It is often said that success or failure in the digital economy is only a click away. Start-up organisations and SMEs face more challenges than ever and as technology continues to evolve, so should in-house methods respond to the changing needs of their specific customer base. This is difficult to accomplish with traditional methods due to a lack of efficiency and centralised insight. The good news is that knowledge-based software solutions provide benefits that would have been unheard of in the past. So, what exactly is knowledge-based software and what advantages can it supply to a growing organisation?
A Ground-Up Sense Of Clarity
The primary intention of a knowledge-based development is to group together sets of disparate data so that this information can be more effectively understood by the end user. There are a handful of tenets related to this approach which can be referred to as the four “C’s”:
- Centralisation
- Consistency
- Collaboration
- Clarity
Without becoming overly technical in nature, knowledge-based approaches enable all stakeholders (including customers) to access the right tools and data at the most appropriate times. Generic platforms such as Confluence and AnswerHub are two examples of systems that are available to the general public.
However, a big downside that is often attributable to off-of-the-shelf bundles is that they might not be able to successfully address the specific needs of a certain start-up business. This is when the power of customisation comes into play.
Improved Customer Service
Many bespoke knowledge-based platforms can be designed to improve customer service by giving end users direct access to important information without the need of a human adviser. Examples include:
• Automated self-service platforms.
• Intuitive search engines.
• Advanced chatbots.
• The expedited resolution of customer queries and complaints.
These are all critical areas to address, as the success or failure of a business is determined by the ways in which it interacts with its customers. Additional advantages include interdepartmental accountability, and the ability to better access and analyse data within the organisation. Potential benefits of wider knowledge sharing include the early detection of customer satisfaction issues and greater insight into how customer retention efforts are performing. Thanks to the centralised nature of these systems, the most appropriate decisions can be made with confidence and accuracy.
Find Out More
Would you like to learn more about how a knowledge-based software system can benefit your growing firm? Please contact the experts at Brandon Cross to speak with a representative.