Should certification address the resources an organization uses to produce a product or manage customer data so that needed information is readily available and protected from loss?
Inventory management is important to organizations that want to get work done. When needed resources aren’t readily available, we move from a state of calm to one that is stressful.
We want to explore the documents and electronic tools used to support a charity. The physical organization of these tools support a workforce where turnover is an issue. If required information and documents are saved in a disorganized way, focus and output suffer.
Years ago, I managed the microcomputer training courses offered at the University of Manitoba’s Continuing Education department. Participants attending were employed by businesses adopting office technology for daily work. During this time, student feedback made it clear that files were being saved everywhere. Employees were challenged with how to manage the opportunity of unlimited storage. As a result, they struggled to find what they needed due to staff changes or personal preferences.
When considering the cost of delays, and in many cases additional hours, we knew there was an opportunity to assist.
We developed a concept called the Knowledge Management System (KMS). We have delivered it to businesses that recognized the need to organize their toolkits. We use this method in our office. It has saved us considerable time while protecting our company’s data.
The 15 Second Rule
While developing the KMS solution, we worked with departments to identify the electronic tools they used. In several cases, we found that an innovative staff member had created a simple but valuable method that their team adopted.
When an organization develops a system and trains all staff on how it works, it involves accountability for its maintenance. When something goes awry, there is actionable feedback to correct it. Stress levels drop, and calm remains.
Digital files come in various forms; they are non-tangible but as important as the physical parts found in any shop.
Staff no longer create their own file collections for use, as they did before. This commonsense approach to organizing where files are saved is simple, but still needs management. Much like our discussion on managing donor data, staff may not understand or follow a system without training and an understanding of its value.
The rule of thumb we used for the Knowledge Management System (KMS) was that folders were created by function. They are built under a single lead folder called YourKMS.
Backups are easier when all digital files are accessible through one site, and day-to-day work materials are protected.
The folders are defined according to company needs. For our charitable clients, we provided a short list of folders they could add as needed: policies, procedures, instructions, graphics, and forms.
Within each folder, we use file-naming conventions to identify the content. The organization defines the nomenclature.
For non-profits, we set up two additional folders in the initial subset. In these two folders, one for elite donors and the other for granting organizations, we allowed an exception to the no subfolder rule, as specific donors/funders would have their own drawer(folder).
The KMS subfolders for donors and funders contained important information, and our system, like others, allowed a direct link from the donor’s record in the donor management system to these donor-specific folders and their contents.
Now we had 15-second access to key donor information when needed. There was a place for information that was important to the charity as it built sustainable relationships. The best part of all of this is that the data housed was backed up regularly as part of the KMS.
Managing what we know, what we learn and how we use it needs to be accessible. Access to information must be consistent and protected from inadvertent disaster.
Rather than long lines of folders defined by any staff member currently employed a system or library of electronic tools and data was available and protected from loss.
Training was a big part of our system. When a new staff member joined our team, they were introduced to the BGKMS, and we expected them to use and maintain it.
Why did we build an accessible knowledge base? Our time is key to doing the work we want to do, and anything that erodes that time costs us. The KMS knowledge base is a dependable strategy for protecting an organization’s time and its ability to adapt to new opportunities.
Sharron Batsch is the developer of @EASE Fund Development Software and the author of From Chaos to Control, Build a High Performance Team Using Knowledge Management. She has worked with a wide variety of charities for over 36 years as both a consultant and volunteer fundraiser and event chair. She developed and managed a training program through Continuing Education for the University of Manitoba for the business use of microcomputer solutions offering 147 courses annually. While at the University she redeveloped a certificate program in Information Management and hosted a breakfast series for senior IT managers. She has received awards for her work in Knowledge Management from the Consulting Engineers of Canada and the Alberta Consulting Engineers. Her work helps define how charities can best use the data they collect and create an environment with 15 second retrieval using a Knowledge Management System. She specializes in information management for the not-for-profit community.
