Knowledge Migration Made Easy: How to Switch Knowledge Management Systems Without Losing Your Content

Key Takeaways

• A new Knowledge Management System can overcome numerous issues relating to accessing and utilizing internal knowledge
• Data migration to a new KMS is difficult and requires substantial planning
• Knowledge must be thoroughly audited, mapped, and documented prior to migration
• Migration should be done slowly, in phases, to reduce operational disruption
• KMS Lighthouse makes it much easier to migrate your data

Why Do Organizations Switch Knowledge Management Systems?

Modern business runs on knowledge – but most operations' knowledge bases (KBs) tend to grow beyond easy management. Knowledge management solutions from the 2010s, such as wikis and static KB articles, become increasingly difficult to audit, update, and verify. In turn, the harder it is for workers to find the business knowledge they need to do their jobs, the more of a drag it creates for your business.

So now, many operations find themselves switching knowledge management systems to overcome a variety of internal challenges, including:

• Difficulty searching the existing KB
• Poor UI or UX in the search software
• Limited ability to manage or analyze KB/KMS performance
• Poor permissions management leading to either unauthorized access, or authorized users struggling to get permission
• Lack of multilingual support
• Disconnected tools or siloed information which cannot be universally accessed
• Worsening customer service metrics such as Average Handle Time and First-Call Resolution
• A desire to integrate AI into knowledge management

If any of these describe your situation, it may be time to look into embracing a new knowledge management platform. However, there is a significant challenge when performing a knowledge base migration – you must preserve your existing knowledge, while enhancing the ability of your new KMS to manage that knowledge.

So in this article, we'll be looking in-depth at the knowledge migration process: what makes it difficult, what common problems to avoid, and how to make the migration go more smoothly.

What Makes Knowledge Migration More Complex Than It Looks?

Knowledge migration sounds easy on paper, but typically there are wrinkles that make it a larger challenge than one might initially expect.

Some of the most common pain points we've seen include:

• Fragmented knowledge: Different departments/offices have their own tool sets which don't communicate, leaving knowledge scattered across various databases.
• Un-captured knowledge: Vital operational knowledge is in people's heads, but has never been formally added to a knowledge base. Or else it's only recorded in unofficial records such as email chains or chatroom logs. This must be captured.
• Conflicting information: For a proper knowledge management system migration, the data must be internally consistent – especially if you're planning on utilizing AI tools. A poorly-managed KMS may be full of contradictory information which needs to be audited, verified, and standardized by subject-matter experts (SMEs).
• Metadata, tags, slugs, links, etc: People planning KMS migrations often forget about the metadata attached to their knowledge base. For example, any/all internal links must be updated and working within the new system.
• Style standardization: All documents added to the KMS should conform to set style standards on writing and formatting, for consistency. This is particularly important if you plan on giving customers access to your KMS through a self-service portal.
• Permissions management: A new centralized KMS will require significant security policies and oversight, typically requiring the participation of your IT/Security team.
• Records and auditing: Likewise, the new KMS needs to be strictly overseen with tamper-proof records of modifications, commits, and usage which can be audited or analyzed as needed.

Taken together, these issues make switching knowledge management systems more difficult than it would initially appear. However, it is worth the effort, as a well-managed modern KMS can improve efficiency and lower costs across virtually your entire operation.

The Migration Process: Step by Step

Step 1 – Back Up Everything in Your Existing Knowledge System

And we do mean everything. Basic data storage is cheap. Every scrap of information that you even might touch or work with should be backed up, and available to quickly restore if anything ever goes wrong.

Step 2 – Information Auditing and Database Cleanup

To begin the actual migration, each and every article in the existing KB needs to be audited. This means:

• Creating a full list of all relevant articles
• Fact-checking and correcting the information
• Deciding when to split long articles into multiple pieces, or merge stubs into longer articles
• Identifying and deleting redundant or outdated articles

For most companies, this will be by far the most time-consuming aspect of KB migration. However, the effort is well worth it, as the end result will substantially improve the reliability of your KB.

Then make another backup of the audited database, just in case.

Step 3 – Choose a Target Platform

There are numerous new Knowledge Management Systems on the market to explore. The key is to create a clear plan for your KMS beforehand, backed up by specific actionable target metrics. Then look for a new KMS which meets those needs.

If in doubt, nearly all KMS providers have free demos you can try before committing.

Step 4 – Create a Migration Inventory

In short, convert your audited database into a spreadsheet which includes information such as:

• Article titles
• Old and New document URLs
• Categories
• Article owner/maintainer
• Redirection destinations

This will be your master checklist to ensure the migration covers all needed data.

Step 5 – Choose a Migration Method

Small databases can often be migrated by hand, but larger databases will typically require tools such as custom scripts. Your KMS tool may also include importation tools, or else the KMS vendor may provide migration as an optional service.

Step 6 – Map the Content Heirarchy

Different knowledge management systems handle the content heirarchy differently. For example, one may use a category/structure paradigm, while another may utilize a folders-based system. Be sure you understand both the old and new content heirarchies, and have a map in place to translate the old heirarchy to a different system, if needed.

Choosing a KMS that already matches your existing heirarchy is also an option.

Step 7 – Start Slowly

Do NOT attempt to migrate all your data at once. Start with a very small, isolated test database that incorporates various types of knowledge – FAQs, articles with images, articles with tables, videos, etc. This likely won't even go live, it's just for learning.

Then, if applicable, start by deploying a larger database in a single department or office and use what you learn there going forward.

Step 8 – Full Migration

Once you've prepared all the data, planned your migration, and run some tests, it'll finally be time to pull the trigger on the full data migration. The process should be carefully overseen, and expect some edge cases and unusual issues to crop up. Be sure to document any errors or creative workarounds which are implemented.

Try to do it during low-volume periods, such as late at night, to minimize disruption to your operations.

Step 9 – Fix your links and URLs

Aside from early testing, don't try to fix internal URLs and other links until the bulk of your data is migrated. This will reduce errors or chances of a document being moved again after the URL is updated. Webcrawling software or AI can help ensure the links all work.

Step 10 – Monitor, Analyze, Fix, and Take Feedback

There will undoubtedly be minor issues still remaining after deployment. Monitor your new KMS's usage carefully, and have a clear line of communication for employees to report problems or make suggestions for improvements. Fix any issues ASAP.

Then continue monitoring and refining your new KMS. With proper oversight, it should become more powerful and reliable over time.

How Do You Preserve Structure, Metadata, and Links During the Move?

Robust auditing and documentation is key to preserving the non-content aspects of your knowledge base. Before embarking on any knowledge migration project, you should document:

• All article titles, URLs, and slugs
• Authors, owners, and attached SMEs per document
• Categories or other data heirarchies
• All internal links which will need to be updated
• Any videos, screenshots, PDFs, etc, which will be integrated into the KB
• Tables, code blocks, and any other embedded elements within documents
• Permissions and visibility
• Multilingual articles, if applicable
• Comments, updates, discussion history, etc

It's a lot of information to record, but the more thorough your team is when documenting the data to be migrated, the less chance there is of something going wrong. Robust documentation will speed up the migration process as well.

How Does KMS Lighthouse Support a Smooth Knowledge Migration?

KMS Lighthouse was designed by industry experts to make migration as smooth and easy as possible, within a system that requires no programming or extensive IT knowledge.

KMS Lighthouse:

• Creates a single centralized database
• Converts data into small consumable content chunks which are easy to work with
• Creates structure and heirarchy maps for you
• Utilizes AI to 'crawl' your existing KB, integrating all the knowledge within it to create an easy-to-use query interface that utilizes natural language
• Includes numerous software integrations for continuity of workflows
• Incorporates extensive data collection, analysis, and management tools for easy high-level knowledge management and strategy planning

In Conclusion: Careful Planning Makes Your KMS Migration Easier

The core takeaway here is: When switching knowledge management systems, go slowly, document everything, and roll out in manageable phases rather than all at once. Good planning and data preparation early in the process will make your data migration go more smoothly and with fewer problems during KMS rollout.

KMS Lighthouse is an industry-leading AI-powered knowledge management system that makes migration as easy as possible, with extensive automation. At the end of the process, you have a robust centralized database backed up by smart natural-language query systems which act as assistants for your workforce. KMS Lighthouse is already trusted by organizations around the world, including banks, telcos, insurance companies, and government agencies – and it can streamline your knowledge management as well.

Contact us to learn more, or request a free demonstration.

Frequently Asked Questions