# Knowledge management in the company: blocks and tools https://www.explicio.com/en/knowledge-management/ Last updated: 2026-11-02 > Knowledge management means capturing, organising and sharing a company's knowledge so that others can work with it. Most knowledge bases do not fail because of the software, but because nobody has time to write during daily work and entries quietly go out of date. It works better when knowledge comes in where the work happens — by voice message, photo or text —, is linked with existing documents, and every answer names its source. # Guide: knowledge management in the company ## Knowledge management that happens in daily work. Most knowledge bases do not fail because of the software, but because there is no time to write. This guide explains what knowledge management is, which tools exist, what a knowledge graph achieves and why introducing it usually fails. Knowledge management means capturing, organising and sharing a company's knowledge so that others can work with it. Most knowledge bases do not fail because of the software, but because nobody has time to write during daily work and entries quietly go out of date. It works better when knowledge comes in where the work happens — by voice message, photo or text —, is linked with existing documents, and every answer names its source. - EIGHT BUILDING BLOCKS - TOOLS COMPARED - KNOWLEDGE GRAPH AND AI AT A GLANCE ## Knowledge management: the essentials first. KEY POINTS - Knowledge management means capturing, organising and sharing knowledge so that others can work with it. - No tool covers everything: wiki, file storage, knowledge base, search and AI assistant each solve a different part. - Most knowledge bases go out of date because writing time is short and nobody notices when an entry is no longer right. - A knowledge graph connects things rather than files: machine, document, process and contact belong together. - What is measured is which questions stay open — not who contributes how much. Knowledge management does not assess people. THE SHORT ANSWER ## What is knowledge management? Knowledge management is how a company handles its knowledge: it is captured, organised, shared and applied — and renewed when it is no longer right. Both are meant: the knowledge in documents and the knowledge in employees' heads. The aim is simple: whoever has a question finds the answer without calling three colleagues, and whoever leaves does not take with them what others still need. Whether this works depends less on the software than on whether the knowledge comes in during daily work at all. [More on tacit knowledge →](https://www.explicio.com/en/tacit-knowledge/) BUILDING BLOCKS ## The eight building blocks of knowledge management. The best-known model in the German-speaking world comes from Gilbert Probst, Steffen Raub and Kai Romhardt. It divides the work into eight building blocks. 1 Knowledge goals Which knowledge does the company need, and what for? 2 Identifying knowledge What already exists, in documents and in heads? 3 Acquiring knowledge What is missing and comes in from outside? 4 Developing knowledge What is newly created, from projects and experience? 5 Distributing knowledge How does it reach those who need it? 6 Using knowledge Is it actually applied in daily work? 7 Preserving knowledge Does it stay when people leave or systems change? 8 Assessing knowledge Were the goals right, and what remained open? TOOLS ## Knowledge management tools compared. Each tool solves one part. What matters is which question most often stays open in the business. WIKI Wiki and intranet Good for rules, processes and announcements. Lives on someone writing and maintaining it — otherwise it goes out of date. STORAGE File storage Drives and document systems keep files safe. What lies between the documents, they do not keep. KNOWLEDGE BASE Articles for questions Strong in customer service: one question, one article. Needs editors and rarely covers the expert knowledge of engineering. LEARNING PLATFORM Courses and training Good for knowledge many people need to learn. Too cumbersome for the single question on Monday morning. SEARCH Enterprise search Finds documents across many repositories. You then have to read the answer out yourself. AI ASSISTANT Questions in your own words Answers from company knowledge if the sources are connected — trustworthy only with a source. This is Explicio's approach. WHY IT FAILS ## Why knowledge bases go out of date — and what helps. Almost every company has introduced a wiki at some point. The reasons it stays empty or goes out of date are similar. Why it fails - – there is no time to write, entries stay unfinished - – nobody feels responsible for upkeep - – search does not find what you mean - – an entry is no longer right, and nobody notices What helps - ✓ bringing in knowledge where the work happens — also as a voice message - ✓ follow-up questions when context is missing - ✓ every answer names its source - ✓ contradictions become visible, outdated content is superseded rather than silently overwritten KNOWLEDGE GRAPH ## What is a knowledge graph — and what does it do for a company? A knowledge graph does not sort knowledge into folders, but by things and their relationships: this machine, this manual, this maintenance report, this process, this contact. What belongs together is connected — whichever repository it is in. For daily work this means: a question about a machine also finds the tip from the voice message and the right section of the manual. If a tip contradicts the document, that becomes visible. And whoever takes over an area sees which knowledge already exists about it. FOLDERS File next to file Knowledge lies where it was filed. The connections are known to whoever knows where to look. KNOWLEDGE GRAPH Thing next to thing Machine, document, tip and process are connected. The answer can bring the context along, with a source. WITH AI ## Knowledge management with AI: what changes. AI can phrase and find. For it to manage knowledge rather than invent it, it needs limits. AI can - ✓ understand questions in your own words, also in other languages - ✓ find the right passage among many documents - ✓ ask when a contribution is unclear - ✓ understand voice messages, photos and videos AI should not - – answer without saying where the answer comes from - – assess people or keep rankings - – decide alone where an action has an effect - – conceal that it is an AI This is how Explicio is built: every answer names its source, and a person decides on every action with an effect. INTRODUCING IT ## Introducing knowledge management: four steps. Start small, where questions are asked most often today. - STEP 1 · CHOOSE AN AREA 01 Where is knowledge missing most? One area, one machine, one process — chosen by the matter, never by people. Involve the works council early. - STEP 2 · CONNECT 02 Use what exists Read in manuals, drives and reports instead of filing them again. The repositories stay as they are. - STEP 3 · ADD 03 Let it come in during work What is in no document is added by voice message, photo or text when it is explained at work. - STEP 4 · LET PEOPLE ASK 04 See what stays open Which questions find no answer shows the next gap. Counted by topic, not by person. QUESTIONS ## Frequently asked. What is knowledge management, simply explained? + − How a company handles its knowledge: capturing, organising, sharing, applying and renewing it — so that questions get answered and knowledge does not leave with people. What is a knowledge base? + − A searchable collection of knowledge, often as articles on frequent questions. It is only as good as its upkeep; without editors it goes out of date. What is the difference between knowledge management and knowledge transfer? + − Knowledge management is the framework. Knowledge transfer is the part where knowledge passes from one person to others — for example before retirement. [More: capturing expert knowledge before retirement](https://www.explicio.com/en/retirement/) What is a knowledge graph? + − An ordering of knowledge by things and their relationships instead of by folders: machine, document, tip and process are connected, and an answer can bring this context along. Which software do I need for knowledge management? + − It depends on the question that most often stays open in the business. For rules a wiki is often enough; for expert knowledge that is in no document, you need a way to bring it in during daily work and query it with a source. Does the works council have to agree? + − Software that takes in contributions from employees is usually a technical facility within the meaning of § 87(1) no. 6 of the German Works Constitution Act — its introduction is subject to co-determination. [Source: page for works councils and data protection](https://www.explicio.com/en/works-council/) NEXT STEP ## Start with one area. Then decide. After a short call we set up your test space. Bring in a manual and a voice message from one area — and then ask in your own words. The 30 days only start after that. [Request a quote](https://explicio.cloud/registrieren?weg=angebot) [Request a quote](https://explicio.cloud/registrieren?weg=angebot&interesse=offen&nachricht=We%20would%20like%20to%20introduce%20knowledge%20management.) - **Term**: 30 days from the first knowledge - **Checklist**: [eight questions for any platform](https://www.explicio.com/en/checklist/) - **Works council**: [what an agreement covers](https://www.explicio.com/en/works-council/)