7 Essential SharePoint knowledge management strategies for your business

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SharePoint Knowledge Management has become an integral part of businesses in today’s digital age. Many companies use SharePoint as a platform to store, manage & share their data across different departments. This makes it easier to track progress, maintain consistency & keep everyone on the same page. With its numerous features, SharePoint provides organizations with the ability to turn unstructured data into valuable knowledge.

However, for a knowledge management strategy to be successful, certain best practices should be followed. This blog will review SharePoint Knowledge Management best practices from effective content management to team collaboration processes.

With these practices, organizations will be able to maximize the potential of SharePoint knowledge management, improve decision-making & drive innovation.

SharePoint knowledge management: optimize your workflow with these practices

Here are the best practices for using SharePoint as a knowledge management platform. Follow these given practices carefully and you will boost your productivity in no time.

1. Create a clear taxonomy
   Taxonomy is the process of organizing information into logical categories or groups. SharePoint’s taxonomy features can help you create a logical structure for your business’ information.

   Before you begin structuring your taxonomy, it is crucial to understand your business objectives & the knowledge you want to manage.
   By defining your goals, you can utilize the taxonomy to better manage your knowledge, reduce redundancies & increase efficiency.
   Here are some tips for creating a clear taxonomy in SharePoint:

   • Define the categories of information based on the business context.
   • Use consistent names & descriptions for the categories.
   • Avoid the temptation to create too many levels; a taxonomy should be easy to navigate.
   • Share your taxonomy with your team & get feedback to improve it.
2. Train your team on SharePoint
   To use SharePoint effectively, you must train your team members on how to use its features. The platform’s vast array of features includes SharePoint document management, collaboration, & workflow management. Also, SharePoint offers tools to automate repetitive tasks, such as information management policies & retention policies.

   Your team members should know how to use these tools & features to create a well-organized knowledge management system. Training can happen in multiple ways, such as online tutorials, workshops, or on-the-job training.

3. Catalog your documents
   Cataloging your documents means organizing your files in SharePoint by metadata. Metadata is the information about the document like author, date & department that categorizes the document.

   To best manage your documents, create an indexing system based on metadata. Use a consistent naming convention, file structure, & versioning. This guarantees that documents are easy to find & that there is no confusion about which version of the document is the most current.

4. Manage permissions
   SharePoint provides a strong permission model which allows for granular control of access. You can assign & customize SharePoint permissions to folders, libraries, & individual files.
   The permissions model in SharePoint is role-based where each role has specific permission levels to manage content.
   Proper management & assigning of roles & permissions are good practices to ensure that only authorized personnel have access to confidential information.
5. Implement workflow automation
   SharePoint also offers a variety of workflow automation tools to streamline business processes & decision-making. Workflow automation tools enable team members to collaborate & move content through a predetermined, logical process. As a result, processes are kept consistent.

   Some common use cases of workflow automation are reviewing & approving documents, content publishing & project management.

6. Ensure data security
   Data security is the primary concern of businesses sharing confidential information. Secure & safeguard information with SharePoint features such as encryption, role-based access control, & multi-factor authentication.

   It is important to enact an enterprise-level security strategy that enforces strict guidelines for document sharing & file storage. Your security policies should be periodically reviewed & updated as the requirements change.

7. Conduct routine maintenance
   SharePoint is a dynamic platform that requires continuous upkeep to ensure optimal performance. Ideally, you should perform regular maintenance of your knowledge management system by conducting audits, monitoring document usage & checking workflows.
   Moreover, conduct regular data backups to solidify the availability of documents in case of an outage or data loss.

With the many benefits of this knowledge management system, there are a few shortcomings that many users encounter. Here are the few below.

• Limited customization options: SharePoint knowledge management solution is limited in terms of customization, which may not meet the unique needs of every organization.
• Complexity: It can be complex & difficult to navigate & thus, makes it challenging for some users to effectively use & manage.
• Lack of intuitive design: The user-interface of SharePoint may no be easily understandable to some users & might require additional training & support, which can be time-consuming & costly.
• Security risks: SharePoint knowledge management system, like any other document management system, can pose security risks if not properly configured or managed.

Final thoughts

In a nutshell, SharePoint knowledge management can provide your organization with the ability to share & collaborate on relevant content to enhance organizational efficiency & effectiveness. By following the best practices that have been discussed in this post, you can take advantage of all the capabilities of SharePoint.
In addition, an effective migration plan is key for transitioning from older versions of SharePoint to newer ones. Ensuring a successful migration requires using suitable tools like Kernel Migrator for SharePoint as it offers a smooth process with its simple interface & advanced capabilities.