7 Steps to Choosing a Knowledge Management Solution

December 14, 2017
7 Steps to Choosing a Knowledge Management Solution
One crucial tool to implement that can improve your customer service metrics is a knowledge management solution. The right solution can speed access to the appropriate knowledge necessary for your agents to provide the right resolution to a customer’s problem.

However, you may find a dizzying array of options in knowledge management solutions. Below is a brief overview of issues to consider that will assist you in selecting the right knowledge management solution for your specific needs.

1. Accuracy

You may have all the right information loaded into your database, but will the new knowledge management (KM) system find it through commonly used phrases? For instance, the product information necessary to upsell a customer is different than the data necessary for a warranty claim. Can the knowledge management solution find the correct answers?

2. Speed

Being accurate is a must, but so is speed. A KM system that makes customers wait for the right answer can drive your metrics down quickly. Your agents will be talking more while waiting, and your service levels will be declining. We all know, time is money. The faster you can provide a service your OPEX decreases.

3. Relevancy

Will the knowledge management solution retrieve just the data that applies to your worker’s role, or will that worker waste precious productive time sorting through unnecessary data? An excellent system will provide prioritized answers based upon your worker’s role. You can manage tiers and basic inquiries to improve relevancy.

4. Ease of Data Migration

Migration can be a pain point, but it can also be a superb opportunity to update and review existing knowledge articles. You can edit for accuracy, effectiveness and scanability. Moreover, the vendor should have migration processes in place to ensure the move is seamless.

5. Analytics

Your knowledge management solution should be able to produce scorecards that indicate the top searched topics. This is crucial information for training and coaching new agents to answer frequently asked questions quickly and accurately.

6. Update and Add New Content

An excellent knowledge management solution will make it easy for your staff to update and add information and content. You should also be able to add search terms without needing to call customer support.

7. Deployment Company Wide

Implementing separate KM systems for your sales team, contact center and website creates corporate silos while increasing administrative overhead. Some studies have shown that a majority of enterprises use multiple data repositories. This vast amount of information may seem like a great resource, but it can be cumbersome to navigate. A knowledge management system that is deployed company-wide will increase knowledge sharing and lower administrative costs.

You can use these criteria for selecting the correct system for better sales support and customer service. Having the right system will help increase sales and provide a better customer service and happy customer experience.

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