How can knowledge management benefit your business?
Knowledge management aims to ensure that the right information is available to the right people at the right time to improve decision-making, increase efficiency, and foster innovation.
The advantages of using a knowledge management tool
Let us take the example of “XYZ Corporation.” XYZ Corporation is a manufacturing company that employs over 10,000 workers across multiple locations. The company had struggled with siloed information and a lack of communication between teams, leading to inefficiencies and delays. To address these issues, XYZ Corporation implemented a knowledge management tool that allows employees to easily capture, store easily, and access information from any location. This tool has created a centralized knowledge base, which employees can access to find answers to frequent questions and share best practices.
Implementing the knowledge management tool has significantly increased productivity, as employees can now access the information they need to make decisions and complete tasks. The company has also seen significant savings from reduced delays and less need for outside consultants.
Implementing knowledge management in your organization
Implementing a knowledge management system in your organization requires a strategic approach. The first step is identifying your organization’s specific needs and goals and determining how a knowledge management system can help you achieve them.
Next, choose a knowledge management tool that best fits your needs. Once you have selected a tool, you must set up the system, which typically involves configuring the system, uploading content, and creating user accounts.
It’s important to involve stakeholders and employees to ensure everyone is on board and that the solution is tailored to the users’ needs. Training your employees on how to use the system effectively is crucial, as is ensuring that the system is accessible and user-friendly.
Finally, it’s essential to monitor the system’s performance and make necessary adjustments to ensure that it meets your organization’s needs. This can be done by tracking key metrics such as employee engagement, communication effectiveness, and overall productivity.
Top knowledge management tools for business
Digital workplaces, such as Microsoft SharePoint and Microsoft Teams, can play a key role in knowledge management by providing employees with tools to share and organize information.
Microsoft SharePoint is a powerful platform for storing and organizing information. It allows employees to create and share documents, collaborate on projects, and access essential information from anywhere. SharePoint also offers a wide range of tools for organizing and categorizing information, such as metadata, tags, and taxonomies.
Microsoft Teams is a suitable place for many conversations and discussions, which can generate a lot of valuable information. However, these conversations can also be quickly lost if they are not properly captured and stored.
A solution that can smoothly capture information from Teams and then organize it in SharePoint would be ideal.
The limitations of SharePoint for knowledge management
While Microsoft SharePoint is a powerful platform for storing and organizing information, building an efficient and effective knowledge management site using SharePoint can be challenging. One of the main challenges is making the site attractive and engaging for employees. SharePoint is a powerful platform with many features, but it can be difficult to navigate and use for employees unfamiliar with it. Additionally, SharePoint is typically used for a wide range of purposes, and it can be difficult to create a site dedicated to knowledge management that stands out from other sites.
Another challenge is to make it efficient for employees to find the information they need. SharePoint has powerful search capabilities, but it can be difficult to make sure that the information is well-organized and easy to find. It also requires much time to properly tag and categorize information to make it searchable.
It is also important to note that SharePoint requires proper administration and maintenance to keep the knowledge base up-to-date, accurate, and relevant. Ensure the information is accurate and up-to-date can be difficult, especially if multiple people are responsible for updating the site.
The best knowledge management solution for SharePoint
To mitigate these challenges, Powell Intranet has developed ready-to-use models and templates, which include a portal to navigate and filter through the Wiki pages.
The Wiki page template is attractive and includes all the features to filter properly, search the articles (tags, level of interest, level of sensitivity), and engage the other employees (like, share, comment).
It includes a Power Automate flow to help employees smoothly capture information from specific messages via a form in Teams. Teams are where the information lives today so it is the place from which to capture collective intelligence.
Overall, this makes it easier for employees to navigate and find the information they need and helps ensure that it is accurate and current. Additionally, a solution like Powell Intranet and Knowledge Management can help make the site more engaging and attractive to employees through engagement techniques and gamification.
Who oversees implementing such as solution
Implementing a knowledge management tool in a business organization typically involves a team of individuals from various departments, including IT, Human Resources, and business units.
The IT department is typically responsible for the technical aspects of implementing the tool, such as configuring the software, integrating it with existing systems, and providing user support. They also ensure the tool is properly set up and configured to meet the organization’s specific needs and requirements.
The Human Resources department is often responsible for driving the tool’s adoption within the organization and developing and implementing employee training programs. They also play a key role in developing policies and procedures for using the tool and in ensuring that the information is accurate and up to date.
Business units are responsible for creating and maintaining the content on the knowledge management tool. They also play a key role in identifying the information most valuable to the organization and determining how it should be organized and presented.
Sometimes, a specific individual or team may be designated as the “owner” of the knowledge management tool, with overall responsibility for its implementation, maintenance, and success.
Overall, implementing a knowledge management tool in a business organization is a collaborative effort involving multiple departments and stakeholders, each with their specific roles and responsibilities.
Conclusion
With Powell Intranet, we make it easier to implement a knowledge management solution that leverages your existing Microsoft 365 investment. Download the ebook and discover all there is to know about Powell Intranet.
