Improve Group Collaboration and Productivity with a Knowledge Base
Every year, cutting edge technology is becoming more accessible to more people around the world. And since the improvement of the business world is one of the main driving forces behind technology development, plenty of useful tools are now affordable for businesses of all sizes. Knowledge base software in particular has gained a lot of popularity in recent years, and for a good reason.
For smaller businesses, it brings faster growth and improved workflow. For bigger businesses, using a knowledge base is necessary for cutting down costs, streamlining the workflow and improving the overall productivity of bigger teams. The following are several reasons why knowledge base software is perfect for improving group collaboration and productivity within a company.
Incredible collaboration support
The goal for many companies is to utilize their teams in the right way, making them highly efficient and effective. To make this a reality, it is necessary to help different teams work together without making too many errors. When there’s a smaller number of people involved, this is an easier task to manage, but when there are several teams working on a project simultaneously, the task becomes more challenging.
However, a knowledge base can solve all the workflow problems, as these tools are equipped with an abundance of features that help collaboration:
- Instant updates – Any changes made to the knowledge base are instantaneous. This is important for spreading the newest information among the team members. Also, as soon as someone has finished working on something, a team member can easily update the rest of the team. This is important for any sudden changes in the project workflow, as all of the team members can receive the update immediately.
- Single database for all the crucial information – A knowledge base is a single point where all of the data is recorded. There is no time loss with information syncing, as all of the data is in stored in one place. Also, no matter where the team member is located, he or she always has access to all of the latest data. This sort of data management removes any potential issues that would come up if they had to access different data in different places.
- Notification system – The best knowledge base platforms also include a notification system. It serves to notify every team member about any changes made in the knowledge base, be it a small or a big one. Additionally, content can be stickied, making the most important notifications visible on the front page of the knowledge base. In some cases, this is particularly useful, as project deadline information can always be found on the front page.
These features are built to ensure that every team member is always up to speed with the latest developments on any given project. All of the important information can be easily accessed from a single location, making the workflow far smoother. Transparency of information is essential in achieving an impeccable workflow, and the knowledge base is the perfect tool for achieving that goal.
Platform flexibility
Whenever you are using a platform for managing bigger teams, it is necessary to have some sort of flexibility that allows you to manage the information in the knowledge base correctly.
This is something that the developers of these platforms had in mind, which made them bring an abundance of useful features to these types of platforms. The following are some flexibility options that you are going to appreciate:
- Scalability – This is a perfect feature that makes a cloud-based knowledge base usable over a long period of time. The platform can be expanded to store more data or less, depending on the business’s needs. This makes the tool very practical, as it can follow your business as it grows and there is more important information to store.
- Data access management – Not all parts of a knowledge base should be accessible to everyone. For example, business reports and other sensitive business data can be stored away from other people and only the important company figures can access that data.Another good example is the outsourcing process. Only project-relevant data should be accessible to the outsourced agency or freelancer. This allows businesses to protect their vital data, even though they are collaborating with other companies. Access control is a very important feature, and it makes collaboration much safer.
- Multiple platform support – Knowledge base software is compatible with different popular platforms such as Windows, Android or iOS. This makes it easier for employees to access the data whenever they like. For example, those who are regularly commuting can make better use of their travel time. On the other hand, when an employee stays at home, he or she can do some work.
- Various content materials – Knowledge base platforms support different information delivery mediums. Those who are creating the material for the knowledge base can use text, audio, images or videos. This variety is perfect for certain types of projects, as it makes it easier for employees to understand and retain the vital information.
Flexibility of the knowledge base platforms is very important for businesses of all sizes, as it provides more choices for businesses.
Collecting information for future reference
Knowledge base software is a perfect way to monitor how different employees are performing. This is great for productivity, as a project manager can easily determine which types of tasks are more suitable for different team members.
All of this results in the ability to complete future projects more easily, and within or even before the deadline. Also, tracking employee performance is great for times when someone needs to be promoted, as the management will know which employee is perfect for a position with more responsibility.
These are the main ways in which a knowledge base can improve group collaboration and productivity. With all the supported features, project managers can greatly improve the company-wide workflow, enabling teams to get more done in a shorter amount of time.
Jason Grills
Latest posts by Jason Grills (see all)
- What’s the difference between Cloud LMS and Hosted LMS? - June 17, 2017
- Improve Group Collaboration and Productivity with a Knowledge Base - April 9, 2017