Use > Knowledge Management > Knowledge Management overview > Knowledge Management profiles

Knowledge Management profiles

The Knowledge Management (KM) profiles control knowledge document access, creation, editing and administration. The administrative privilege allows users to manage document types, document views, and KM profiles.

Users have a KM security profile and an operator record which determine what privileges the users has. The knowledge document categories that a user can access are determined by the knowledge groups the user is assigned.

Within each security profile, there is a direct association between a defined (named) profile and the categories and sub-categories for which the selected capabilities apply. Each security profile maps to a document category or sub-category. A user with that profile has access to the documents specified by the profile-to-category mapping and all subcategories in that branch of the category tree.

Profiles can be modified to select only some of the available capabilities for a profile, effectively creating sub-profiles. For example, some users may not be allowed to publish knowledge documents externally as well as internally.

The out-of-box KM security profiles are briefly described in the following table.

KM profile Privilege
DEFAULT With this profile, you can search and view externally published knowledge documents for those documents in categories to which this profile has access. You can also submit feedback on these documents.
INTERNAL USER With this profile, you can search and view externally published knowledge documents for those documents in categories to which this profile has access. You can also search and view internally approved knowledge documents for those documents in categories to which this profile has access. You can also submit feedback on these documents.
KCS I With this profile, you can author and contribute knowledge documents.
KCS I Editor With this profile, you can author knowledge documents and edit working copy documents in the workflow for those categories to which this profile has access.
KCS II With this profile, you can author knowledge documents, contribute knowledge documents, edit published documents without placing them in the workflow (edit in place), and publish documents internally only. Also, you can view adaptive learning data when adaptive learning is enabled in the system.
KCS III With this profile, you can author knowledge documents, contribute knowledge documents, edit published documents without placing them in the workflow (edit in place), and publish documents internally and externally. Also, you can view adaptive learning data when adaptive learning is enabled in the system.
KM ADMIN With this profile, you can administer KM document security profiles, document types, document views, and document categories. You can also author knowledge documents, contribute knowledge documents, edit published documents without placing them in the workflow (edit in place), and publish documents internally and externally. Also, you can edit adaptive learning data when adaptive learning is enabled in the system.

KCS I profile

The KCS I profile in the out-of-box system allows you to perform the following tasks:

  • Contribute new knowledge documents
  • Suggest a document category or categories for approval
  • Save draft versions of the knowledge document
  • View unapproved working-copy documents

A user with a KCS I profile is sometimes known as a document submitter or contributor. A KCS I can view documents approved for internal and external use.

The KCS I capabilities apply to the knowledge document categories associated with the KCS I profile and knowledge group in which the user is a member. The three-way profile-to-group-to-category mapping is defined under the Permissions tab of the Category Details form.

The Knowledge Management administrator creates a KCS I contributor knowledge group and then associates the knowledge group with a KCS I profile and document category. The users in the knowledge group can contribute documents to that category and to the subcategories below that category.

For example, in the out-of-box sample data, the KM 1 operator has a KCS I profile and is a member of the KCS I KM Group. The profile-to-group-to-category mapping is KCS I (profile)-to-KCS I for KM Group (group)-to-Knowledge Management (category).

The category hierarchy in the out-of-box sample data is:

Service Manager  
Knowledge Management Knowledge-Centered Support (KCS)
.Document Maintenance and Lifecycle

The KM 1 operator, as a member of the KCS I for KM Group, can contribute knowledge documents to the Knowledge Management category and to the sub-categories below it. Those are Knowledge-Centered Support (KCS) and Document Maintenance and Lifecycle. The KM 1 operator cannot contribute documents to the Service Manager category. Also, the KM 1 operator cannot view documents in the Service Manager category.

KCS I editor profile

The KCS I editor profile in the out-of-box system allows you to perform the following tasks:

  • Contribute new knowledge documents
  • Suggest a document category or categories for published documents
  • Save draft versions of knowledge documents
  • Edit working copy knowledge documents that are assigned to the KCS I editor in the Pending Documents queue
  • View unpublished working copy documents

A KCS I editor can view documents published for internal and external use.

The KCS I editor capabilities apply to the knowledge document categories associated with the KCS I editor profile and knowledge group in which the user is a member. The three-way profile-to-group-to-category mapping is defined under the Permissions tab of the Category Details form.

The Knowledge Management administrator creates a KCS I editor knowledge group and then associates the knowledge group with a KCS I editor profile and document category. The users in the knowledge group can contribute documents to that category and to the sub-categories below that category.

KCS II profile

The KCS II profile in the out-of-box system allows you to do all of tasks a KCS I profile can do and also the following tasks:

  • Publish immediately internal knowledge documents
  • Retire and unretire knowledge documents
  • Delete retired knowledge documents
  • View and delete feedback for a knowledge document
  • Edit and review knowledge documents in the Pending Documents queue
  • Assign documents for editing and reviewing
  • Edit published documents in place without sending them to workflow
  • View adaptive learning data when adaptive learning is enabled in the system

A user with a KCS II profile may also be assigned as a document owner or editor of a document in the document workflow.

The KCS II capabilities apply to the knowledge document categories associated with the KCS II profile and knowledge group in which the user is a member. The three-way profile-to-group-to-category mapping is defined under the Permissions tab of the Category Details form.

Similar to the KCS I profile, the Knowledge Management administrator creates a KCS II knowledge group and then associates the knowledge group with a KCS II profile and document category. The users in the knowledge group can contribute, review, and edit documents to that category and to the sub-categories below that category. With a KCS II profile, you can also publish documents for internal access for that category and the sub-categories below that category.

KCS III profile

The KCS III profile in the out-of-box system allows you to do all the tasks that a KCS I or KCS II profile can do. A KCS III profile also enables a user to publish documents immediately or any documents in the workflow intended for external audiences (publish external) and edit published documents without sending them to the workflow.

Like a KCS II user, a user with a KCS III profile may also be assigned as a document owner or editor of a document in the workflow. Also, like a KCS II user, a user with a KCS III profile can view adaptive learning data when adaptive learning is enabled in the system.

KCS III capabilities apply to the knowledge document categories associated with the KCS III profile and knowledge group in which the user is a member. The three-way profile-to-group-to-category mapping is defined under the Permissions tab of the Category Details form.

Similar to the KCS I profile, the Knowledge Management administrator creates a KCS III knowledge group and then associates the knowledge group with a KCS III profile and document category. The users in the knowledge group can contribute, review, and edit assigned documents for that category and the sub-categories below that category. With a KCS III profile, you can also publish documents for external access for that category and the sub-categories below that category.

KM ADMIN profile

The KM ADMIN profile in the out-of-box system allows you to do all the tasks that a KCS I, KCS II, or KCS III profile can do. With the KM ADMIN profile, you can also perform these tasks without specific permissions in the document categories. A KM ADMIN user can perform the following tasks:

  • Search, view, retire, unretire, and delete documents in any document category
  • Author knowledge documents, contribute knowledge documents, edit published documents without placing them in workflow, and publish documents internally and externally
  • Assign documents for editing and reviewing when adaptive learning is enabled in the system

Note The KM ADMIN profile is unlike all other out-of-box Knowledge Management profiles, because the KM ADMIN profile is not assigned in the Category Details form.