A knowledge base is a self-serve online library of information about a product, service, department, or topic.
The data in your knowledge base can come from anywhere. Typically, contributors who are well versed in the relevant subjects add to and expand the knowledge base. The content can range from the ins and outs of your HR or legal department to an explanation of how a product works. The knowledge base may include FAQs, manuals, troubleshooting guides, runbooks, and other information your team may want or need to know.
Many knowledge bases are structured around artificial intelligence that can interact and respond to user input. Others are simply indexed encyclopedias. There are also machine-readable knowledge bases that store content in system-readable forms. Solutions are based on what we call automated deductive reasoning. When a user enters a query, software helps narrow down a solution.
A knowledge base is the foundation for your knowledge management practice. Knowledge management enables you to create, curate, share, utilize and manage knowledge across your whole company and across industries.
Why you need a knowledge base
In today’s connected world, people expect and demand easy access to accurate information. And to do that, they often aren’t willing to get on a phone call. Or send an email. Or file a service ticket. They want the answer they need immediately. Which is why you need a rich, deep knowledge base.
Organizations use knowledge bases for a lot of reasons. And they’re finding more uses virtually every day. The way you use a knowledge base depends, of course, on what your organization does and who it serves. But here are a few of the ways knowledge bases are proving to be invaluable to various teams.
- IT: It simplifies everything from troubleshooting to training/onboarding and general how-to and support questions
- HR: Again, great for everything from training/onboarding to distributing company policies and pay schedules
- Legal: Helps with contract and other approval processes, policies, trademarks and registrations