What is knowledge management?

Increase efficiency. Provide the right information to the right people at the right time.

Supporting innovation. Use general knowledge to inspire employees to brainstorm, collaborate, and get creative.

Achievement of goals. Allow teams to set goals and achieve them.

With knowledge management in organizations of all sizes, content is always at the fingertips of developers and providers of products and services. This in itself is an advantage, but knowledge management also helps to shorten the cycle of developing new initiatives, strengthens the connections between internal and external personnel, improves the efficiency of managing the corporate environment and allows you to maximize the use of intellectual capital and resources of employees.

Knowledge management is a constant cycle of acquiring unwritten or implicit knowledge and turning it into accessible, explicit knowledge. This seems a bit confusing, so let's take a step back and look at three different types of knowledge.

Implicit knowledge is knowledge based on personal experience, context, or practice. Knowledge of this type is stored in our heads and is difficult to pass on to others. Since implicit knowledge, like the ability to speak another language, is based on experience and intuition, when implementing knowledge management systems, it gives a huge competitive advantage and at the same time is a huge problem.

Explicit knowledge is systematized knowledge that is documented and easily accessible. Given the simple nature of explicit knowledge, it is much easier to store and retrieve it in a knowledge management system. The task is to update them and check their relevance.

Implicit knowledge is built into an organization's process, procedures, or culture. This knowledge may exist in a formalized form, such as manuals or written recommendations, but is not explicit. Instead, they are often woven into the way the organization works.

When you understand these three types of knowledge, you will have a better understanding of how to manage knowledge in your company. If knowledge management is organized correctly, it will help to increase efficiency, stimulate innovation and facilitate the achievement of goals.

Knowledge is one of the most valuable resources of an IT organization. Open knowledge sharing will help the team act in concert, collaborate and make more informed and faster decisions. Open knowledge sharing increases its effectiveness; they cease to be the knowledge of one person and become the knowledge of the community. Here are some recommendations for developing open knowledge sharing.

• Consolidate your team's knowledge into a single repository or system. As workplace technology advances, knowledge begins to be stored in increasingly heterogeneous places: in email, applications, and the heads of individual team members. While choosing the right technology is very important, it is only one step in a more general knowledge management strategy.
• Increase transparency with open, shared information. Instead of storing documents separately, in emails and folders, or blocking access to them through access rights settings, invest in technologies that connect and combine knowledge. Everyone in the organization should be able to easily search, find, and create knowledge. Encourage team members to co-edit pages, provide feedback in embedded comments, or mention colleagues to engage them in peer review.
• • Give preference to short articles or answers. Common documentation does not always mean a common understanding. Instead of creating long, lengthy documents, adapt content to your team's characteristics. All team members will be able to learn and assimilate information faster if the article is easy to read, written in simple language and published in a timely manner.
  • Promote a culture of knowledge sharing. Reward the best authors as part of an ongoing achievement promotion program that evaluates both qualitative and quantitative contributions. The leadership team can serve as a positive example if it regularly publishes information, for example, about important organizational changes. It can also encourage staff to use your tool and interact directly with teams through it.

  Developing a Successful Knowledge Management Strategy

  Knowledge management is an ongoing responsibility. Even after the implementation of the system, a constant cycle of adding new materials, removing obsolete elements and searching for hidden knowledge continues to operate.

  The following are the key steps to developing a successful knowledge management strategy in an organization.

  1. Determine the state of your business and formulate tasks and goals.

  With your first internal analysis of your organization, you'll be able to align your knowledge management system with your goals.

  2. Prepare your organization for implementation.

  Recognize that this is a serious matter. It will require a culture change.

  3. Form a knowledge management team.

  This may seem obvious, but it's amazing how often organizations forget about it. The first step in implementing any new process is to put someone in charge.

  4. Conduct a knowledge audit.

  Determine where certain hidden knowledge is stored. Find out what's missing and start setting the stage for action. If we are talking about implicit knowledge, observations, conversations or interviews with experts will be required.

  5. Identify and prioritize technology needs.

  Find out what tools will be required for knowledge management. Plan your expenses now so that they are easier to bear later.

  6. Identify the core qualities and capabilities of your knowledge management system.

  Decide what the system should look like. Then make a list. Make sure everything is consistent: technology and scope of work will lead to results that satisfy stakeholders. Not sure what to look for? The next section has a few ideas.

  7. Gather everything you know in one place.

  You have a lot of knowledge. But they're scattered everywhere. To combine this knowledge, contact a solution provider who will provide you with a single repository that is easy to use and easily accessible. This knowledge base will simplify employee training and customer service. And also will make life easier for all participants.

  8. Evaluate and improve your program.

  Once you've implemented a knowledge management practice, take the time to look at the big picture and analyze the outcome. Evaluate what succeeded and what did not. Make the necessary adjustments and changes. This work will be permanent.

  Choosing a Knowledge Management System

  Advanced software simplifies knowledge management. Therefore, before proceeding with the implementation, ask yourself the following questions about your technology:

  • Does it really support and encourage collaboration and collaboration?
  • Can users label, organize, and share content?
  • Can you customize it and add functionality?
  • Is it flexible enough to adapt to change?
  • Is it easy to cope with migration?
  • Is it scaling in a growing organization?
  • How reliable will it protect your system?
  • Does it allow for measurements?
  • Is it easier to navigate?
  • How powerful is its search engine?
  • Can it break down information into projects, topics, etc.?
  • Can it be integrated with existing software?
  • Does it allow for flexible access rights?
  • Does it include social media-style elements such as likes and commenting?

  In addition to functionality, it is particularly important that a knowledge management system is demand-driven, promotes idea generation, innovates, fosters a culture and knowledge-sharing community, allows for the acquisition and accumulation of experience, and supports feedback.