In today’s knowledge-driven economies, having the right skills and technical know-how can determine the success or failure of a company.
Organizations that put robust knowledge-sharing practices in place stay ahead of the pack and become leaders in their respective industries. Poor knowledge-sharing practices can impact an organization’s operational efficiency. Read on to discover what knowledge management is all about and how it helps businesses meet organizational goals.
What is the management of knowledge?
Knowledge management refers to a combination of tools, methods, and procedures that make it easy for stakeholders to access, share and manage business knowledge effectively.
Unlike the traditional systems that capture information centrally before dissemination, modern knowledge-sharing systems rely on an integrated approach to capture, retrieve and share vital business data.
The objective of integrated knowledge-sharing systems is to nurture a learning culture where knowledge is readily available within the organization to improve efficiency in the workplace.
How businesses can benefit from knowledge sharing systems
1.Improves decision-making within an organization
When knowledge is easily accessible within an organization, employees become more efficient, and decision-making dramatically improves. The collaboration tools within knowledge-sharing systems ensure all viewpoints and suggestions from the entire workforce are considered in the decision-making process. This integration adds new perspectives which can significantly improve the quality of choices made.
2.Promote cultural change and innovation
Mature industries often have challenges in stimulating growth and keeping up with innovations. Knowledge handling systems can help such organizations encourage innovation through sharing, collaboration, and teaming.
3.Leads to fewer workplace errors
When there is a disconnect between employees, past mistakes are likely to persist, leading to inefficiency. However, if lessons learned from past mistakes are readily accessible to everyone, the workforce becomes more productive, thus moving the firm closer to realizing its set goals.
4.Helps to standardize procedures
Information distortion is a real problem in organizations that lack standardized communication media. Companies can avoid this fate by maintaining free communication lines to ensure all staff members are conversant with company procedures.
5.Leads to better customer service
An effective information dissemination system allows customer care teams to resolve customer complaints in a timely and satisfactory manner. Timely and valuable client feedback is vital in establishing customer loyalty. Companies with high speeds of client request execution enjoy greater success than their competitors.
6.Speeds up knowledge access and reduces redundancy
When information is readily available, employees spend less time exchanging emails and interrupting their co-workers. Knowledge sharing systems enables co-workers to access information when required with minimal hitches. In the end, the organization benefits from increased productivity. Additionally, these systems can eliminate duplicity of efforts by standardizing ways of working.
A common challenge in the implementation of information management systems lies in getting the workforce to embrace it. Instead, companies should focus on creating a culture that encourages knowledge sharing. Check out places like Verint for more information on how large organizations can leverage capital and human knowledge by investing in proper information dissemination systems.