Creating and operating a startup can be a very challenging yet rewarding experience. One key complication is how to effectively store and share information. Fortunately, knowledge management solutions like Klutch can make such a process far easier and more convenient.
What is a Knowledge Management Software?
First thing’s first, what exactly is a knowledge management system? It is software that allows companies to upload and share documents and files both internally and externally to clients.
Not only is it a knowledge base application, but also often allows online communication (Ex. Chats, or shared editable documents) for team members.
A key aspect of knowledge management software is wikis.
Wikis
Wikis are databases where information is kept. There are a variety of different types of wikis, such as corporate wikis and team wikis. The central difference between wikis is how the information is shared.
A corporate wiki, also known as a company internal wiki, would be a tool every employee of a company can access. They can view and/or add information based on their assignments. A team wiki would be designed for an individual project team to share knowledge, data, and edit documents within the team.
Wikis, both company internal and team, encourage better collaboration and team engagement.
Knowledge Base
Another noteworthy element of knowledge management is a knowledge base. Think of a knowledge base tool as a 24/7 all-access library of content for company employees. These are very beneficial in multiple aspects. Organizing information in an easy to filter way will increase employee productivity and efficiency.
The introduction of a collaborative digital space is the future for businesses in the 21st century. COVID-19 has only escalated the importance and urgency of such an environment.
Additionally, employee morale must be taken into consideration. Team members can get frustrated if they cannot effectively communicate with fellow employees or conveniently find necessary information.
Knowledge management and knowledge base tools help solve the problem at hand.
Why Klutch is the best knowledge management tool for startups?
Klutch is designed with teams and employees in mind.
With every company, and especially a startup, it is the company’s teams that drive its success. In turn, the employee experience is essential.
Leadership has to invest in a solution that promotes a positive experience from within. There is a direct relationship between a pleasant work environment and deliverable results.
Features Designed with Teams in Mind
At the heart of Klutch is a real-time collaboration between team members. While preparing a document for management or cliental, individuals can comment and edit together.
Users can also share working drafts or finalized products with specific individuals, teams, or the whole startup community. Additionally, templates have been already created to use when preparing content.
This interactive and engaging communication helps grow businesses because everyone is effectively working together. This may sound simple in nature, but teams often have difficulty in the collaboration process and there is no strong connection between colleagues. That is a serious problem.
With software like Klutch, the environment is intentionally designed to encourage unified teamwork.
Organization is Key
Klutch places an emphasis on customization. This is vital to an effective organization.
Startups can use the platform personalized, ensuring all knowledge is stored to company standards.
Through the use of individually labeled folders, team members can organize content digitally in a straightforward manner.
An internal and external business organization has a direct effect on results.
If a startup is prepared and well-organized, more work can get done. The higher the productivity, the more a company can evolve and grow.
There are only so many hours in a workday, and typically five days to accomplish the week’s goals. Investing in software that promotes efficiency is to the benefit of the startup.
Imagine a new startup that has its documents uploaded onto a computer system, but the files are disorderly.
Team members are trying to find a specific piece of content but cannot and have to look at each file name to finally discover the right document. This process could take hours! That is scary.
When files are organized by topic or project, it will only take minutes to seconds to find the desired content. This is where a knowledge base software becomes extremely helpful.
Convenience and Accessibility
For instance, a startup team member needs to review the company’s branding specifications such as colors and voice tone. With a base of knowledge easily accessible, said employees can look up the content quickly and not waste time.
It will be a win-win for all parties involved. The team member found what he needed, is glad that it was a convenient process, and now can get back to his tasks. Not only can he get back to his work but ensure all of his assignments take into consideration the startup’s branding.
Productivity
The company is satisfied because the search took a very limited piece of the employee’s time. In the eyes of a business, time is money.
Equally as important is the company’s knowledge base articles being created with respect to its branding. This demonstrates consistency among the whole company community as well as professionalism.
If something is off-brand, potential clients will notice causing unwanted negative attention.
Slack Compatibility
Klutch will also be soon Slack compatible. Slack is basically a central digital location or as it proclaims, an “HQ”, for teams to engage and collaborate.
Slack places a special emphasis on creating fun and pleasant ways to work and communicate within a team or company as a whole.
A Slack wiki is its own version of database software for employees to use to store and share knowledge and files. Numerous well-respected companies use Slack such as Fox, Carvana, and Target. Slack wikis are excellent for collaborative workflow.
Responses and Pages
Klutch’s knowledge system is divided into two components: responses and pages.
The main aspect of canned responses is prepared answers to common questions both for employee onboarding and client interaction. These answers are copiable, providing consistency and convenience.
With Klutch, you can directly install a Chrome extension so you get these responses readily available at your convenience.
Pages are all about the storage and sharing of essential and critical company knowledge. Pages can be available to a particular employee, individual teams, or the startup as a whole. Page is a feature that understands the importance of a reliable knowledge base for team members.
Some of the benefits from responses and pages are saving precious time, improved and faster onboarding, and accessing current/new information improves the overall quality of teamwork. All these benefits are sure to help grow the business of a startup.
Development of a Unified Company
With a unified company and all its employees on the same page, goals can be clearly defined and reached. It is the act of goal setting than can be a major contributor to business growth. Leadership needs to thoroughly and effectively explain the company’s sales, marketing, and financial goals.
Clear Roadmap
It is not only important that team members know what is expected of them, but that leadership provides a roadmap on how to achieve such goals. This communication can be executed through meetings, company onboarding documents, and company-wide emails, among other methods.
Klutch can provide an easy-to-use and enjoyable system to ensure such information is accessible.
Personalization and Collaboration
Management can personalize knowledge to whoever in the company community needs it. For example, Tim is a marketing manager at a startup toy manufacturer and needs to see the product lineup for the next year.
Leadership might not want to share this confidential knowledge with the sales team yet because some of the concepts are still being developed but does understand Tim needs a blueprint of the year’s products to move forward with marketing initiatives.
Management uploads the private documentation on Klutch and selects Tim as the receiver. Tim uses this valuable company knowledge and begins to craft an amazing marketing campaign for the new toy lineups.
Due to the hard work of Tim and his team, the toys’ launch becomes highly anticipated and sales go through the roof.
Through wikis, knowledge base tools, and overall knowledge management systems, startups can become one step ahead of competitors.
This all comes down to three words: preparation, communication, and accessibility.
The Bottom Line
At times, business growth may seem like a challenging endeavor, but it can be achievable. With a strong team, positive company values, and the usage of powerful tools, startups can indeed evolve.
To further develop a new enterprise, everyone involved needs to be connected and have access to any information necessary to prepare something internally or make a sale to a customer.
Without critical tools like Klutch, it will be far more difficult to keep the company organized and informed.
Some of the world’s greatest companies were small startups out of personal residences, and these companies did not have any access to knowledge management solutions. Imagine what can be accomplished with today’s technology.
Want to start your knowledge management journey? Sign up to Klutch for free!
