers through social media. Likewise, this setup can be used to extract additional insights about the collected info as well; perhaps via opinion polls or your standard comment boards.  Additionally, when you place something into a position where it will be evaluated and scrutinized by a network of people there is also the possibility that they will inadvertently help you improve upon it.  It’s a pretty simple and straightforward notion, actually; clearly there’s power in social media, why not tap into it to improve your approach to knowledge management?

How can social knowledge management benefit your organization?  When you think about social media, concepts like “crowdsourcing” immediately spring to mind.  In essence, methods like crowdsourcing (which is simply relying on a large group or collective to provide funds, products or services) allow businesses to plug into the combined brain power, labor and resources of many individuals.  Moreover, most people contribute to crowdsourcing projects freely.  In other words, this could be seen as a highly valuable asset for use in improving one’s approach to knowledge management as well as the collected knowledge itself. Another way of looking at it is – many people working together in concert will often be able to solve problems faster and with better results than smaller groups (even those which contain experts / specialists).

Similarly (and depending on what area(s) of interest you’re dealing in), social media can also be used to actually generate usable knowledge.  Arguably, this is the absolute best specific example of SKM in use as it allows a company to extract real value from their social media endeavors.  In some cases, the insights gained through a social knowledge management program will allow businesses to build extremely effective marketing plans which will ultimately lead to increased profits.  In other cases, SKM might give an organization the ability to actually make direct improvements on their products and/or services (by analyzing the concerns and qualms of its customers / users).

Here are a few more examples of how social knowledge management can be applied in the real world.  SKM can be used to:

• Bolster the abilities of any department operating within an organization – regardless of whether you’re employed in production, manufacturing, human resources, IT or even customer support, there are social knowledge management tools and methods which you can use to improve the way work is done.

• Build better searchable databases which offer browsers more relevant results.

• Create systems for collecting ratings and reviews – which is certainly valuable when it comes to trying to improve the quality of one’s operation(s).

• Build a new type of business infrastructure that incorporates both IT as well as social media tools to constantly analyze data and extract value from it while at the same time feeding business management new ideas.

• Build incentive systems like a gamification platform – in general, social media is great for deploying gamification apps and infrastructure; likewise, it can also be used to share knowledge and distribute results about ongoing activities.

Quite simply, social knowledge management is a useful “expansion” of knowledge management.  Social media is directly influencing our lives in ways we haven’t yet been able to fully comprehend – its effect on KM is also fairly substantial.  The question is – given that social media is so powerful, why shouldn’t we use it to improve specific areas of business like KM?  Clearly, knowledge management itself has made a major impact in the business world, particularly among corporations which have reported successes on numerous fronts with their individual programs and approaches to using it.  Extending knowledge management operations out to include information and data emanating from social media is arguably the next logical step (when it comes to knowledge management).

What’s your “next logical step” with regards to knowledge management and SKM?   If you’re an IT pro, you should get certified in KM.  It’s affordable, convenient and pretty easy; start your online course today!  Click here!   

Right after the emergence of cloud computing, the idea of using the technology to perform various types of automated tested also surfaced.  The most basic example of this is using cloud environments to test software; creating simulated web traffic, for example. However, there are many other specific types of tests which can also be carried out, all of which are pretty much brilliant to say the least.

Arguably, the single greatest benefit (in most cases) of cloud testing is its affordability.  In other words, a business can test something like “their new site or app” without having to risk much in the way of principal costs and/or labor.  Furthermore, because we’re talking about services that only dictate that you pay for what you use, there’s no need for expensive up-front purchases (or tedious IT integration of these costly elements).  This is often referred to as “testing on demand”, and it undoubtedly gives certain businesses a distinct advantage when it comes to carrying out either targeted testing or even “bulk” varieties.

Whenever you set up a new capability in your IT department it’s generally understood that what you’re doing is integrating it into your basic infrastructure.  One of the coolest things about cloud testing is that it allows an organization to simply use the provider’s infrastructure instead of having to reconfigure their own.  Moreover, because your average cloud provider is going to have much more powerful resources at their disposal, you can get your test results back much quicker.  In situations where you’re either rushing to meet a deadline or are perhaps dealing with a really large volume of items to test, this extra power is going to be a true blessing.

Aside from your standard testing costs, cloud testing also eliminates “tool license” expenditures.  Yes, some testing tools can be quite pricey; in fact, sometimes the testing budget will get “hammered” by the cost of this alone.  The great thing about some of these “on demand” cloud testing services is that the price and use of the various tools are usually included.  Basically, you can count on having several key items at your disposal which would otherwise eat up the “lion’s share” of your allotted funds for testing.

Right behind this, trailing very closely, there’s the notion that you don’t have to bring any “tool experts” on board (although that’s always nice, when possible).  Simply put, these specialists, while quite useful, can really cause a testing budge to become quickly inflated to a dangerous point.  Since most cloud vendors who are offering testing services tend to take care of these things beforehand, the savings are passed directly on to the buyer; i.e. – your company.

There’s also something to be said about the time that businesses might be devoting toward setting up their own private testing solution vs. simply going with that which is offered by a cloud vendor.  Needless to say, you could end up spending a very large amount of time just setting up a complete testing suite.  Then of course afterwards, there’s no guarantee that it would actually function in the exact manner as intended.  /Because cloud computing is so scalable (and stable) there’s nothing to worry about when it comes to setting up a testing environment – you just basically sign up, pay, then plug-and-play (or, “plug-and-work”).

Flexibility is also a great feature of most cloud testing services.  In other words, you have a great deal of both individual choices you can make, as well as the ability to eliminate those packaged components which you feel aren’t really needed.   By the same token, you can usually build a customized cloud testing package based on the resources which you really need (or might require) and that’s very handy, to say the least.

As apps continue to increase in their complexity, so do the tests required to make sure they’re fully functional.  The main problems seem to be that these apps are becoming both distributed as well as very dynamic in nature.  In turn, this creates a very unusual set of circumstances where there might be no conventional way to actually test such an app, outside of relying on cloud testing that is.

Also, cloud testing affords the possibility of carrying out real-time tests on certain things, which is extremely useful.  By using such a feature it is possible to identify future problems / risks which might crop up due to “bottlenecking”; in essence, this can not only save a business lots of money, it can also help them to build a more solid long-term reputation as a provider of quality software.

It has also been said that one of the biggest problems with software testing is the actual quality of the tests themselves.  While this might seem like a no-brainer, the truth is that a significant number of instances have been reported (between 30%-35%) which seem to indicate that inaccurate configurations are responsible for testing failures.  Once again, because cloud testing vendors tend to spend a lot of time making absolutely sure that their environments are both properly configured as well as stable, you’re much more likely to get an accurate response (than if you tried to pull it off yourself, in-house).

As you can clearly see, the benefits of cloud testing are numerous and every business really owes it to themselves to check out what it has to offer.  Not only are we talking about a highly affordable service here, but we’re also dealing with a very powerful one. Furthermore, if you’re an IT professional you should strongly consider taking the time to get certified in some branch of cloud testing if at all possible.  Why, you ask?  Well, because cloud testing is clearly a very useful service that’s both in high-demand and is also growing in terms of its popularity.

There are plenty of reasons why a company or organization should employ some form of knowledge management.  Aside from the high number of success stories attributed to businesses that added KM programs, there are the positive factors which it brings to the forefront.  The fact of the matter is that there are literally hundreds of examples from around the world that perfectly demonstrate the effectiveness of KM, and this isn’t limited to any specific field like technology or IT.  Businesses of all shapes and sizes have benefited from increased centralization of knowledge, be it in the retail industry or even the energy market.

At this point you’re probably wondering what knowledge management actually does for institutions, right?  To get a clear idea about how truly beneficial KM can actually be, it might make more sense for someone to imagine what things would be like without it.  For example, KM helps businesses to:

• Make much better, more informed decisions (across the board)

• Get the correct information / knowledge to the right people at the right time

• Build a more efficient enterprise

• Capitalize on shared knowledge

• Create “hotbeds” for innovation

• Promote examination and recycling of their available knowledge base

• Virtually eliminate repetitive or disorganized behaviors

• Avoid previously encountered mistakes

Once you’ve considered the aforementioned (let’s call them) “conveniences” or perks, the idea of trying to conduct operations without them seems somewhat outdated.  Figuratively speaking, there are a ton of examples of how knowledge management has transformed certain businesses into efficient, profitable powerhouses.

First off, there are a number of oil companies which have fully embraced KM in recent years; among them are BP and Saudi Aramco.  This is very telling because (in case you weren’t aware) the oil industry is the most profitable area of the most gainful sector in the world – the energy market.  In this industry, the person who has the latest intelligence and information at their disposal stands to make significant gains in a relatively short period of time.  The fact that more oil businesses are turning to KM is a clear signal that there is distinct value in it.

Similarly, the field of healthcare has also been quick to embrace knowledge management and is clearly benefiting from this move.  2 great examples of KM in healthcare are NSW health and HealthCanada; this also demonstrates the global spread of KM (from Australia to Canada).  Knowledge management is particularly useful in the domain of healthcare and aside from being able to greatly improve administrative abilities it has significantly contributed in other ways which has either improved the lives of patients or saved them.  In short, KM in healthcare is extremely powerful and should be considered a default addition these days.

Transportation is yet another area where KM is helping to improve operations and technological production.  3 great examples of this are the Israel Aircraft Industry, the Federal Transit Authority (US), and British Airways.  Whether we’re talking about developments for civilian or military projects the results are basically the same, KM helps these transportation specialists (particularly aircraft manufacturers) build better, safer machines.  Moreover, knowledge management can also facilitate other types of operations like transportation security by making pertinent knowledge available to everyone who has access to that particular network.   Likewise, as these institutions are building knowledge bases they’re constantly improving and/or refining their entire approach, which means more people can come to depend on their services (even in emergency situations).

There are plenty of unexpected examples of organizations using KM as well; for instance, many law offices and firms are on board. In fact, one might argue that it is law firms which are among the best examples of knowledge management in practice.  Aside from the ongoing complexity of trying to run a myriad of cases simultaneously, it’s fairly obvious that a great number of cases are very similar (or even identical) in nature.  Rather than having to build every single similar case from scratch, law firms employ a system of KM that’s not unlike the vast examples of case law which courts might use as precedent material in certain rulings.  The bottom line is that KM helps law firms operate more efficiently, in exactly the same manner as other businesses.

What does this mean to you, the IT professional?

If you’re still scratching your head wondering how this applies to you and your career, take a step back and look at everything objectively.   The point is, all types of businesses from nearly every industry you can imagine are deeply interested in knowledge management.  Wherever you turn there are plenty of examples of successes with KM too, which means that most employers are on the lookout for individuals who know how to implement it.  Simply put, if you have the certification and relevant experience, you could easily find a great deal of work in knowledge management.  In other words, seek out KM certification programs and prepare for a future career that’s poised for growth.

Click here for one of the industry’s best online certification courses in Knowledge Management!

For people who are looking for a cloud testing tool that’s cheap and easy-to-use, QTest is probably one of the better options out there

QTest was created by QAsymphony, a company that specializes in testing products which are generally aimed at the software development crowd.  They’ve apparently been at it for around 20 years too, so they do have some experience in such matters.  One of their more recently visible products, QTest, is a fully-functional cloud testing tool that was designed to challenge much more expensive systems while retaining a more basic design / interface.  In other words, great effort was made to ensure that this tool was affordable as well as really powerful and easy-to-use.

When you think quality control in IT and/or software development, expensive systems which must be purchased and constantly upgraded usually come to mind.  This is because prior to the advent of things like cloud-based testing, you had to purchase complete systems and/or software which would allow you to design your own testing apparatus within your IT department.  Thanks to cloud testing however, virtually any individual or business can do some pretty amazing things with a scant little investment.

QTest is a great example of a cloud testing service which smacks of features and usability, yet carries a paltry little price tag ($20 a month!).  Needless to say, this is really good news for all different types of businesses, particularly those who are already headlong into cloud computing.  Likewise, if you’re just discovering the cloud or planning on upgrading your IT department in the coming months (or years), cloud testing can serve as an excellent introduction to cloud computing itself.

So what kinds of features does QTest offer?  First off, it apparently features a minimal amount of time to actually set up.  For most people or groups, this will be around 5-10 minutes.  QTest also allows businesses to establish smarter methods for their basic test management procedures as well.   One of the ways this is accomplished is through allowing users to reuse previously logged test cases.  Actually, this could be a very useful feature for some types of businesses, particularly those that have lots of Excel spreadsheets at their disposal or other types of data which is contained within separate test management tools.

Similarly, you can also save your environment settings as well as specific testing configurations (which is a huge time saver for companies that have a high volume of tests to deal with).  It’s also possible to do some pretty advanced test scheduling as well, which is not only extremely handy, but can also help prevent risks due to lapses.  There’s also the notion of being able to run tests across multiple types of releases (including customer environments) which means QTest is very agile and flexible.

In terms of actually deploying QTest, users will find that it’s extremely “fast”.  In short, this is a cloud testing platform that let’s you do a number of awesome things without having to “leave” the target application.  In other words, you can alter virtually every aspect of your ongoing tests, logging and setup without having to interrupt any ongoing procedures or terminate the application. Additionally, there’s a lot of emphasis on tracking too, which is pretty critical when it comes to performing extensive and thorough testing.  Moreover, you can also keep records of who’s interfacing with the service as well as what they’re doing / changing. Needless to say, this type of logging is also very useful, especially when you have a large number of people who have access to tests and test data.

However, the biggest reason to give QTest a shot is its amazingly low price tag – $20 per month.  You can actually try it out for free as well, which means that you really don’t have anything to lose, except time, that is.

For the IT Professional:

Cloud testing is quickly becoming a major force in the IT world and companies all across the globe are waking up to the inherent potential which it possesses.  Likewise, because cloud testing is much more cost-effective than many other methods, it’s very possible that it will continue growing until it completely eclipses all other forms (of testing).  Ergo, if you’re an IT professional, this should be seen as a great opportunity to get in on the ground floor, so to speak.  Let’s face the facts, even though many of these businesses might be moving toward more and more cloud-based services they’re still going to need some high-trained personnel on hand who can actually use the technology or even repair and maintain it as required.  How would you get yourself into such a position, you ask?   If you possess certification or experience in cloud testing, employers are going to be much more eager to bring you into their fold.  In other words, start your complete certification course in cloud testing now!

Cloud Testing Certification – Click Here!

In any human endeavor (be it related to business or otherwise), there are always several “points of view” or ways of assessing the situation so that the best (or most appropriate) action(s) can be taken.  You might also simply call this being informed; in other words, collecting relevant information to enhance the possibility that some positive benefits will come your way by means of better decision making.  However, most people might find it surprising to note that many of the decisions that are made throughout our society (as well as in the business world) are made based on emotional thinking and/or instinct.  While there’s nothing inherently wrong with this type of approach (after all, it was this kind of reasoning that built our civilization in the first place and led us to this point in time), one might still ask the question “can we do better?”.

So, what does this little foray into philosophical territory have to do with knowledge management?  Well, if you really sit down and think about it, knowledge management is actually a full-spectrum “intellectual” approach to improving a business or organization from the inside-out.  Regardless of what an institution does, sells or researches, they are beholden to one or more factors – budget, resources, time / deadlines, regulations, etc… In other words, it isn’t possible for a business to extend its reach beyond what it has already been able to grasp without having to devote more time, money or energy.  In most cases, business leaders and managers are unwilling to devote additional resources toward potentially risky activities; and rightly so, because that’s often exactly how problems are created.  

Through KM (knowledge management) businesses can achieve a much higher level of organization by means of taking control over what is arguably the most valuable asset at their disposal – their collective knowledge.  For example, even if a company relies on one or more key individuals, there’s no guarantee that they’re always going to have the perfect solution for every problem.  Often times, the best answers can spring up from unexpected sources.  Now, if we’re talking about an extremely large corporation that employs thousands of people, you’re going to have issues being resolved on a near daily basis.  All the solutions being put forth by the entire workforce are very powerful indeed and clearly need to be considered and stored somewhere so that others can quickly adopt their practices / solutions or achieve additional insight.

In short, knowledge management is perhaps the ultimate approach to “intellectualizing” most business processes.  If implemented correctly, KM can help build what one might call “self-sustaining models” which help to reinforce the positive actions of every single individual employed by an organization.  You might also visualize knowledge management as a sort of “magnet” for solutions, best practices, and ideas.  Once you’ve build a good KM infrastructure, people tend to flock toward it for answers or even guidance.

Similarly, having a basic approach to knowledge management in place means that people in an organization are being pushed away from “guessing”, instead they are being gently nudged toward seeking answers through logic and shared experiences.  As was mentioned earlier, a great number of businesses still make most of their decisions without the aid of systematized analysis and/or metrics of any kind.   Simply put, KM is both a way of gathering relevant metrics data about what’s going on as well as an approach toward creating better internal processes / practices.  In this way, knowledge management is a direct method for improving overall efficiency and preventing big-time risks from taking shape.

Likewise, as the entire world becomes more technological in nature, businesses need to begin thinking about and adopting certain approaches which will help them to capitalize on all this forward progress.  The fact of the matter is that concepts like knowledge management allow institutions to keep their entire workforce updated and “plugged in” to whatever’s going on (inside and outside of the company).  In industries where change is frequent, like IT, the use of KM is even more beneficial.  At the same time, people also need some specific place that’s set aside so that they can voice their concerns and contribute in a very direct way to the progress of their organization – KM definitely fulfills this role.

Furthermore, if you’re the type of individual (perhaps an IT professional) that prides yourself on your ability to make informed decisions, you should consider pursuing a career path that includes knowledge management.  Since 2009, the general demand for knowledge management specialists has remained fairly solid and stable.  What this means is that companies are continuing to turn toward consultants and professionals who know how to implement KM in businesses (this can also extend to specific departments, like IT, for instance).  Needless to say, if you have some form of certification in knowledge management, you should be in good shape and well-prepared to apply for a real career in this area.

Get certified in Knowledge Management today – the course is affordable, comprehensive and entirely online