Microsoft SharePoint is a common component in IT environments. Often used as a content management and sharing platform SharePoint may be used to capture and share a wide range of information within organisations. Does this make SharePoint a choice for knowledge management?
Working with clients that use SharePoint we have considered how SharePoint is used in relation to typical Knowledge Management processes. In our experience it is important to evaluate what each individual organisation requires from their Knowledge Management solutions.
As a result important features and capabilities can be identified and the question of whether SharePoint is the right choice for Knowledge Management can be answered specifically for each organization. We have collected some key points below, but for further details you can access our SharePoint and Knowledge Management fact sheet below:
What is SharePoint?
SharePoint is a collaboration and content management platform often used as a medium for sharing of information within organisations. Highly adaptable and relatively simple to implement, SharePoint can be a very effective information repository. Key features in SharePoint support the creation, editing and sharing of information.
What Is Knowledge Management?
Typically knowledge management solutions are focused on supporting a knowledge intensive business process with clear and measurable outcomes. Often the process includes problem and solution management in a specialist field such as IT or customer service. Key features in knowledge management solutions support quick and accurate matching of solutions to specific questions. This helps process efficiency and speeds up time to resolution.
How is Knowledge Management Used?
Regardless of how and where information is stored, knowledge management systems index all relevant sources of information. This enables the creation of a knowledge base where relevant information is accessed by asking specific questions. Responses are presented and matched to the question. Importantly the system collects feedback from the user so the most relevant responses are highlighted the next time a similar question is asked.
These core features of questions based searches and continuous improved matching of responses to questions, makes a knowledge management solution an ideal support tool for handling transactional based knowledge. This becomes increasingly relevant where subject matter specific knowledge is critical for achieving a solution.
When is SharePoint a Choice for Knowledge Management?
Back to the original question, SharePoint can have a very useful role to play. As an information repository and content management system SharePoint is simple to implement and maintain. Information used in knowledge management solutions can come from SharePoint libraries as well as from any other source of information. Knowledge management solutions will enhance the use of information in critical business processes. Working together SharePoint and knowledge management are complimentary.
What are the constraints of using Sharepoint as a KM tool?
Tacit knowledge is hard to capture.
With no no native mechanisms for informal insights, expert commentary or requests for new information from the end user, there is a risk that knowledge will remains locked in emails, chats, or people’s heads.
User experience constraints.
Bothe contributors and end users may find Sharepoint feels heavy compared to purpose built knowledge management platforms, such as Universal Knowledge. Creating structured, high-quality content takes time, with page editing and metadata tagging more complex and time consuming. Discoverability & findability issues for end users include large volumes of content surface without clear relevance, obsolete knowledge being returned and search relying on effective meta tagging by contributors.
Governance & maintenance overhead
With Sharepoint, sprawl is difficult to control. It is easy to create sites and libraries which leads to;
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Duplicate knowledge
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Fragmented sources of truth
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Inconsistent structures
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Study our fact sheet to learn more about ways to get the most from SharePoint and your knowledge management process. Learn how different features and capabilities can be used to create a superior solution for supporting your critical business processes.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Can Microsoft SharePoint be used for knowledge management?
Yes, SharePoint can store and organise documents, policies and internal resources. However, while it is a powerful collaboration and document management tool, it may require additional configuration or complementary systems to function as a fully structured knowledge management solution.
Q: What are the limitations of using SharePoint for knowledge management?
Common challenges include inconsistent information architecture, reliance on folder structures, limited answer-level search, and difficulty enforcing governance at scale. Without careful design and ongoing oversight, content can become fragmented or hard to navigate.
Q: How does knowledge management differ from document management in SharePoint?
Document management focuses on storing and retrieving files. Knowledge management focuses on structuring information into clear, searchable answers that support decision-making. Effective KM often requires breaking information out of long documents and presenting it in a task-based or contextualised format.
Q: What governance considerations are important when using SharePoint for KM?
Strong governance is essential. This includes clearly defined ownership, version control, approval workflows, permissions management and scheduled content reviews. Without these controls, information can quickly become outdated or duplicated.
Q: When might organisations need more than SharePoint for effective knowledge management?
If an organisation requires advanced search capabilities, answer-level retrieval, embedded decision support, robust analytics or strict compliance tracking, they may need to enhance SharePoint with dedicated knowledge management tools or structured KM frameworks.
