In today’s world, where technology is thriving and turnaround time is king, who has the time to search through cluttered emails and several files to find one document? Wasting hours like that is unacceptable today and a pain for everyone who’s been there. As a result, many organizations are relying on knowledge management software to do the sorting, organizing, securing, and more of data for them.
Additionally, KM helps them facilitate collaborations and training and boost productivity in the office. All that’s needed is the right KM system & strategy that suits their work.
Choosing a knowledge management solution meant for your business is a decision that cannot be made lightly. From carrying out extensive research to weighing how practically sound a particular system will be to your requirements. And there are plenty of models out there in the market waiting to be selected.
So how do you pick the right one? The answer is Pre-planning. Once you’ve done your research, brainstorm with your team and make a list of how the software will make your life more productive, if not easier. Focus on what features every KM software has to offer. And you’ll figure out the rest.
To help you understand what you should be looking for, we have made a list of knowledge management features that are a must for every business to speed up its growth and increase its profits.
5 Features That A Next-Gen KM System Should Have
1. Robust search
Searching for information can be time-consuming, with many portals and segregated data. Sometimes important content can get lost in this sea of words and numbers. Therefore, finding KM software with an efficient search engine is necessary.
The right hosted knowledge base system will have an inbuilt search mechanism as effective as Google’s- so searching for keywords that you don’t know or remember entirely won’t be a problem as the engine will show results quickly and smartly. This makes everything easier, saves time, and increases productivity.
2. Query-solving mechanism
New employees and old alike- everyone has their share of queries regarding the organization. While professionals are always there to guide them, having a system fed with the relevant details would help them find answers themselves. This would make them more empowered and independent while also reducing room for confusion or misunderstandings.
As a part of the training process, or upon a role change or upgrade, they can be briefed about the concerning data essential for them to be aware of. Customer-facing employees will answer better and help their clients and feel more confident in doing so. This will eliminate the need to ask the same questions repeatedly. A KM system can do all of this quickly.
3. Reports
Knowledge management systems help analyze the data you’ve collected by preparing in-depth reports that explain it to you quickly. Through these reports, you can understand customers’ behavior patterns as well as the complex information that you’ve stored. With simple-to-understand analytics, solving queries of employees becomes faster. It also gives those in charge the chance to track their team members’ movements, like who has viewed something or changed content, helping maintain accountability.
4. Compatible with devices
High accessibility is a must, as people should use the system regularly without inconvenience. Choose a KM platform that is easily compatible with all your devices, or work might become more complicated. If it cannot work on specific devices or has limitations, your team won’t utilize it to its maximum potential. And you may face problems like website blockage, loss of time, etc. Besides, all your employees will have different devices, ranging from laptops to mobile phones; they should all use the system equally.
5. Content Editing
Content editing is a valued knowledge management feature. When data is the essential part of your system, you should change, update, cancel, or improvise it. Your KM platform allows you to edit and publish on any platform at any time. Additionally, you can also convert PDFs into editable documents on modern KM platforms.
6. Scalability
Growth is inevitable. It is excellent, and your KM software shouldn’t restrict it. Whether you’re using knowledge base tools for the entire organization or at a specific level, you don’t want a KM that will not adapt to the change. Therefore, while choosing, look for software that can grow with you.
Conclusion
Start looking for the ideal KM system for your company now! The knowledge management system helps you create, store, arrange, share, analyze, and safeguard data. It makes the information easy to use and available to the company. This also ensures optimal use of knowledge and resources, thereby systematically enabling you to achieve desired results. All you have to do is find the most suitable KM software for your organization and let it do its job while you do yours. Pay attention to the features before finalizing one, and you’ll make a perfect choice.