In this modern era, work has seen a huge shift in the way employees access and utilize information to improve their productivity. To fix this, an external knowledge base is implemented. An external knowledge base provides access to a wide range of resources, allowing users to quickly find the information they need to better complete tasks and make informed decisions.
An external knowledge base helps enhance employee productivity. It is an online repository of information that can be accessed by employees and customers to answer common questions or find resources related to the company’s products or services. It often includes frequently asked questions (FAQs), tutorials, step-by-step instructions, videos, and other helpful documents.
7 Ways to Enhance Employee Productivity using External Knowledge Base
With an external knowledge base, employees can access the information they need quickly and easily, without having to go through multiple levels of support or contact other departments for help. This can save your company time and money.
The key to making an external knowledge base work for your business is to ensure that it’s up-to-date, organized, and user-friendly.
1. Encourage Employees to Use
When training employees on how to use an external knowledge base, you should provide specific instructions on how to search and find information. This includes providing tips on how to filter search results, how to access the most relevant information, and how to save documents for future reference.
Businesses can also provide employees with instructions on how to share knowledge with their colleagues and how to access the knowledge base from any device.
To ensure that employees are utilizing an external knowledge base to its full potential, businesses can provide training sessions.
During these sessions, employees can review the basics of navigating the knowledge base, as well as tips for finding and sharing information.
Training sessions allow the business to review any changes or updates to the knowledge base and ensure that everyone is on the same page when it comes to accessing information.
2. Make Updates Regularly
Regular updates drive the knowledge base to stay current with the latest industry trends and best practices, ensuring that employees are always equipped with the most relevant information available. Updating the knowledge base regularly also serves to reduce the risk of outdated or incorrect information being used.
To ensure updates are regularly made, set up a process for adding new information as it becomes available. This can include regular reviews of the knowledge base by an internal team or by an external consultant who is familiar with the latest industry trends.
Any new information or changes to existing content should be logged and tracked to ensure that all employees have access to the most up-to-date information.
3. Filling it with Content
Consider the following steps while drafting your knowledge base content:
1. Establish a content creation process for your external knowledge base. This should include guidelines for writing content, such as formatting, use of visuals, and structure.
It’s important to keep your content organized and consistent, so your employees can easily find what they’re looking for.
2. Make sure to include various types of content in your knowledge base. This may include tutorials, FAQs, how-to guides, and videos. Including a variety of content will ensure that employees can find the answers they’re looking for quickly and easily.
3. Invite input from employees on what content should be added to the knowledge base. Having a collaborative approach to content creation will help ensure that employees can use the knowledge base to its fullest potential.
4. Document Existing Knowledge
By documenting the knowledge that already exists in your organization, you can put it to use with an external knowledge base to maximize employee productivity. Documenting existing knowledge can take some time and effort, but the payoff of having a comprehensive, easy-to-access knowledge base will be well worth the effort.
1. Identify the sources of knowledge within your organization. You’ll want to look into all levels of the business, from front-line workers to executives.
2. Ask questions, observe processes, and look into good practices. This will help you to identify who has valuable knowledge and how that knowledge can be used to increase employee productivity.
3. Once you have identified the sources of knowledge, you’ll need to document them. This means creating a knowledge base that is easy for employees to access and use.
4. The knowledge should be organized into categories and subsections so that employees can quickly and easily find the information they need. It’s important to keep the knowledge base up to date so that employees have access to the most current information.
5. Create a process for ensuring that the knowledge base is being used by employees. This can include training sessions, newsletters, or other methods of promotion.
6. Ensure that employees are using the knowledge base correctly and making the most out of the information it contains.
5. Gather Feedback from Employees
An external knowledge base can help you get the information you need to make the best decisions. It provides a platform for employees to share their thoughts, ideas, and feedback on any number of topics.
This open-ended dialogue can be extremely valuable for managers, as it can provide valuable insights into how employees are feeling about their roles, the company, and the direction of the organization.
With feedback from employees, managers can quickly identify areas that need improvement, and also gain an understanding of what is working well.
6. Integrate Into Your Workflow
Start by identifying the areas where an external knowledge base can improve employee productivity.
For example, an external knowledge base can be used to provide employees with quick reference guides, enabling them to quickly access the information they need without having to search through multiple sources.
Choose the best platform to integrate the knowledge base into your workflow. This could be an existing system or a more specific solution.
Once the platform has been selected, the external knowledge base can be integrated into the system, allowing the team to access the information they need quickly and easily.
Ensure that the knowledge base is regularly maintained and updated to ensure that the information is current and accurate.
This can be done by assigning a member of the team to monitor the knowledge base and ensure that all the information is up to date.
Regular maintenance will ensure that the knowledge base remains a valuable resource for your team and can help to ensure that their productivity stays high.
7. Educate Employees on How to Use It
The more knowledge employees have about the system, the better they can use it to help boost their overall productivity.
Here are some tips on how to ensure your staff properly learns how to use the external knowledge base:
1. Provide step-by-step instructions on how to use the system. This includes walking each employee through the steps of registering, logging in, and searching for content.
2. Make sure to clearly explain the different types of content that can be accessed and how they can be used in their day-to-day tasks.
3. Create a ‘how-to’ video or tutorial. This could be shared with all employees and can be referenced if they have any questions.
4. Ensure the system is easy to use and intuitive so that employees can quickly and easily access the content they need.
5. Encourage employees to ask questions and provide feedback about the external knowledge base. This will help to ensure that it is meeting the needs of the entire team.
Benefits of Using an External Knowledge Base
1. Enhance employee productivity
Not only does it help employees to become more efficient and productive, but it can also help to improve team collaboration and increase employee satisfaction.
2. Organize and store company-specific information
With an external knowledge base, employees can quickly look up answers to their questions and can find information that they need without needing to search through multiple databases or websites. This lets employees easily access the information they need to do their jobs. Which in turn leads to more accurate results and improved efficiency.
3. Easy sharing of documents
Documents such as manuals and policy documents can be shared with the entire team, making it easier for everyone to stay up-to-date with the latest information. This can help to reduce wasted time and help to ensure that everyone is on the same page.
4. Save time spent on training
New joiners don’t need training on each and every process followed in the company to perform tasks. They can in fact surf through the knowledge base on their own and learn without anyone else’s assistance. This lets employees get up to speed on any changes faster and be more productive.
If you are looking to increase employee productivity and streamline processes, then an external knowledge base should be an important part of your strategy. With Faqprime, you can make sure that your employees have the information they need at their fingertips, so they can be more efficient and productive always.
