Knowledge Management System in Amazon

This article discusses the existing knowledge management system in Amazon, its gaps, current KM systems available, challenges, and recommendations. It also highlights the importance of data security and customer satisfaction in the implementation of knowledge management systems.

Running head: KNOWLEDGE MANAGEMENT SYSTEM IN AMAZON
KNOWLEDGE MANAGEMENT SYSTEM IN AMAZON
Name of the student:
Name of the university:
Author note:

1KNOWLEDGE MANAGEMENT SYSTEM IN AMAZON
Table of Contents
Knowledge currently captured in the organization:.........................................................................2
Gaps in amazon:..............................................................................................................................4
Current KM systems available:.......................................................................................................5
Challenges in the available system:.................................................................................................6
Recommendations:..........................................................................................................................6
References:......................................................................................................................................8

2KNOWLEDGE MANAGEMENT SYSTEM IN AMAZON
Knowledge currently captured in the organization:
Some of the features of the existing knowledge management system in Amazon are
described below:
One portal and one interface:
Everything that is purchased from amazon.com is done through a single portal. All the
items such as food, electronic, book and other items are available on the single portal and it is
extremely convenient for the users to search for the products using the specific keywords. It is a
one stop shopping for the organization and the user experience for the portal is unified and same
all throughout the world (Holtshouse 2013). This is one by the use of the knowledge
management systems in the data centers of Amazon and it provides a uniform experience for the
users, which allows lesser anxiety and dissatisfaction for the users. They have the option of
navigating through the different pages of amazon.com that has different functionalities
(Holsapple 2013). A single portal allows the users with a common and user friendly interface to
surf as well direct interaction with the customer support executives with the help of the efficient
knowledge management systems in the back end.
Modular content:
All the pages are properly sectioned in amazon .com in an easy to read format so that it is
easy for the users to efficiently navigate through the pages and look for the item they are
searching for (Turban et al. 2014). There is no elaborate or complicated pdf books or manuals for
the users to go through. Often the pages provide additional details for the users to find it even
more interesting and friendly to use. No elaborate PDF books to comb through (Dorasamy,
Raman and Kaliannan 2013). Features such as “click here” that can redirect the user to additional
details about a product instead of having to go through unwanted barriers to get the user to what

3KNOWLEDGE MANAGEMENT SYSTEM IN AMAZON
exactly he needs to know is another important feature of the innovative knowledge management
system within Amazon.
Distributed upstream content creation:
Although it appears apparently that Amazon controls everything that are visible to the
users of its online portal, the real expertise of the organization lies in the fact that it actually
generates much of its own online contents (Sultan 2013). This means by adhering to its own
design standards as well as writing styles as well as other regulatory rules and policies, the
content that the users get to see on the online portal of Amazon appears as if they have been
developed by the organization itself (Dalkir 2013). This in turn makes it even more user friendly
for the users thereby making the online portal even more usable.
Almost magical personalization:
The most important and striking feature of the amazon website is its ability to know its
users and customers. The more it is being accessed by the users the more it seems to know and
trace their surfing habits and behaviors. The surfing habits of the customers recorded by the
number of mouse clicks on the advertisements as well as the products on the website by the
users, which in turn is processed and analyzed by the knowledge management systems in the
back end (Fernandez and Sabherwal 2014). That gives the portal a better understanding on the
user shopping habits and accordingly notifies and updates them about any new release of
products of that category, price range etc. It has the ability to remind the users of their browsing
history on the portal and their preferences are registered in the databases of the knowledge
management systems (Ragab and Arisha 2013). User profiles are created and they are can
register themselves using their email addresses/phone number on the website. The amazon portal
also has the provision to alter itself or add features in the future based on the requirements and

4KNOWLEDGE MANAGEMENT SYSTEM IN AMAZON
the changing need of the portal. This can be understood and analyzed based on the results from
the customer surveys and feedbacks on the user friendliness of the online portal.
Gaps in amazon:
- In the recent past Amazon has started marketing and selling other products, which are
different from its core, stream of business by being an online bookstore. Amazon has
included this strategy as a part of its own diversification policy that makes use of
knowledge management systems as well as business strategies that are not being
approved by the employees and are not well accepted by the customers (Noe and Wang
2014). Although it might have a competitive advantage by launching other products than
books, however it might also end up inviting threats of losing its core competence and
trust among the users that it had actually developed for all these years using its core
competence of selling books online.
- Amazon also provides free shipping to all its customers and this entire process id again
managed on an end-to-end basis by the use of proper information systems. Due to this,
there should be an effective knowledge management as well as transaction processing
system that should include a minimum charge for delivery of products (Ackerman et al.
2013). This should also be communicated to the customers at the time they make the
online payment in order to ensure there is complete transparence and proper breakup of
the entire amount paid by the customers.
- Amazon is an online retail market and its focus on retailing might again pose an internal
threat to itself in the future of the knowledge management systems are not properly used
or incorporated within the organization.

5KNOWLEDGE MANAGEMENT SYSTEM IN AMAZON
- One of the biggest gap within Amazon is that amazon worked on a zero margin business
model by providing free delivery as well as other vouchers to the users at a minimal
price. This can cause major downfalls in the profitability of the organization if it fails to
understand the key areas of expenditure and what and what not should be provided to the
employees at minimum prices. This can only be ensures again if the organization uses
proper information systems.
Current KM systems available:
- Bloomfire: Bloomfire is a very efficient knowledge management system that can help
Amazon to share information on a company-wide basis. It is so designed that it can help
in eliminating information silos and ensure that all the employees are on the same page
and information is democratized.
- Inbenta Knowledge Management: This software can make it easy for the information
to be stored as well as accessed in one common platform in a centralized database. It
helps in ensuring that the customers are adequately informed about any changes in prices
as well as other purchase policies to ensure that there is efficient knowledge management
within the organization.
- Tettra: This is again a very efficient knowledge management system for the dynamic
teams that function within Amazon and helps the managers take better business decision
in much lesser tie. Through this knowledge management software there is efficient
management of the resource as well as the available knowledge for the employees as well
as the customers (Laudon and Laudon 2016). This will ensure that all the teams work in
mutual collaboration with each other within the work operations of Amazon.

6KNOWLEDGE MANAGEMENT SYSTEM IN AMAZON
Challenges in the available system:
- Lack of executive as well as cultural buy in. This can be an issue since Amazon is a
company that has ranches all across the world and employees for different countries with
different cultural backgrounds worked in coordination with each other,. This can cause
issues like language barriers etc., which I turn, can make it difficult for these knowledge
management systems to be incorporated.
- Poor onboarding of the software is with no adequate training on the software’s can also
be an issue for the software.
- Complexity of usage.
Recommendations:
Therefore, it is recommended that amazon provide proper formal training to all its
employees regarding the implementation of the knowledge management systems in the
organization. The organization should also have a proper disaster management strategy to ensure
that there are no issues even I there are any unforeseen situations within the work operations.
The organization should also ensure that there are no issues such as employee vandalism by
ensuring optimum employee job satisfaction and wide acceptance of the newer knowledge
management systems across all the data centers (Kerzner and Kerzner 2017). The software’s can
also be customized based on the organizational requirements. The company should also address
to the customer satisfaction surveys to ensure that most of the customers are satisfied using the
Amazon services and their needs as well as companies are catered to. Therefore, it is of utmost
importance that Amazon comes up with an efficient knowledge management system to
understand its own shortcomings and ensure that the important financial data of the organizing
such as tax sheets as well as other important document are securely stored in the online

7KNOWLEDGE MANAGEMENT SYSTEM IN AMAZON
databases. Data security of the customers is one of the most important objective of the
knowledge management systems so that it can also help the company develop the trust of its
customers.

8KNOWLEDGE MANAGEMENT SYSTEM IN AMAZON
References:
Ackerman, M.S., Dachtera, J., Pipek, V. and Wulf, V., 2013. Sharing knowledge and expertise:
The CSCW view of knowledge management. Computer Supported Cooperative Work
(CSCW), 22(4-6), pp.531-573
AF Ragab, M. and Arisha, A., 2013. Knowledge management and measurement: a critical
review. Journal of Knowledge Management, 17(6), pp.873-901.
Becerra-Fernandez, I. and Sabherwal, R., 2014. Knowledge management: Systems and
processes. Routledge.
Dalkir, K., 2013. Knowledge management in theory and practice. Routledge.
Dorasamy, M., Raman, M. and Kaliannan, M., 2013. Knowledge management systems in
support of disasters management: A two decade review. Technological Forecasting and Social
Change, 80(9), pp.1834-1853.
Holsapple, C. ed., 2013. Handbook on knowledge management 1: Knowledge matters (Vol. 1).
Springer Science & Business Media.
Holtshouse, D.K., 2013. Information technology for knowledge management. Springer Science &
Business Media.
Kerzner, H. and Kerzner, H.R., 2017. Project management: a systems approach to planning,
scheduling, and controlling. John Wiley & Sons.
Laudon, K.C. and Laudon, J.P., 2016. Management information system. Pearson Education
India.

9KNOWLEDGE MANAGEMENT SYSTEM IN AMAZON
Sultan, N., 2013. Knowledge management in the age of cloud computing and Web 2.0:
Experiencing the power of disruptive innovations. International journal of information
management, 33(1), pp.160-165.
Turban, E., Sharda, R., Delen, D. and Efraim, T., 2014. Decision support and business
intelligence systems (Vol. 9). Pearson.
Wang, S., Noe, R.A. and Wang, Z.M., 2014. Motivating knowledge sharing in knowledge
management systems: A quasi–field experiment. Journal of Management, 40(4), pp.978-1009.
Figure 4 shows that the
knowledge needs we identi-
fied at Pharmaco have
different characteristics (and
we have examined just a few
of the firm’s many
knowledge needs). Most
firms, like Pharmaco, have
many different knowledge
needs, so a single KMS

10KNOWLEDGE MANAGEMENT SYSTEM IN AMAZON
based on a single strategy is
unlikely to satisfy all the
needs at once. More likely,
organizational units will
operate various knowledge
hierarchies, and user
groups will operate various
knowledge communities.
In other words, typically,
within a firm, there will not
be one KMS, nor will there
even be a single KMS for
a given type of knowledge
need. Only in unusua
Figure 4 shows that the
knowledge needs we identi-

11KNOWLEDGE MANAGEMENT SYSTEM IN AMAZON
fied at Pharmaco have
different characteristics (and
we have examined just a few
of the firm’s many
knowledge needs). Most
firms, like Pharmaco, have
many different knowledge
needs, so a single KMS
based on a single strategy is
unlikely to satisfy all the
needs at once. More likely,
organizational units will
operate various knowledge
hierarchies, and user
groups will operate various
knowledge communities.

12KNOWLEDGE MANAGEMENT SYSTEM IN AMAZON
In other words, typically,
within a firm, there will not
be one KMS, nor will there
even be a single KMS for
a given type of knowledge
need. Only in unusua