What do all organizations have in common?

We all need to distribute information. And more often than not, we need to distribute different types of information to different groups of people. This covers in-house departments, office locations and remote employees. But it also covers everyone else – customers, prospects, members, committees, contractors…the list goes on. When the right people can access, receive and interact with valuable information, teams will be more productive and aligned, and your customers will have faster and more positive experiences with your brand.

That’s why no matter what your internal goals are and what your company looks like, one thing remains in common: centralizing information and sharing knowledge with the right people.

Unfortunately, many organizations struggle to efficiently provide the information their teams need. According to CSO Insights, a research division of Miller Heiman Group, 83 percent of respondents say they have trouble accessing the data they need to do their jobs. This suggests several issues:

1. Employees are less productive or not working as efficiently as they could because they spend valuable time searching for internal information.

2. Decision makers do not understand how teams use information to achieve their goals, which may vary by department.

3. And because of this lack of understanding, organizations waste resources by not investing in the best IEMC knowledge sharing system that deliver optimal value.

The workplace focuses heavily on focusing, storing and organizing information.

But that doesn’t mean employees can access or even see the information. That’s why workplaces also need the ability to distribute targeted communications to specific departments, project teams, and managers, so that knowledge is not only organized, but also focused to the right people.

This refers to the distribution of critical information from one source (you or your organization) to different groups of people (your audience).

We’ve heard from our customers that this can mean many things, depending on how your organization operates. You may have a traditional structure and need an easy way to share knowledge with internal departments or remote office locations.

Or, you might work with dozens of businesses that aren’t direct employees, but entities you need to interact with for a common goal, or you have customers, students, or volunteers and you need to connect them to relevant information.

In fact, the best solution is to use a knowledge management system that works with your business. The right solution gives you a return on your investment because it meets changing needs and grows with you as your company evolves. It also saves time by automatically distributing targeted information, so you always know the right knowledge is in the right hands.

All of these factors contribute to one overall goal: to have the strongest and most productive workplace that retains employees, builds lasting relationships with customers and partners, and connects your ideal target audience with relevant information.

Benefits of knowledge sharing

You already know this – overseeing an organization has many moving parts that must work together. When you combine strong communications, a clear business strategy, and effective technology with people who align with the values you’ve set forth, you put your company in the best position to have a healthy and successful workforce.

Knowledge sharing, especially targeted knowledge sharing, is the glue that holds it all together. But many workplaces are struggling to do this effectively.

According to International Data Corp., Fortune 500 companies lose at least $31.5 billion a year by failing to share knowledge.

By incorporating IEMC model into your knowledge management strategy, you save resources by making your organization more efficient. From your internal communications to project management, people management…even workplace culture…targeted knowledge sharing will transform every aspect of your organization by speeding up the time it takes to find information while uniting people and knowledge.

Let’s take a deeper look at some of these top benefits of knowledge sharing:

1. Enhanced communication.

Knowledge is power and your people are your greatest asset. But how can they deliver strong results if they’re missing key information or don’t have relevant updates? That’s why you need your people to receive content that really matters to them.

With flexible, IEMC knowledge sharing, it empowers more productive teams by distributing content specific and relevant to their roles – and improving communication along the way. On a larger scale, you can keep your workforce updated with company-wide news, such as events, press releases, crisis management, where they can see it.

2. Cooperation and high innovation.

It’s not just about the ability to deliver your information, it’s also about the interaction you can get. When knowledge sharing is a core component of your organizational operations, you foster a collaborative environment where employees are not ostracized by departments.

Knowledge is accessible, everyone is included and informed, and can interact with projects, share ideas, and bring others into the conversation.

3. Increasing efficiency and solving problems.

When employees have access to up-to-date information, they can work more efficiently to complete tasks or help customers. On the other hand, employees waste precious time when they have to jump through hoops to track down the right person or find a specific report.

This can waste a lot of time. About 28 percent of an employee’s work week is spent managing emails, and 20 percent is spent searching for internal information. That’s a little over 1/4 work week! The beauty of knowledge sharing is that people, knowledge and resources are readily available and accessible. This enables faster problem solving and project completion because employees already have the knowledge they need, or can easily find it on the spot to make smarter decisions. As an added bonus, the faster your employees support customers and provide a positive experience, the more satisfied your customers will be, which increases loyalty and retention.

4. Stronger project management and workflow.

We’ve noted that efficiency is a huge advantage when knowledge sharing is at the forefront. This is especially true of project management. Teams reduce the risk of duplicating efforts on the same task, as IEMC system are built to share and track information on projects already in progress.

Information from current projects and past projects is saved, so you have a growing knowledge base that serves as a resource for future reference.

5. Better relations between management and teams.

The working relationship between the management and the team is very important. According to studies, 57% of employees feel that they are not given clear instructions.

Even more surprising, 69 percent of managers’ report that they usually don’t feel comfortable communicating with their employees. How can you succeed as an organization if employees are unclear and managers have communication problems?

By simplifying knowledge sharing with your leaders, managers, departments and partners, you align, connect and engage your audience with the information they need. You essentially arm your people with the knowledge to confidently and efficiently complete your end goal. Communication is clear to all parties and expectations are documented so managers have clear communication channels with their team members that puts everyone on the same page.

6. Improving the culture, morale and experience of employees.

The last thing you want is confused and frustrated employees. When employees feel this way, it usually comes from feeling undervalued or unsupported. As a result, individual and team performance suffers, employees are less likely to promote your brand or speak positively about your organization, and in the worst case scenario, and employee disengagement spreads to other teams. Effective knowledge sharing, effective key wording, bridges the gap. You combat confusion by providing and sharing the information your employees need. All are supported by tools that make their lives easier and provide compelling information that connects them to their teams and your organization as a whole.

Technology and knowledge sharing

Today’s business landscape is very competitive. To stay ahead, organizations must constantly launch new products, provide superior service, and continue to innovate. Your internal communication strategy and performance will increase when you have remote teams, multiple offices, or trying to engage with large audiences because you have one more barrier to work with: distance.

This is why technology, especially having the best knowledge sharing tools, is essential. It facilitates your goals, automates information distribution, and connects your organization and target audiences everywhere.

Depending on what you’re looking for, flexible platforms also allow you to create, share and leverage different types of knowledge – corporate announcements, brainstorming forums, people directories, targeted communications, videos, wikis, Spreadsheets, just to name a few. Knowledge comes in many forms and you want to collect and store as much of it as you can. To get a real return on your investment, the tool you use must reach your audience in a way that engages them.