Knowledge Sharing Software

Knowledge sharing software organizes information so users can quickly access and distribute it. It facilitates real-time information exchange and enables better and faster decision-making. This glossary covers some common terms you should know as you move forward with investing in a knowledge sharing platform.

Organizational knowledge exists in many different forms and locations. A knowledge base is an online library of information about products, services, and other topics. It can include FAQs, manuals, runbooks, troubleshooting guides, and other information employees and customers may want or need to know. When users enter a query, knowledge sharing software helps quickly narrow down a solution

A knowledge base contains all gathered organizational data. The term “centralized data” or centralized database is used to describe one of the key benefits of a knowledge base: all the information your customers, employees, and agents need is conveniently located in one place. Centralizing data eliminates the possibility of people receiving or sharing dissimilar, incorrect, or outdated information. There is one version of “the truth.”

A self-service knowledge base allows customers to efficiently find answers on their own. It also lowers operational costs by reducing the number of repetitive issues call center agents deal with. A self-service portal delivers consistent answers across multiple channels and ensures customer service is never compromised.

Knowledge sharing software helps create exceptional customer experiences in a variety of ways. Teams better communicate and collaborate, processes are streamlined, and continuous improvements that improve customer experience are facilitated. The result is unparalleled customer satisfaction and industry-leading customer service.

The vast majority of knowledge management initiatives rely on organizational knowledge sharing. Knowledge sharing tools in knowledge management are designed to gather and share information into and from one centralized location. Successful knowledge sharing depends on the willingness of leadership and staff to contribute to and be receptive to these knowledge sources. Knowledge sharing best practices include making sure knowledge is easily discoverable, collaborative, simple to access, and tailored to individual needs when necessary. A knowledge sharing strategy must be flexible enough that information can be quickly and easily updated.

An internal knowledge sharing portal captures and shares relevant information between and within departments and teams and offers a more effective approach to decision-making. Employees have access to information such as employee manuals and collaborations tools from one uniform source. As less time is spent searching for information, employee knowledge sharing software is ideal for increasing employee productivity and employee engagement.

A key component in improving both the customer and employee experiences, personalization in a knowledge base ensures users always have access to relevant content when they need it. Examples of personalization include content recommendations, content discovery through keywords and tags, and content view permissions by role which ensures users don’t see information that is irrelevant to them.

Call centers are tasked with responding to an ever-increasing number of customer inquiries while reducing the amount of time they take to answer a call and solve a customer’s problem. Knowledge sharing increases speed, improves customer service, and reduces workloads. It offers clear understanding and real-time guidance into why customers are calling. Resolution efficiency is improved and customer satisfaction and loyalty are enhanced.

Unlike explicit knowledge, which is easy to articulate, write down, and share, tacit knowledge is more difficult to express. It’s best compared to individual wisdom and consists of the knowledge, observations, and skills someone has obtained from personal experience. Tacit knowledge sharing involves finding experts who can pass on their expertise and insights and then collecting that knowledge so it’s readily available to all who need it, even if the expert changes positions or leaves the organization.