Internal Knowledge Base: Nearly Everything You Need to Know

28% of agents say they spend most of a customer interaction looking up information. This means that customers will spend three minutes of a five-minute call just waiting. Enter the internal knowledge base – the quickest shortcut to eliminate the endless information hunt for your agents.  

In this blog, we will talk about what an internal knowledge base is, its benefits, how you can create one for your organization and the top tools to consider.  

Let’s get started! 

What is an Internal Knowledge Base? 

An internal knowledge base is a centralized repository of content that employees need to perform their jobs successfully.  

A significant use case is in customer service, where agents rely on a uniform collection of knowledge that they can quickly access to answer customers’ questions.

An internal knowledge base typically contains documents, articles, procedures, and other informational materials intended exclusively for use by employees within the organization.  

Benefits of an Internal Knowledge Base 

1. Knowledge Preservation 

Internal knowledge bases store critical information like best practices, company policies, and procedures, ensuring that valuable knowledge is retained within the organization for future use. 

2. Single Source of Truth 

By providing a single source of truth for company information, internal knowledge bases promote consistency across teams, departments, and locations. This enables everyone in the organization to utilize the same set of accurate and up-to-date knowledge. 

3. Remote Work Efficiency  

Internal knowledge bases are particularly beneficial for remote work scenarios, enabling remote employees to access essential information from anywhere at any time. This fosters collaboration and productivity among distributed teams. 

4. Faster Information Retrieval 

Agents can quickly search and retrieve the information they need, reducing time spent looking for answers. This helps them to deliver faster and accurate resolutions to customers.  

5. Faster Decision-Making 

Access to a centralized knowledge base equips agents with the necessary information to make informed decisions quickly and effectively, leading to better outcomes for the organization. 

How to Create an Internal Knowledge Base? 

1. Set Clear Goals 

Achieving your objectives requires strategic planning, whether in your personal life or at work. The same principle holds true for your internal knowledge base.  

Set precise goals and define clear objectives. Pinpoint the critical information your organization needs and determine how it can empower your employees.

2. Set Up an Internal Knowledge Base Team 

Achieving organizational goals always requires teamwork. Establish a dedicated team responsible for both the backend and frontend operations of your internal knowledge base.  

This team will focus on content creation, including writing articles, regularly updating the database, and conducting necessary research. 

3. Select a Suitable Internal Knowledge Base Tool 

Once your team is in place and your goals are defined, it’s time to choose the right internal knowledge base tool.  

Your ideal internal knowledge base tool must offer: 

• Intuitive and reliable search: Ensures users can find information quickly and easily 

• Clear navigation and structured content hierarchy: Helps users access information logically 

• User-friendly and customizable interface: Allows easy adjustments to fit your organizational needs 

• Integration with other employee tools: Enhances productivity 

• Enterprise-level security: Protects your information effectively 

• Effortless user management: Enables control over who can access what information 

• Update management system: Ensures users receive latest updates made in the knowledge content  

4. Create and Regularly Update the Content 

Create a knowledge base with relevant, up-to-date content. Include documents, guidelines, procedures, FAQs, and any other materials that can help employees with their work.  

Follow standardized templates to avoid reinventing the wheel every time new content is created.  

Similarly, establish a process for regularly updating and maintaining the knowledge base. Assign responsibilities for content review so that information remains accurate and current. 

5. Implement Security and Access Control 

Building an internal knowledge base is serious business; it’s not something everyone should freely access. Implement robust security measures to protect sensitive information. 

Think of access control as a guard against unwanted exposure. Define clear access controls to ensure employees only access information relevant to their roles, maintaining security and confidentiality 

Essential Features to Consider When Looking for an Internal Knowledge Base Software  

When choosing an internal knowledge base, it is crucial to look for features that enhance productivity, collaboration, and information accessibility within the organization.  

Here are some non-negotiable features to look for: 

• Troubleshooting help: Provides resources for problem-solving and technical support within the knowledge base 

• Frequently asked questions (FAQ): Includes a section dedicated to common queries to streamline information access 

• Onboarding and training materials: Offers resources for new employee onboarding and ongoing training to improve knowledge and skills 

• Company policies and calendar: Centralizes company policies, procedures, and important dates for quick reference 

• Branding and marketing guidelines: Ensures consistency in branding and marketing efforts through accessible guidelines 

• Content interlinking: Creates links between related content to facilitate navigation and improve user experience 

• Security features: Implements measures like password controls to safeguard sensitive information 

• Integration options: Enables effortless integrations with other tools to streamline workflows and enhance productivity 

Top 7 Tools to Create an Internal Knowledge Base 

1. Knowmax 

Knowmax is a Guided Knowledge Management platform for customer experience (CX) teams.  

With our DIY content creation tool, you can effortlessly create your internal knowledge base that will benefit everyone in your CX team with:  

• AI search for instant answers  

• AI content creation to transform complicated standard operating procedures (SOPs) into next best action workflows  

• Dynamic content formats like next best action workflows, picture guides, articles & FAQs to cater to multiple use cases  

• Feedback system where agents can share suggestions on knowledge quality 

• Update management system where teams can be notified with latest information  

• Detailed analytics to check the performance of knowledge content  

2. Zendesk  

Zendesk knowledge management solution helps you to give all the information through their internal knowledge base, and their tool is Known for its simplicity and integration with customer service tools. It offers 

• A lean, confident content solution. Rich formatting makes articles easily readable, and pre-made structured templates make it easier to create content.  

• Robust search engine making it easy for employees to find relevant information quickly.  

• Enterprise security and access control 

• Multilingual support allowing content creation in various languages to cater to diverse audiences 

• Seamless integrations with other Zendesk products 

3. Confluence by Atlassian 

Confluence is a widely used collaboration and documentation tool. It allows teams to create, share, and collaborate on content seamlessly. Its flexibility makes it suitable for building comprehensive internal knowledge bases. Confluence offers 

• Collaboration capabilities enabling multiple users to work on a document simultaneously. Changes are instantly visible to all collaborators 

• Version control where version history is maintained for each page, allowing users to track changes over time 

• Real-time notifications to keep team members informed about the latest changes and updates 

• Integrations with other Atlassian products 

• Template guides including meeting notes, project documentation, and decision logs 

4. Notion 

Notion is an all-in-one workspace tool that allows teams to create wikis, documents, and databases in a collaborative environment. It’s flexible and user-friendly, making it suitable for knowledge base creation. It offers:  

• Real time updates ensuring that your internal knowledge base stays updated in real time  

• User-friendly interface making it easy for your team to contribute and collaborate on the knowledge base 

• Centralized information hub providing access to all the information in one place 

• Effortless customizations enabling users to tailor the system to meet the specific needs  

5. ProProfs Knowledge Base 

ProProfs Knowledge Base is designed for easy content creation and sharing.  

It includes features such as customization, analytics, and a user-friendly interface, making it suitable for organizations seeking a straightforward knowledge base solution. It offers 

• Easy content creation with their MS-word like editor to import files, upload files, and create impressive knowledge base for your team. 

• Single sourcing allows you to use a single piece of document at different places in your document without the hassle of uploading again. 

• Easy language translation of content into over 90 languages. 

• SEO capabilities for optimization of knowledge base content for search engines 

6. Document360 

Document360 is a dedicated knowledge base platform that focuses on creating and managing documentation. 

It offers features like version control, analytics, and customization to streamline knowledge sharing. It offers 

• Multiple integration options with apps like Freshdesk, Zendesk, Intercom, Drift, Slack, MS Teams, Crowdin, Chrome, Zapier, and Integratly. 

• Unique customization with options to add images, GIFs, videos, PPTs, word documents, and other file formats  

• Advanced team management features where users can be categorized as owners, admins, editors, and draft writers with varying levels of access and permissions 

• 20+ integration options with your tool, like live chat, analytics, marketing automation, and comments to enhance the functionality of the knowledge base 

• Markdown editor for easy editing and styling of knowledge articles using markdown syntax 

• Advanced customization settings for changing colors, customizing fonts, adding company logos, and implementing brand themes 

Best Practices to Manage your Internal Knowledge Base 

1. Create a Clear Structure for your Internal Knowledge Base 

Establish a clear structure within the knowledge management using categories, tags, and search functions to help users locate information quickly and easily. 

By implementing a logical framework, you ensure that information is well-organized, easily accessible, and efficiently navigable for users.  

2. Update your Content Regularly  

Maintaining the accuracy and usefulness of the content being uploaded on the platform is important. Regular updates ensure that the knowledge base reflects the most current practices, policies, and procedures in your organization.  

By promptly updating content, you prevent outdated or incorrect information from being accessed, which can lead to confusion or errors in decision-making.  

3. Enable Easy Integration with Other Tools 

Ensure your knowledge management tool has an easy integration feature. It should seamlessly connect with company-wide tools like Google Suite, MS Teams, Slack, etc., to facilitate collaboration. 

4. Optimize your Internal Knowledge Base with Analytics 

To fully leverage your internal knowledge base, enhance it with robust analytics  

By utilizing analytics tools, you can track user behavior, content engagement, search patterns, and other metrics to gain a deeper understanding of how your employees interact with the knowledge base.  

Analytics also helps measure the knowledge base’s impact on key performance indicators such as productivity, customer satisfaction, and employee engagement. 

 

Internal Knowledge Base FAQ