Knowledge Base: Knowledge Bases | TechSmith

Knowledge management is suitable for recording, storing, further developing and passing on the knowledge of employees. As a knowledge base, these software solutions are used to manage knowledge resources and create a central place for knowledge management that all employees can access.

Many software providers have also recognized the importance of knowledge management and the corresponding tools. There are currently a large number of knowledge bases on the market competing for subscribers and buyers. If you are looking for a solution for your knowledge database, then read an overview of popular knowledge management tools here. First, we will give you some tips for choosing a suitable knowledge base.

Knowledge Base: Tips for choosing a knowledge base

Before you decide on a knowledge base and fill it with the knowledge of your company, you should consider these tips:

• A knowledge database must function in the long term and be scalable

Once you have decided on a knowledge management tool, you will spend a lot of time maintaining and building this knowledge database. Therefore, make sure that this tool meets all your needs and is also sufficiently scalable. If your company grows or if many new employees or new areas of responsibility are added, then your knowledge database should be able to grow with it.

• The contents of a knowledge base must be exportable

Nobody can see into the future and it may be necessary to save or export the large amount of content in your knowledge base to another location. Therefore, make sure from the start that the content can be pulled from the database and saved in a standard format. It can also happen that the software is discontinued at some point or that updates are no longer available.

• Existing knowledge content must be importable

Surely you have already collected and documented knowledge in your company, which can exist in different formats. knowledge can e.g. B. as a screen recording or screen recording, as a process description or work instructions. Make sure that the knowledge management tool supports these formats and that you can feed the existing knowledge there.

• Test multiple knowledge bases

Most knowledge bases come in either free basic versions or trial versions. Use these offers to test the knowledge management tool in practice. In doing so, involve different employees from different departments and company areas, each with their own needs and requirements. Evaluate test results and peer feedback before committing to a knowledge base.

• Let the providers of the knowledge databases advise you

Contact the knowledge base manufacturer or vendor before deciding on a tool. Get comprehensive advice and clarify questions that have arisen during the test phase. Also find out what support and service you can expect from the provider. You will also get a feeling for how quickly and comprehensively you can be helped with problems in the future. If necessary, tailor-made offers can also be made to you.

• Find out about additional costs in advance

Do you need (paid) training to use the knowledge management tool? Does the cost include phone support or upgrades? Clarify in advance whether there are (hidden) additional costs.

Companies use knowledge databases for both internal and external purposes. If you want to use a knowledge base primarily to store and manage company-internal knowledge, then there are other solutions than, for example, knowledge databases that are used for customer support. Here we present various popular knowledge management tools and indicate for which applications these knowledge databases are particularly suitable.

Confluence

Confluence is commercial wiki software from the Australian software company Atlassian. The knowledge management tool allows companies to document and communicate knowledge and to organize knowledge exchange within a company in a knowledge database. Documents can be created, edited and checked jointly by employees. Various types of documents such as meeting minutes or research reports can be managed and feedback on the content can be given and viewed. The software can be stored locally or cloud-based. Access to confidential data can also be restricted. Furthermore, tasks can be delegated to employees and the processing progress can be tracked.

In a basic version, Confluence is free for up to 10 users, for more users and additional functions you pay from $5.50 per user and month.

Evernote

The knowledge management tool Evernote is particularly suitable for managing documents, information and project collaborations in companies. It facilitates collaboration and workflow among employees and allows access, upload, editing and sharing of documents and files.

The basic version of Evernote is free for synchronization on 2 devices and a maximum of 60 MB upload quota per month. After that, there are professional subscriptions from €8.99 per month for any number of devices.

Bitrix24

As knowledge management software, Bitrix24 offers functions for collaboration, task management and communication. Files, projects, contacts and tasks can be managed and searched. The software also offers the ability to log and store customer contacts and collect lead data.

Bitrix24 offers a free basic version with limited features for unlimited users. Paid versions start at €43 per month for up to 5 users.

Zendesk

Zendesk is a comprehensive knowledge management tool suitable for businesses of all sizes. The cloud-based tool is suitable for building a knowledge database and for customer service portals. Community functions enable questions and direct exchange between customers and companies. The front-end can be adapted to the company’s corporate design and the software can be integrated with other applications such as Salesforce or Google Analytics.

There is a free basic version, paid versions start at €49 per employee per month.

Zoho Desk

In addition to a cloud-based knowledge base, Zoho Desk offers extensive functions for customer service and support teams. Stored knowledge is centrally accessible for customers and employees and the knowledge database is easily searchable. The software also allows the maintenance and use of different databases for different customers or brands.

There is a free basic version for 3 employees, paid versions start at €14 per employee and month.

Don’t like any of these tools 100%? Do you have needs that are not covered by any commercial knowledge management tool? Then organize your knowledge yourself and create your own knowledge database. Wiki solutions such as MediaWiki used by Wikipedia or comparable solutions such as DokuWiki or TWiki can help here. Sometimes it is enough to establish a well-organized digital folder structure on your server so that no knowledge is lost and documents and solutions can be found easily at any time.