What is an internal knowledge base? Definitive Guide

In today's fast-paced business environment, access to information is crucial for organizational success. With the ever-increasing volume of data, the need for an efficient internal knowledge base has never been more critical. According to recent statistics, 74% of organizations believe that knowledge management is essential for business growth, and 94% of employees say that having access to the right information directly impacts their productivity and job satisfaction (Source: McKinsey & Company).

In this comprehensive guide, we will explore what an internal knowledge base is, its various applications, and how Glean's knowledge base management can help you establish an effective knowledge-sharing system within your organization.

What is an internal knowledge base?

An internal knowledge base is a centralized repository of information and resources that organizations use to store, organize, and share knowledge. It serves as a valuable resource for employees to access critical information, best practices, and company-specific data. An internal knowledge base can include:

1. Frequently asked questions (FAQs): These are common queries employees often encounter. An internal knowledge base can provide quick and consistent answers to these questions, reducing the need for repetitive explanations.

2. Company policies and procedures: Documents outlining company policies, guidelines, and standard operating procedures can be stored for easy reference.

3. Product and service information: Information about products, services, and their features can be readily available to assist sales and support teams.

4. Training materials: Manuals, training videos, and tutorials can be included to facilitate onboarding and skill development.

5. Research and reports: Valuable insights, market research, and analytical reports can be cataloged for informed decision-making.

6. Project documentation: Project-related data, including project plans, timelines, and collaboration tools, can be centralized for team collaboration.

7. Contact information: A directory of employee contact details and department-specific information can enhance communication.

Use cases of internal knowledge base across different departments in an organization

An internal knowledge base is a versatile tool that can be applied to various departments within an organization to enhance efficiency, collaboration, and information sharing. Here are the key use cases of internal knowledge bases across different departments:

Engineering:

Code repositories: Engineering teams can use the internal knowledge base to store code snippets, best practices, and coding standards, facilitating collaboration and knowledge transfer among developers.‍

Technical documentation: Centralized technical documentation ensures that all team members have access to up-to-date information on systems, architectures, and project documentation.

Bug tracking: Track and document software bugs and their resolutions, creating a valuable resource for debugging and issue resolution.

Customer support:

Frequently asked questions (FAQs): Maintain a repository of common customer queries and solutions to provide consistent and accurate responses.

Product knowledge: Customer support teams can access detailed product information, troubleshooting guides, and product updates to assist customers effectively.

Case studies: Share success stories and case studies to inspire and educate customer support teams on effective problem-solving.

Sales:

Sales collateral: Store sales materials, pitch decks, competitive analysis, and market research to empower the sales team with the latest information.

Customer information: Keep records of customer interactions, purchase history, and preferences to enhance customer relationship management.

Pricing and discounts: Maintain up-to-date pricing and discount information to help sales professionals make informed decisions.

HR & people:

Employee handbook: Store company policies, employee handbooks, and HR procedures, ensuring that employees have access to essential guidelines.

Recruitment resources: Keep resumes, job descriptions, and interview guidelines to streamline the hiring process.

Training and development: Provide learning resources, training materials, and development programs to support employee growth and skill development.

Learning & development:

Training materials: Organize training modules, e-learning resources, and videos for easy access by employees looking to enhance their skills.

Knowledge sharing: Encourage subject matter experts to share their expertise by contributing articles, videos, and tutorials to the knowledge base.

Assessment and feedback: Store assessment tools, surveys, and feedback forms to continuously improve training programs.

By implementing an internal knowledge base tailored to the unique needs of each department, organizations can boost productivity, streamline communication, and ensure that valuable knowledge is readily available to all team members. This versatility is a key strength of knowledge management systems like Glean, as they can be customized to serve the specific requirements of diverse organizational departments.

Why choose Glean for your Internal Knowlege Base Management

Glean's knowledge base management offers a robust platform to set up and maintain an efficient internal knowledge base for your organization. Here are the key features that make Glean the ideal choice for managing your knowledge base:

Instant and personalized Answers:

Quickly find answers: Glean eliminates the need to copy, paste, or rewrite answers to common questions. With its intelligent search functionality, you can easily access the right answers, even for variations of questions.

Slack integration: Glean integrates seamlessly with Slack, allowing you to save answers directly from Slack conversations and surface them automatically with Slackbot. This streamlines communication and information sharing within your team.

‍Administered: With Glean, you have control over who can access specific answers. Define permissions for different departments, ensuring that sensitive information remains confidential.

Organize and share: Create collections of links, write descriptions, and share these curated packages with your entire organization. Collections are discoverable in search results and can be added to answer cards, enhancing the accessibility of essential resources.

‍Comprehensive: Glean allows you to aggregate links and documents from various applications, streamlining access to diverse information sources.

Customized: Customize descriptions for each item in your collections and reorder items as needed to maintain a well-organized knowledge base.

Create short, memorable links: Glean enables you to create and share short, easy-to-remember links (e.g., go/benefits or go/pitchdeck) for common resources. No more struggling to recall lengthy URLs.

Accessible: Glean's Go Links are accessible through the Glean extension and DNS-based redirection, providing seamless access to critical resources.

Dependable: Glean supports variable URLs, ensuring that you can reach the right destination even if you don't remember the exact Go Link name.

With Glean's knowledge base management, you can establish an internal knowledge base that enhances your organization's productivity, communication, and decision-making. Whether you need quick answers, organized collections, or memorable Go Links, Glean offers a comprehensive solution to help your organization thrive in the knowledge-driven economy.

In conclusion, embracing the power of an internal knowledge base, coupled with Glean's innovative features, you can revolutionize the way your organization manages information and knowledge. Get a demo today.