Keeping your IT Service Management knowledge base up to date with relevant, accessible, and well-structured articles is essential for successful knowledge management. A well-maintained knowledge base empowers users, improves productivity, and enhances the customer experience by making information easy to find and understand. It's a key way to document and utilize the collective knowledge of your employees in one comprehensive resource.
Whether you're building an internal knowledge base or a customer service knowledge base, following these best practices will ensure your articles deliver value and clarity.
An informative knowledge base serves as a self-service hub of online resources for your customers, support agents and team members. Whether it’s help articles for customer support teams, an internal knowledge base for employee onboarding or an external knowledge base for end user customers to find out information regarding your products or services, the quality of your articles directly impacts their usefulness. Benefits include:
Before diving into writing, define your knowledge base's purpose. Is it to provide self-service support for customers, streamline internal processes, or document workflows for ITSM tools? A clear goal ensures every article aligns with user needs.
An effective title sets the stage for your article. It should be simple, descriptive, and include relevant keywords. For example:
Before drafting an article, define who your audience is. Are you writing for service desk agents seeking ITSM knowledge or internal employees accessing ITSM system workflows? Tailoring language and content to your audience ensures relevance and clarity.
Readable knowledge bases encourage users to engage. Break down content into short, scannable sections with:
Assume users have no prior knowledge of the topic or technical information. Begin each article with a brief knowledge base definition, followed by clear, step-by-step instructions and tutorials.
Support your text with visuals such as:
These aids make complex instructions easier to follow and enhance the overall customer experience.
Each article should answer one question or solve one problem. This improves clarity and prevents information overload. If additional context is needed, link to related articles for more details or adjacent topics and helpful information.
Avoid unnecessary jargon and use plain, straightforward language. For example, instead of saying "initiate password recovery protocols," opt for "reset your password."
Regularly update your knowledge base articles to reflect changes in processes, software, or organizational practices. Outdated company information can frustrate users and reduce trust in your knowledge management system.
To help create a user-friendly knowledge base, use relevant keywords naturally throughout your articles to improve discoverability via search. For example:
Include a rating system or comment option for users to provide feedback on articles. Insights from readers can guide updates and improve overall quality.
An intuitive information architecture is key to effective knowledge base management. Group related articles into categories and use descriptive headings.
Track article performance through built-in analytics tools. Monitor metrics like views, ratings, and time spent on pages and utilize the data to identify areas for improvement.
Cross-linking within your knowledge base helps users navigate seamlessly. For example: "For more on automated workflows, check out our guide on configuring workflows in an ITSM solution."
Ensure your knowledge base articles are desktop, tablet and mobile-friendly. A responsive design accommodates users accessing your ITSM platform from various devices.
ASM knowledge articles on different devices
Ensure teams regularly contribute to and use the internal knowledge base. This fosters a culture of knowledge sharing and improves operational efficiency.
Adding an FAQ section to articles addresses common questions directly, enhancing usability and reducing service desk queries.
Ensure your knowledge base is accessible to all users, adhering to best practices in usability and design. Consider screen reader compatibility and mobile-friendly layouts.
An informative, well-structured knowledge base doesn’t just answer questions. It enhances user experience, reduces support requests, and empowers teams to resolve issues independently.
By following these best practices, your business can build a knowledge base that aligns with ITIL principles and boosts the value of your ITSM tools.
Ready to transform your knowledge management? Learn how Alemba Service Manager can support your journey with its robust, ITIL-certified capabilities.
Alemba Service Manger is PinkVERIFY™ Certified for Knowledge Management as well as 18 other ITSM processes. Find out how Alemba can help your business build an optimal knowledge base by getting in touch today.
Get in touch todayCreating a well-organized ITSM knowledge base is crucial for effective IT Service Management. An ITSM knowledge base centralizes information, enabling quick access to resources like FAQs, troubleshooting guides, SOPs, and best practices. This guide covers the benefits of knowledge management and foundational steps to build and maintain an ITSM knowledge base, ensuring it remains an asset for IT teams and end-users alike.
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