How to implement a knowledge sharing app with your team

Small businesses and teams know that knowledge management can be more efficient with technology.

Currently you may use something like Google Drive or Word Docs to pass along knowledge. Or maybe you have a bunch of binders piled up in your back room. No matter how you currently manage your knowledge, getting started with a knowledge sharing app can be daunting.

No matter what app or software you choose, there are many technical things to consider while rolling out a new knowledge management app. You have to decide what should be documented, how it should be documented, and who should actually document it.

On top of the technical strategy, you should also consider why your employees or teammates should document their knowledge and how sharing their knowledge should make them feel.

We’ve talked to a few small businesses using Proceed.app to hear the strategy they used to get rolling with a knowledge management app. We compiled their answers to a few questions:

Q1: Why did you start using a knowledge management app?

Delegate tasks better

When you start using a cloud-based tool to manage your company knowledge, suddenly you can delegate and share faster. With digital as well you can delegate them the information they need in the method many prefer to receive information.

Scaling / Adding to the team

Onboarding new team members can be time consuming and challenging. With a structured knowledge base, you can make the onboarding process easier and thorough. 

Support Employees and Customers

When company knowledge is accessible and easily interpretable, employees feel comfortable in their work and in return can take care of customers knowing that they have the right information.

Q2: What “stuff” should go into a knowledge management app?

Try to identify the information that is required to be successful within your business. Sometimes it takes stepping away from your business to determine what knowledge should be documented. One small business owner told us that they know something should be documented if a team member reaches out about something while the owner is out of the office. But even while you are in the office, what are things that your employees ask you about? Here’s a list of commonly documented “stuff”:

On-boarding Experiences

• • A day in the life of an ABC Inc. Employee
  • Starting a shift
  • Safety Information
  • HR Stuff (Registering for benefits, asking for time off, reporting, etc…)

Where are things located?

• • Tools, supplies, etc…

What should we do if XYZ? 

• • Some of the most handy knowledge to document are procedures for things that don’t happen every day at your business.

Q3: Who contributes knowledge to your knowledge management app?

Frequent users should be management and ownership. Depending on technical limitations, it can be really valuable to empower your entire team to have the ability to capture and share the knowledge they have about your business. If you have awesome employees, they are probably masters within your business. There’s a lot of insight and innovation that they bring to the table and if you empower them, they can add it to your knowledge base.

Q4: Why does your team document their knowledge?

Building their legacy

Legacy is what people will say about you when you aren’t around. When a team member leaves your organization, what will the rest of the team say about them when they are gone? When an employee can document knowledge and make it accessible to the current and future workforce they are setting the future employees up for success – which is a great way to be remembered.

Promotion Opportunities

If an employee can optimize a process and then delegate it to another team member, that employee is now able to take on more opportunities in the company. Knowledge sharing is an important pillar of leadership that you should acknowledge when considering promotion and growth opportunities.

Want to empower your team with a knowledge sharing app? See if Proceed.app is the right fit.