Knowledge management plays a vital role in enabling organizations to thrive and grow. Through partnerships with thousands of companies, we have recognized the significance of fostering a culture of knowledge sharing. In this continuation of our blog series, we delve deeper into the subject, exploring how go-to-market teams can establish, motivate, and implement a culture that embraces knowledge sharing.
Over the course of this blog series, we’ve identified what knowledge sharing is, why it’s important for enablement success, and how to encourage employees to embrace the practice.
And while knowledge sharing largely depends on your company’s enablement culture and the people on your go-to-market team, you can’t effectively share knowledge across your organization without the right tools and systems in place.
In this post, we’ll have a look at why knowledge sharing depends on technology and share the knowledge management system features you should look for.
What’s the role of technology in knowledge sharing?
Successful knowledge sharing requires efficient gathering and storing of information so it can be easily accessed and shared with others across the organization. This is nearly impossible if organizations don’t have a knowledge management tool in place.
A knowledge management system helps organizations identify, capture, organize, and share information across an organization. It also creates a centralized repository of information and source of truth that prevents users from switching from system to system to find the knowledge they need when they need it. While some organizations may try to repurpose project management and communication tools for their knowledge management process, it really takes a dedicated tool to make knowledge sharing a streamlined process.
Essential knowledge management features to look for
While some organizations may try to repurpose project management and communication tools for their knowledge management process, it really takes a dedicated tool to make knowledge sharing a streamlined process. So, if your organization is ready to power knowledge sharing with a knowledge management tool, we suggest looking for the following features and functionality.
Optimized formats
Not all formats of information are created equal, and it’s beneficial to store and organize knowledge with some consideration of how it’s used. There are some solutions that store knowledge in more than long-form text, such as in Q&A or FAQ formats. Other solutions leverage more in-depth formats like Guides. This allows you to choose the knowledge formats that are most suitable for your team’s needs, the information that’s covered, and the context in which it will be used.
Multi-silo search
In today’s complex business landscape, information and knowledge tend to become fragmented and dispersed across various tools, systems, and teams. This fragmentation creates a significant challenge when it comes to searching for and accessing the relevant knowledge needed to perform tasks effectively. However, this challenge can be overcome by leveraging a knowledge management tool that incorporates advanced search functionality.
A knowledge management system with multi-silo search capabilities can streamline the process of finding information by conducting comprehensive searches across multiple systems simultaneously. By integrating with various platforms such as training software, sales content management systems, and other relevant repositories, the knowledge management tool consolidates the search results into a single query. This saves valuable time and effort for employees who would otherwise have to navigate through multiple systems separately to find the information they need.
Knowledge verification
Effective knowledge management relies not only on the willingness of team members to share their knowledge but also on the accuracy and relevance of the shared information. Simply sharing a piece of information does not guarantee its truthfulness or correctness. This is where a robust knowledge management system plays a pivotal role.
A knowledge management system acts as a reliable mechanism for trainers, team leaders, and subject-matter experts to verify the shared information. By providing the necessary tools and functionalities, it enables them to validate and authenticate the knowledge before it becomes part of the organization’s collective knowledge repository.
Verification within a knowledge management system ensures that the shared information is up-to-date and aligned with the current practices, industry standards, and organizational guidelines. Subject-matter experts, possessing deep expertise and insights, can review the shared knowledge to validate its accuracy, ensuring that team members have access to reliable and trustworthy information.
Deep integrations with the tech stack
Deep integrations with the tech stack play a crucial role in ensuring a seamless knowledge sharing experience within an organization. It is essential to consider the compatibility of your chosen knowledge management tool with the platforms and tools already in use for employee communication and collaboration.
One such platform that has become integral to modern workplace communication is Slack. With its intuitive interface and robust features, Slack has emerged as a go-to tool for team collaboration. When selecting a knowledge management tool, it is vital to ensure that its sharing functionality seamlessly integrates with Slack. This integration allows team members to access and share knowledge directly within their familiar Slack workspace, eliminating the need to switch between different applications.
Moreover, many organizations rely on Customer Relationship Management (CRM) systems to manage and track customer interactions, sales processes, and customer data. Integrating your knowledge management tool with your CRM system enables your team to surface relevant knowledge and information directly within the CRM platform. This integration enhances the productivity of sales and customer support teams by providing them with immediate access to the knowledge they need while working within their CRM environment.
Powerful analytics
Without insights as to how knowledge is used, it’s difficult to assess if your knowledge management strategy is working as planned. The best tools include powerful analytics that help leaders answer the following questions:
- What questions are being asked?
- Are there knowledge gaps? What are they?
- Where are they accessing the knowledge from? Slack? The browser?
- Is knowledge out of date?
Enable knowledge sharing with Seismic
For revenue teams, the search for information to do their jobs effectively is never-ending. That’s why the Seismic Enablement Cloud™ includes Seismic Knowledge. With Seismic Knowledge, go-to-market teams can get access to answers at their point of need, in the flow of work, and at scale. This extends and optimizes the capabilities of your enablement efforts by providing teammates with fast, accurate support when they need it. As a result, organizations reduce knowledge silos, boost productivity, and close deals faster. Ready to get started? Get a demo, or click on any of the links down below to learn more about Seismic.
