Securing the "gold in the heads" of employees

Knowledge is a decisive competitive factor: A study published in 2015 by the Fraunhofer Institute for Production Systems and Design Technology (IPK) concluded that, from the perspective of German entrepreneurs, intellectual capital is more important for sustainable business than material resources. Also against the background of an increasing demand for skilled workers, motivated and competent employees are more than ever in the focus of companies: The collection and provision of know-how will thus be of even greater relevance in the future.

That is why it is important for companies and organizations to lift the "hidden treasure" of knowledge and skills of their workforce, to conserve and expand it in a suitable place and to make it usable for other employees. But a quickly available knowledge pool also facilitates the daily work of each individual employee, who is confronted with a multitude of information on a daily basis and has to filter out the relevant and currently required excerpts from this information.

Wiki secures existing know-how
What is needed, therefore, is a knowledge management system that systematically secures and processes know-how and makes exactly the right information available when needed. One solution that has recently found its way into many companies is an in-house wiki, i.e. a software-supported knowledge repository in which knowledge and experience are collected collectively by all employees and documented in a form that is comprehensible to the target group - and above all: to which all employees have access.

"We see a company-internal wiki as a particularly efficient solution for quickly accessing and developing existing knowledge and sharing it with others. It provides support, for example, in the event of staff changes, company handovers, parental leave replacements, etc. But also the daily job routine is facilitated if employees can quickly access a central knowledge database", explains Dr. Stephan Killich from the management of ConSense GmbH. The company specializes in the development of innovative solutions for quality and process management. With the new ConSense WIKI module, which complements the ConSense software solutions for management systems, ConSense GmbH now supports the creation of a structured, user-friendly and easy-to-use internal company knowledge pool.

Closely interlink sources of information
"In the specialist literature, quality management and knowledge management are separated from each other and regarded as different tools. However, we at ConSense believe that it makes sense to combine these two topics - because qualified knowledge about processes or procedures, for example, that is freely available in the company automatically has a positive impact on quality management," says Dr. Stephan Killich.

The transfer of individual knowledge of the know-how carriers to all other employees generates synergies, increases the efficiency of a company and can provide impetus for further developments. From the QM expert's point of view, it therefore makes no sense in the long term to strictly separate the two areas - yet many companies still do it this way today. The consequences are, among other things, redundant data storage and a higher effort for changes. If there is no link between QM and the knowledge pool, there is a risk of losing track of which information is stored where. Then it can happen that not all sources are updated equally.

"Unlike quality management, which must adhere to rigid specifications regarding documentation, administration and releases, an in-house wiki collects dynamic, fluid knowledge from the wealth of knowledge of the individual employees. The wiki software helps to structure, expand and transfer information, experience and skills," says the expert.

From individual to collective knowledge
A useful link between the quality management software ConSense QMS and the ConSense WIKI module is offered in many respects. For example, best practice instructions from employees can be added to the processes and procedures stored in the system. Dr. Stephan Killich explains: "If a manufacturing company has included a process of assembly, the description of the execution is to be assigned to the quality management. If it should be added to this, in which way the corresponding activity is carried out best or most efficiently, this falls into the area of knowledge management, is stored in ConSense WIKI and directly linked to the process description." Articles on preferred topics can be subscribed to if desired. As soon as a new article is added to the system, the subscriber automatically receives a message. Some companies even reward wiki entries that are positively rated by users to motivate their employees to contribute.

To ensure quality control of the individual articles written by employees, moderators can be appointed, for example, who are responsible for special topics for which they have acquired expert status. A release of the articles according to the four-eyes principle is also a widespread regulation.

Dr. Killich states: "Basically, due to the participation of all employees, there is of course also the possibility that things are written that are not correct. But experience has shown that self-monitoring by users, e.g. by colleagues, works very well."

Overall concept Social QM
"However, an in-house knowledge database like ConSense WIKI that is used by all employees is only the first step towards social QM in the company," explains the ConSense managing director. Social QM involves the integration of the wiki into an overall concept that pursues greater employee participation in the development of the management system in order to further increase acceptance. This is implemented in a variety of ways on the basis of social media technologies.

Thus, the pure collection of knowledge in the company's internal wiki can be supplemented by a real-time dialogue if, as with ConSense WIKI, discussion forums are attached. Experiences and views on certain topics can be shared and exchanged quickly and easily here. The forums support communication and networking within the company and enable a simple, direct dialogue even beyond departmental boundaries.

Vibrant QM thanks to active participation
With a well-functioning, actively used wiki, integrated into a social QM concept, employees are motivated to take the initiative and help shape the process and are more closely integrated into the integrated management system. This creates virtual workspaces in which employees can directly exchange information on important topics and jointly develop ideas. This keeps the system alive, promotes acceptance and cooperation among employees and broadens the knowledge base in the company. At the same time, their qualified know-how can be retained here even beyond the day when employees leave the company.

"More and more companies have recognized the importance of intellectual capital. We have developed diverse possibilities for practical application and offer innovative technical solutions for this purpose. This conscious handling of the valuable resource knowledge is not only something for large organizations and corporations. Small and medium-sized companies can also achieve positive effects with systematic knowledge management ", Dr. Stephan Killich is certain.