What is ITIL® Knowledge Management?

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1. What is ITIL® Knowledge Management? Learn how organisations capture, organise and share knowledge.

2. Why Knowledge Management Matters? Explore how it improves decision-making, problem-solving and service delivery.

3. Understanding the Types of Knowledge: Explore tacit, explicit and implicit knowledge with examples.

4. How Knowledge Management Works? Discover how knowledge is captured, stored, shared, applied and improved.

5. Role of Knowledge Management in ITIL® (Version 5): Understand how it supports digital product and service management.

Imagine spending hours fixing an IT issue, only to discover that someone on your team solved the exact same problem last month. Frustrating, isn't it? When valuable solutions remain buried in emails, old tickets or individual memories, even experienced IT teams end up doing the same work twice.

That's where ITIL® knowledge management makes a difference. It helps organisations capture, organise and share valuable knowledge so teams can resolve issues faster and make informed decisions. Let's explore how it works, why it matters and how it supports modern IT service management.

What is ITIL® Knowledge Management?

ITIL® knowledge management is a management practice that helps organisations maintain and improve the effective use of information and knowledge. It ensures that relevant, reliable knowledge is available to the right people at the right time, in an appropriate format and according to their access permissions.

The practice involves capturing, organising, maintaining, sharing and applying knowledge from different sources, including documented procedures, technical records and employee experience. It supports activities such as incident resolution, problem investigation, service requests and continual improvement.

Within the broader ITIL® (Version 5) framework, effective knowledge management also supports collaboration and informed decisions across digital product and service management activities.

Importance of Knowledge Management

In Information Technology (IT), knowledge management plays an important role in improving service quality and operational efficiency. For example, when a user reports an IT-related issue, the support team creates a ticket and investigates the problem. If a solution is identified or an existing solution proves useful, it can be documented or updated for future reference.

Without effective knowledge management, organisations may face longer resolution times, repeated troubleshooting efforts and unnecessary service disruptions. Even familiar issues can take longer to resolve when useful information is difficult to find. Let's explore the key benefits of ITIL® knowledge management:

1) Improved Decision-making: ITIL® Knowledge Management Systems (KMS) provide easy access to historical data and best practices. This empowers decisionmakers with insights, leading to informed and well-grounded choices.

2) Reduced Redundancy: ITIL® knowledge management helps avoid duplication of efforts by making past solutions and lessons learned readily available, minimising repeated mistakes.

3) Improved Problem-solving: An organised knowledge base enables employees to access relevant information swiftly. It aids in efficient troubleshooting and problem-solving during IT service management activities.

4) Increased Innovation: By sharing tacit and explicit knowledge, organisations can foster an environment where ideas are exchanged, and creative solutions emerge through collaboration.

5) Employee Development: Sharing documented knowledge and practical expertise helps employees strengthen their technical understanding. It also supports onboarding, collaboration and professional development across IT teams.

Effective knowledge management also helps organisations retain valuable expertise and make it accessible across teams. However, sensitive information must be protected through appropriate access controls, security policies and regular reviews.

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Types of Knowledge in ITIL® Knowledge Management

ITIL® knowledge management involves handling different forms of knowledge, including knowledge gained through experience and information that can be documented and shared. Understanding these differences helps organisations decide how to capture and share valuable expertise. Let’s look at them below:

1) Tacit Knowledge

Tacit knowledge is a form of knowledge derived from personal experience or practice, and it can be difficult to explain or transfer to others. This is because it often involves skills, judgement and intuition developed through hands-on experience.

For instance, an experienced IT professional may recognise early warning signs of a system failure based on previous incidents, even when those signs are not formally documented. Some key examples of applying tacit knowledge are as follows:

1) An experienced IT technician identifying potential system failures based on previous incidents.

2) A service desk professional recognising recurring technical issues through practical experience.

3) IT specialists sharing troubleshooting techniques with junior team members during incident resolution.

2) Explicit Knowledge

Explicit knowledge is referred to as codified knowledge. It can be clearly expressed, documented, stored and shared through different formats, including written procedures, digital records and knowledge base articles.

For example, an IT support team can document solutions to frequently reported incidents so that employees can refer to them when similar issues occur. This reduces repeated troubleshooting efforts and helps teams follow consistent procedures. Some key examples of applying explicit knowledge are as follows:

1) Knowledge base articles containing solutions to frequently reported IT incidents.

2) Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) outlining IT service management activities.

3) Technical documentation, troubleshooting guides, and known error records used by IT support teams.

3) Implicit Knowledge

Implicit knowledge refers to practical understanding and working methods that employees apply in their daily activities but have not formally documented. Unlike tacit knowledge, implicit knowledge can often be explained and converted into structured instructions or procedures.

In ITIL® knowledge management, identifying implicit knowledge helps organisations capture useful working practices and make them accessible to other IT professionals. Documenting these practices supports knowledge sharing, consistent service delivery and operational efficiency. Some key examples of applying implicit knowledge are as follows:

1) An IT support team following an effective troubleshooting sequence that has not been formally recorded.

2) A technician using an undocumented method to resolve recurring software issues.

3) Service desk employees following established informal practices for escalating technical incidents.

Trainer's Insight

AI-enabled tools can help IT teams retrieve and summarise information, but their responses should not automatically be treated as accurate. Organisations should establish verification procedures and trusted knowledge sources before relying on AI-generated guidance for critical IT decisions.

Key Activities of ITIL® Knowledge Management

ITIL® knowledge management involves identifying, capturing, organising, sharing and maintaining information that supports effective IT service delivery. These interconnected activities help organisations make reliable knowledge available to employees and improve service performance. Let’s look at them below:

1) Knowledge Identification

Knowledge identification involves recognising the information, expertise and resources required to support IT services. IT teams identify knowledge gaps, frequently reported issues and areas where additional documentation can improve service delivery.

2) Knowledge Capture and Documentation

Knowledge capture involves collecting valuable information from incidents, service requests, technical investigations and employee experience. This information is documented in knowledge articles, troubleshooting guides and standard operating procedures for future reference.

3) Knowledge Organisation and Storage

This activity focuses on classifying and storing knowledge in accessible systems. A structured Knowledge Management System allows IT professionals to locate relevant information, reduce unnecessary searches and retrieve documented solutions.

4) Knowledge Sharing and Accessibility

Knowledge sharing ensures that useful information reaches the appropriate employees and service teams. Organisations can promote knowledge sharing through internal knowledge bases, collaborative platforms, mentoring, and self-service portals.

5) Knowledge Application

Knowledge application involves using existing information to resolve incidents, fulfil service requests and support informed decision-making. IT professionals can apply documented solutions and technical guidance to improve the consistency of service delivery.

6) Knowledge Review and Improvement

Knowledge review involves regularly checking information for accuracy, relevance, and completeness. IT teams update outdated procedures, remove incorrect content, and incorporate lessons from incidents to maintain reliable knowledge resources.

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Pro Tip

A growing knowledge base does not necessarily mean better knowledge management. Track metrics such as article reuse, successful self-service resolutions and incident resolution times to understand whether employees are finding and applying useful information.