Some more unique categories of knowledge management software will merge, resulting in hybrid solutions that combine knowledge bases and collaboration tools.

The Future of Knowledge Management Software: Trends and Challenges in 2025
Knowledge management software covers a wide range of business tools, including knowledge bases, wikis, help desk software, collaboration tools, chatbots, and document management systems. In today's business environment, where organizations are overwhelmed by data, information, and knowledge and are striving to provide higher levels of customer service, these tools are becoming increasingly valuable. With the growing importance of knowledge workers in modern organizations, improving their productivity has become a key focus for many companies.
The Knowledge Asset of the 21st Century: People and Productivity
Peter Drucker once said, “In the 20th century, the most valuable asset of a company was its production equipment; in the 21st century, the most valuable asset of an organization, whether commercial or non-commercial, will be its knowledge workers and their productivity.” His prediction has now become a reality. Whether in commercial or non-commercial organizations, human knowledge and the ability to apply it have become the driving forces of business success. This makes knowledge management crucial: effectively managing and sharing knowledge within an organization can significantly enhance team collaboration and efficiency.
The Evolution of Knowledge Management: 2018
In 2018, the definition and practice of knowledge management continued to evolve, with trends that would extend into the following years. Search functionality and artificial intelligence (AI) had become indispensable, and in 2018, their role only became more important. AI was expected to help manage vast amounts of data, provide business intelligence, and facilitate the widespread adoption of big data analytics. In many ways, this has already become a reality.
Content management strategies and more efficient collaboration were also focal points in 2018, as many organizations worked hard to manage the ever-increasing amount of content. Often, companies have content but don't know how to effectively use it.
That year also saw the continued development of mobile-first platforms, with the Internet of Things (IoT) receiving more attention. Content could now be easily accessed across various devices, such as smartphones and tablets.
Challenges in Knowledge Management
Despite high hopes for knowledge management in 2018, the field continued to face significant challenges. Often, the technology struggled to keep up with the trends observed in the workplace. The average tenure of employees in the 25-34 age group is currently only 3.2 years. Higher employee turnover and the erosion of the concept of “lifetime employment” have put increasing pressure on knowledge management systems to fill this gap. The trend of remote work has made it absolutely essential to create online, shared knowledge repositories to facilitate effective collaboration among dispersed teams.
Knowledge is no longer solely stored in employees’ minds; it must now be captured and managed externally. Many baby boomers are retiring, while Generation X and Millennials are becoming the dominant workforce groups. These employees are accustomed to and embrace digital technologies that get the job done, preferring to message colleagues instead of making phone calls. The first Generation Z employees are entering the workforce, and these digital natives expect a mobile-first experience.
If the software is inadequate, employees are increasingly opting for unauthorized “shadow IT” (using their own devices and software), which can compromise IT security. As traditional knowledge management programs have largely failed, legacy knowledge management systems are unlikely to solve the problem, and new knowledge management solutions must meet current user experience expectations.
Knowledge Management in 2025
By 2025, as technological advancements continue, the landscape of knowledge management software has shifted significantly. Here are some of the key trends expected to dominate in the coming years:
1. Social Networks and Collaboration
Knowledge management software now focuses on facilitating more effective collaboration between team members. Social networks are becoming increasingly important as teams become more decentralized, with even small teams operating globally. Productivity and collaboration tools like Slack and Confluence are becoming commonplace, and these tools will integrate with other knowledge management solutions. Employees now expect to communicate digitally, share important content online, and access that content within digital workspaces.
In terms of collaboration, there will be more merging between knowledge base software and collaboration tools. For instance, your knowledge base CMS may offer more robust creation, editing, and publishing processes to facilitate collaborative workflows.
2. Improved User Experience
In recent years, there have been significant improvements in software user interfaces (UI). To drive user adoption, knowledge management software must be as easy to use as the entertainment products employees engage with. Trends include more visual interfaces replacing cumbersome lists and simpler drag-and-drop functionality becoming the norm.
Part of improving the user experience involves better software integration, so that different software vendors work seamlessly together. Users don’t want to switch between various tools constantly, and if forced to do so, the unused software can quickly become obsolete.
Especially in the enterprise market, the same software must serve different customer roles with different views. For example, senior team leaders don’t need the same software interface as administrators. Tailored account views for a range of users will become more common, a practice known as “content services.”
Most importantly, mobile devices have become one of the primary ways users access digital services, and users now expect to access their software anytime, anywhere. Mobile app versions of knowledge management software are becoming essential so that users can create, search, edit, and collaborate from anywhere.
3. AI, Blockchain, and Intelligent Search
One of the main challenges of knowledge management has always been helping users find relevant content. Another trend we will see is smarter search indexing and intelligent content recommendations that are faster than manual human searches.
For instance, chatbots can start recommending relevant content based on previous search history or contextual relevance, without the user having to manually search for potentially mismatched words or phrases.
Here are some more AI trends to expect in 2025:
AI-enhanced analytics (automated discovery) will provide business analysts with more meaningful insights into content trends.
AI-powered knowledge graphs could lead to digital immortality, where intelligent chatbots simulate specific individuals to answer user queries.
Blockchain technology will provide greater security for users’ digital identities, eliminating some of the barriers in transaction processes.
The fusion of AI and robotic process automation will enable businesses to increase productivity and automate more advanced tasks within business operations.
AI may assist in content translation and localization, reducing the cost of these processes.
4. The Importance of Knowledge Base Software
While some categories of knowledge management software may merge, dedicated knowledge base software will continue to play a crucial role. More companies are turning to knowledge base solutions rather than struggling with traditional enterprise help desk tools or settling for add-on knowledge base features.
Therefore, knowledge base software must provide an experience similar to any standard content management system (CMS), with a completely customizable front-end that reflects the customer’s brand and style.
Knowledge bases can be simple without sacrificing functionality. If you can integrate them with other essential tools to reduce the need for users to constantly switch contexts, they don’t need to offer extensive features. Solutions like Baklib, a more specialized tool, can do this and remain cost-effective.
The Future of Knowledge Management
Overall, knowledge management software in 2025 will continue to evolve along similar trajectories as those seen in 2018. The focus will be more on leveraging AI to address many of the core challenges associated with knowledge management, while user experience remains a key differentiator for buyers when selecting knowledge management software.
Some more unique categories of knowledge management software will merge, resulting in hybrid solutions that combine knowledge bases and collaboration tools. However, knowledge base software will continue to carve out a unique niche market for customers looking to improve their knowledge management efforts.
In an age of information overload, the future of knowledge management software promises to provide businesses with more efficient, intelligent solutions, helping them manage and leverage their most valuable asset—knowledge.