A Wiki Tailored to your Organisation

How can such an extensive project be tackled? Even when operating with considerably fewer resources compared to Wikipedia, many community managers feel overwhelmed by the creation of such a knowledge collection. However, if the following steps are followed, any organisation can have its own internal wiki that can be used by everyone at any time:

1. Assemble a Team

Ideally, the first step is to form a team responsible for developing and managing the internal wiki. This team should consist of individuals from the organisation who are familiar with the software and organisational requirements. A number of subject matter experts – ideally from different departments – should also be involved, as the knowledge collected in the wiki should cover all areas and be of use to everyone involved.

2. Select the Software

This step involves choosing a suitable platform on which to create the internal wiki. There are various tools that can be used to realise such a project. So that participants do not have to use a multitude of tools, such a wiki can be integrated, for example, into a Social Intranet or Member Portal. This way, participants have not only all communication but also all knowledge conveniently in one place.

3. Select the Content

The next step is to determine and select the content that will later be found in the organisation’s wiki. As mentioned, this content should come from different areas of the organisation so that the wiki is useful for everyone. There are many sources on which the team responsible for the wiki can base its work. For example, it can create articles on certain topics based on frequently asked questions. This can save a great deal of time in the future, as these questions will no longer need to be answered repeatedly. It also makes sense to create articles defining vocabulary that is frequently used internally. Sometimes these are terms that exist only within the organisation and therefore confuse new members. Finally, articles can also be written on topics that are frequently discussed or particularly complex within the industry in which the organisation operates. In this way, those involved can quickly access an internal information source instead of having to carry out time-consuming research.

4. Create and upload the Content

Now it is time to create the content selected and planned in the previous step. These texts can either be written from scratch or adapted into a wiki format based on information already held by the organisation. This is the step that requires the most work, so it is important to keep the team motivated. Ensure that the writing of articles is distributed fairly and does not fall to one or two individuals who might quickly become overwhelmed. It is also important to celebrate milestones. Therefore, intermediate goals should be set, with small rewards for achieving them. Finally, it should be acknowledged that such a wiki cannot be launched empty, but will grow over time with more articles. That is why it is so important to develop a plan for the most essential articles beforehand, ensuring that content creation does not drag on endlessly.

5. Configure access Rights and Permissions

Finally, you must define who can access the wiki and what permissions users should have. This is important to ensure security and data protection. It is also essential that users who are knowledgeable about specific topics can edit them. Even Wikipedia often struggles with digital vandalism, where articles are changed without permission to spread misinformation. Since an organisational wiki is much smaller in scale, this is easier to manage and can ideally be avoided entirely, especially through measures involving access rights and permissions.

Even though an internal wiki for your organisation requires substantial planning and effort, it is still a project that can be worthwhile for any organisation. Organisations operating in particularly complex or fast-changing industries benefit greatly from such a wiki, as it reduces the number of questions by providing the opportunity to look things up. Furthermore, such a wiki also reduces the research effort required of those involved, allowing them to save time and focus on other tasks. Finally, handling a wiki is easy, as most people already have experience with such a digital encyclopaedia.