What is a knowledge base and why you need one
Written by Nathan Turner | 27th March 2024
This is how a reliable knowledge base can help.
This article will teach you about knowledge bases, what they are, famous examples, and why you need one. So, if you’re ready to gain more knowledge in this area, continue reading to learn more.
A knowledge base is a centralized online repository that stores and organizes information for easy access and retrieval. It serves as a centralized archive for users to find answers to their questions, troubleshoot issues, and learn about various topics.
A well-built knowledge base translates to a self-service resource hub to access a platform of information to allow users to troubleshoot problems and learn more about various topics.
A well-established knowledge base serves the customer and the business if done correctly. It allows customers to find answers to their questions independently, saving companies money on customer support resources.
As a knowledge base offers an invaluable access point to resources for learning, it has many uses for organizations. Of course, this depends on your organization’s specialization and who can benefit from it.
Here are some ways you can use a knowledge base effectively:
Companies can provide a comprehensive knowledge base filled with video tutorials, step-by-step guides, and troubleshooting tips for users to learn different features and functionalities of their program independently.
Users can easily access these resources and troubleshoot basic problems, eliminating the need to contact customer support for basic issues.
Companies can implement a knowledge base to provide resources for employee onboarding, training, policy and procedure management, and employee performance. A KB can also integrate well with the legal team for contract management or other legal processes.
A knowledge base empowers HR departments to operate more efficiently, communicate effectively, and create a more informed and empowered workforce, contributing to a more positive and productive work environment.
Now we know what a knowledge base is and why you need one, let’s look at some famous examples to learn more about new skills or topics.
simpleshow is a platform dedicated to helping users create simple and engaging videos using an AI-powered video creator.
simpleshow lets AI take over to create videos on whatever topic you need. So you and your team can focus on the results you need from this powerful knowledge base platform.
Apple’s support website is a shining example of a well-designed and comprehensive knowledge base catering to the needs of its diverse customer base. It is a central information hub, empowering users to troubleshoot issues, access essential resources, and manage their Apple accounts independently.
With Apple’s knowledge base, you get an extensive online library of resources to help you learn more about Apple’s huge product ecosystem. You can discover more about troubleshooting common hardware problems or software issues for Apple Music or iCloud.
Apple’s knowledge base uses multiple content formats (images, screenshots, and embedded videos) and also community forums, where technical specialists are at hand to help you troubleshoot your problems.
Stack Overflow is a platform where its knowledge base is built by a community of software developers, data scientists, and system admins who can ask, contribute, build, or solve problems using code.
Stack Overflow boasts a powerful search engine to help users easily find relevant information. Users can search by keywords, specific technical terms, or phrases, making it efficient to navigate the vast amount of information available.
To ensure the quality and reliability of answers, Stack Overflow uses a voting system to upvote the most valuable and accurate answers. It is also accessible to everyone, so whether you’re a beginner in code or an expert, everyone interested in software development will likely have a tab open to this knowledge base.
Notion is a popular choice for creating and managing internal knowledge bases within organizations due to its flexibility, functionality, and user-friendly interface. Notion is popular for organizations because it offers a blank canvas.
Teams can customize the format and presentation of their knowledge base by creating the following
Notion fosters collaborative knowledge creation and management. Teams can co-author documents, leave comments, and track changes in real time, ensuring everyone stays on the same page and keeps the knowledge base up-to-date.
Finally, Notion integrates with many popular tools, such as Slack and Figma, making it a valuable and flexible solution for creating a knowledge base.
Our world demands easy access to information, and a knowledge base can be the best way to provide this solution. This shift towards readily available information unlocks the potential within yourself or your organization, leading to a more productive, collaborative, and ultimately, customer-centric environment.