Technology — used correctly along with adequate employee training — can be the business boost you have been looking for.
Organizations spend between 3% and 7% of their revenue on technology. If your staff doesn’t use the expensive new toy they need to succeed, nothing changes. Business technology used correctly is a key to your success. Therefore, knowledge management solutions are needed.
Organizations often invest in knowledge management solutions. They do this so employees can find and share information across departments or across the organization. Implementing a knowledge management technology successfully takes planning, patience, and a desire to learn.
In order to assist you to deploy your knowledge management platform, consider the 11 tips listed below. Use them and your staff will be sharing and collaborating like never before.
1. Define your goals for the new technology.
The first stage in any technological installation is to set goals. While this may seem obvious, it is one of the main reasons why projects fail. When defining your goals and objectives, consider the impact on each group. Meet with department heads and other company leaders to discuss and outline your knowledge management solution’s goals.
2. Know and express your motives for launching the technology.
Transparency comes second to defining your goals. A recent study found that insufficient stakeholder engagement causes one in three projects to fail. Therefore, after your goals and objectives are set, educate your team. That way, no one is left in the dark.
Everyone should grasp the change’s objective, benefits, and duties. Show them how the new platform will benefit their daily lives. Making it personal encourages them to push through the learning curve.
3. Create a change management plan for the technology change.
Even if you’ve set goals and objectives, remember that change takes time.
That’s why it’s critical to identify and plan for ongoing change management. During department or business meetings, provide updates on engagement metrics and other KPIs. After implementation, keep mentioning the platform. In addition, keep reminding others of its merits.
Technology used correctly enhances everyone’s productivity. When employees know this, they are better equipped to learn what they need to know to be effective. These not-so-subtle suggestions will help your staff adjust. Furthermore, they can have a big impact on their overall engagement and program success. In other words, you must quickly standardize the new platform and let all teams see its worth.
4. Recruit internal champions.
Employees will use your knowledge management platform if their peers use it. That’s why it’s critical to identify internal champions. They are driven, positive, and eager to alter the organization. Your internal champions will help generate excitement for your knowledge management platform’s debut. In addition, they will help with the soft launch.
5. Organize your tech knowledge assets.
Does your knowledge management platform use AI-powered search? Create a knowledge hierarchy to help new users discover material and help curation. In addition, consider a structure that is tailored for your business. Consult with your knowledge management platform provider to see how other customers organize their information and why it works for them. Making the platform simple and straightforward to use eliminates friction and increases engagement.
6. Do a soft launch of the new tech.
To work out all of the bugs in your knowledge structure, gather your internal champions and hold a soft launch. Begin your soft launch with quick instruction on platform best practices. This is also an excellent moment to review the goals. Allow your internal champions (and a few strong critics) to test the platform for two weeks, but any early assessment will help.
7. Actively respond to feedback about the technology.
After the soft launch, meet with internal champions and critics to obtain feedback. Ask for the good, look at the bad, and talk about the ugly. Remember that these people will be using the platform regularly. Therefore, all input is welcome.
Plan to address any difficulties that arose during the soft launch. This guarantees a smooth rollout to the rest of the firm. Furthermore, when you finish, thank your internal champions. Recognize them for participating in your soft launch with a gift or lunch.
After that, keep the lines of communication open and ask for further feedback to improve the user experience. Then send out biennial surveys to all users. That way you may develop the platform as the organization’s demands change. In addition, you also create trust with your users.
8. Educate your employees about the technology.
When an employee has a query, they have to go through a chain of employees to identify the one who knows the answer. Consider creating a directory. Bookmark the post within your platform. This will help your employees reach the knowledge expert faster. In addition, this directory will identify the experts (SMEs) in numerous fields. Furthermore, this saves your staff time while looking for information. The easier it is for your employees to get information, the better.
9. Involve the leadership team.
The executive team should be involved in the launch of your organization’s knowledge management platform from the start. Therefore, your leadership team should set goals, participate in the soft launch, and use the platform. Invite everyone to your platform and outline the aims with your executive’s help.
10. Hold a contest.
A little friendly competition is a good thing. Hold a contest to get your team enthused about the new knowledge management platform. Try virtual scavenger hunts and bingo activities inside knowledge management platforms. In addition, you might have contests to name the new knowledge management community.
11. Encourage ongoing training.
In conclusion, keep your new knowledge management platform’s enthusiasm alive. Remember that technology used correctly improves your business on every level. Hold regular training sessions for your personnel to keep them up to date. Keep them current on best practices and product updates.
