Explicit knowledge refers to the recorded part of formal and informal data. It can originate in an agent’s mind or flow in via calls, comments, or surveys. Failure to record knowledge when it is generated possesses the risk of loss of crucial information over time.
Explicit knowledge, however flexible in shape, requires to be collected, filtered, and documented properly. Other organizations might just gloat over their unfathomable library of information but you must not stop until it is made better, improved, updated, and put to optimal utilization across the enterprise at each level.
Needless to say, earning data is better than earning gold in the age of digitization.
What is explicit knowledge?
Explicit knowledge is that part of an organization’s knowledge base where knowledge was created in the form of data, information, content, and facts; it is recorded without fail. This is an intricate process carried out for agent knowledge, database, customer surveys, and every other direct, indirect, formal, or informal source.
How to record explicit knowledge without fail?
Explicit knowledge can be recorded simply via documentation over text documents. It could be created using tools like articles, FAQs, decision trees, visual guides, or another scripting software.
By agents
This type of knowledge can be recorded by the user on the platform for their own purpose or to serve customer complaints. When the use of any particular piece of information proves crucial, it can be edited and reviewed by page admins to publish it for common use.
By users
The users can suggest any tricks or hacks that they have known or have used for solving their way out of product crisis. This gives them a voice and includes them in the organization as a part of the integral team.
By team
Many pieces of information usually go unrecorded owing to the fact that the creators do not reckon them as important. The team of experts on product, services, features, CX, agent training, and learning, etc can pick them up and develop them into actionable insights.
Difference between implicit, explicit, and tacit knowledge?
Implicit knowledge
Implicit knowledge is more of an organizational practice than a written record. Such knowledge is passed on through verbal means in times of need. They are hardly recorded as implicit knowledge comes as a reward for job experience. Though implicit knowledge is not written or officially recorded, it is known to many, not all.
Explicit knowledge
Explicit knowledge, as discussed earlier, is in the form of knowledge created, curated, collected, and possessed that is recorded properly after cross checks and redrafting. Explicit knowledge forms a very important part of an organization’s knowledge management tools.
Tacit knowledge
A significant challenge faced in creating a consistent and concrete knowledge base lies in the fact that the tacit form of knowledge is the one known to few and used by fewer people but is never documented. There might be a handful of tricks or shortcuts to speed resolution or to improve resulting customer metrics that are used by the discoverer, go unrecorded, and are never passed on to the upcoming batch thus becoming a loss of data/ knowledge for the organization.
(blog on tacit knowledge link)
Top features to look for in explicit knowledge base software
While industries deal with data generation and information records, it is essential to know that the platform you are choosing to de-load this burden from manual shoulders is efficient enough for the job.
Listed below are the must-haves you should search for in your knowledge base management platform:
Consistency
Knowledge, however explicit, does not make sense if it is not consistently recorded. When a customer leaves the service portal in the middle of the process, they might be able to come back and pick it up right from the point they left it at.
Structured
While visiting the service portal, both agents and the users must be able to follow the solution in chronological order. This does not make bullets and steps a mandate. It rather establishes the fact that easier steps should be listed and complicated steps must be mentioned with all assisted aids required.
Contextual knowledge
Contextual knowledge increases the meaning, visibility, and value of any content piece. While publishing the content, it must be categorized automatically or manually and assigned subcategories. This helps agents find solutions to each device on a single platform yet organized at its best. Contextualization is done through tagging.
(contextual knowledge blog link)
Easy documentation
Since explicit knowledge is one that has already been possessed, taught, and used, it is thus verified and has positive practical application. Such knowledge must originally be documented by the users and then be pilot tested. On the success of results, it should be put into R&D whilst documenting it into the cloud repository.
No code & DIY
Customized, no code, easy to create, knowledge creation software helps in creating explicit knowledge in such an order that suffices brand tone and establishes a positive market image. This collectively earns customer loyalty, digital footprint, enhanced engagement, communication with potential customers, and conversion into purchase value. Marketers can use such scores to level up moment advertising and long term marketing campaigns.
Communication
Explicit knowledge completes an organization’s knowledge base software not just to the required extent but also includes details from personal experience and handed down knowledge. This makes the content speak for itself in a conversational tone, making it easy to explain and understand even in the absence of continuous assistance.
Conclusion
Explicit knowledge can be found in the form of text, code, image, video, links, pointers, infographics, or simply as notes to self. It can be presented/recorded as documents, pdf, reports, or memos. To recognize each such fragment of information and join them collectively forming explicit content is essential and crucial.
The biggest challenge faced in failing to record such knowledge is that the organization and its employees shall hardly ever, or worse, never know that the missing pieces of data have actually been lying with them all throughout.
