3 excuses we make for not having a knowledge base (and why they are wrong)

To err is human; to communicate, divine. Okay, that’s not how it goes, but better communication always seems to be what companies need. While they might want to find a more efficient way to communicate with customers, internal communication and knowledge sharing is often at the top of the list of high-priority to-dos. Yet it is almost always the thing we are lacking.

Time and time again, I’ve heard people say how much better things would be if we only had a knowledge base. Now, everyone doesn’t use the term “knowledge base”, but they know that they want a place to store, share, and search information, and that’s exactly what a knowledge base is.

If so many people agree that a knowledge base would help to make things better, why aren’t more people using them? Well, if you want my opinion, I think that humans are generally lazy and avoid work that is unpleasant. If I’m being honest, building a knowledge base isn’t on the top of my fun list. However, if you ask other people, you’ll get a variety of excuses.

We recently conducted a study on knowledge base software, and we asked people who have not yet implemented a knowledge base why that was. What did they tell us? Cost, time, and lack of resources were the top three reasons, but at the end of the day they are really just excuses. Why? Let me explain.

Cost and budget is no reason not to have a knowledge base.

Seriously, whatever you choose to use for your knowledge base, it does not have to be expensive. Heck, it could even be free! There are plenty of options for everyone, even if you don’t have any budget for paid software.

A knowledge base is simply a place for you to store, share, and search information. Many companies utilize free tools like Google and WordPress, and if you search for “free knowledge base software” or “open source knowledge base software” you’ll find a plethora of solutions.

Plus, if you are in the market for a SaaS knowledge base solution, there are options for every budget. While some tools are targeted at Enterprise companies and do not even have pricing on their websites, there are also solutions with transparent and affordable monthly pricing (like KnowledgeOwl!).

So what I’m trying to say is that price really isn’t a great excuse. Sure, you might not be able to purchase the most high-end knowledge base solution, but that doesn’t mean you can’t find something that works for your budget.

Time is exactly why you need a knowledge base in the first place.

I’m such a hypocrite for saying this because I’m definitely one of the people who make the excuse thatI’m too busy to write knowledge base articles. However, one of the main points of having a centralized place to share knowledge is to save people time (both the person asking the question and the person who would have to answer it).

If you or your employees are too busy to work on your knowledge base, it is probably worth asking why that is. If the answer is that they are too busy because they are constantly answering questions for customers (external or internal), then you should probably be creating searchable and sharable content rather than repeating yourself day in and day out.

Spending the time to create a knowledge base ultimately allows for you to spend less time answering the same questions and more time on growing the business successfully. It’s no surprise that the larger the company, the more likely they are to have already implemented a knowledge base. How do you think they survived that long in the first place? Having a knowledge base is a popular and common business tool, and implementing one is not generally a question of if, but when. The sooner you do, the sooner you can focus on better problems.

Lack of resources is yet another reason you actually need a knowledge base.

I’m not sure I love this excuse because both time and money are lacking resources that were already mentioned. However, people are generally the greatest resource so maybe this excuse is about a lack of personnel.

Regardless of what resources we are actually talking about, the answer will sound familiar: the process of creating a knowledge base actually gives you more resources in the long run. Citing lack of resources is a short-sighted excuse when you think of the long-term benefits of sharing knowledge effectively.

At the end of the day, most of us know we need to do a better job sharing information and communicating effectively. What’s more, many of us know that the answer is probably some type of centralized repository for shared information that is easily searched. For those of us familiar with the tool, we know that knowledge base software is a viable and effective solution.

So why haven’t you already implemented knowledge base software? If your excuses are time, money, or lack of resources, maybe you should just bite the bullet and get it done. KnowledgeOwl knowledge base software makes it as easy as possible!