Picture this: all your company's information is neatly organized and available at your fingertips. This fills you with both serenity and dread, doesn't it?
Sure, it would be great to have everything in one place where you know it can be found with ease. But the idea of having to actually organize it all? That's enough to make anyone's palms sweat.
The good news is that you don't have to do it all by yourself.
Lorino can help you get your ducks in a row without you having to lift a finger - except to click your mouse, of course. So breathe easy, and lay back whilst we walk you through the process.
What is the Purpose of Information Organization?
Organizing information is a surefire way to improve employee productivity and optimize efficiency within your company.
You might not be often looking for information such as the notes from your last team meeting, the document with all upcoming holidays, or the company policies, but when you do need them - you'll be glad they're easy to find.
Onboarding new hires will be a breeze, as they'll be able to find everything they need without having to ask around or search through endless emails and piles of paperwork.
Organizing meetings and presentations will also be a piece of cake when all the data you need is at your fingertips.
When it comes to your work, being able to lay your hands on the data you need without delay can make all the difference between meeting deadlines and falling behind, so it's well worth taking the time to get things sorted.
And that's just the benefits of organizing your data, procedures, and notes - imagine the benefits of actually organizing all your company's knowledge.
What do You Mean by Knowledge Organization?
The two are closely related, but there is a difference. Information organization is more about putting things in order so they can be easily accessed and used when needed. This includes data, files, notes, etc.
Knowledge organization goes a step further by not only organizing information but also making it easier to find and use knowledge within the company. This can include things like best practices, lessons learned, and institutional knowledge.
Whether you are aware of it or not, your company has some knowledge organization system in place - and if you aren't aware of it, then it's probably not serving you as well as it could be.
Why not both?
Knowledge organization is the process of creating and maintaining a system for storing and retrieving, well, knowledge.
And yes, every company organically develops some sort of system over time. Be it that one colleague or department that keeps everything neatly organized, and therefore gets pinged for every small thing.
Or the usual Google Drive shared folder, where everyone dumps in their documents without a proper system in place and then spends 20 minutes looking for that one specific file they can't remember the exact name of.
If your company is old school, you might even have pretty color-coded files, tags, and folders in a physical filing system, but chances are, if you're reading this, you aren't too reliant on paper these days.
The point is, there are different levels of knowledge organization, and usually, the more formalized and structured it is, the better.
The Benefits of Knowledge Organization
There are countless benefits to having a well-organized system for storing and retrieving all sorts of company information. Here are just a few:
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Reduced stress levels: When you know where everything is, you don't have to waste time looking for it. This can be a huge relief, especially when you're under pressure or working to a tight deadline.
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Improved productivity: A good knowledge organization system means that you can find what you need quickly and easily. This saves valuable time and allows you to get on with other tasks.
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Increased efficiency: When information is gathered in one place, it can be used more effectively. This leads to better decision-making and improved results.
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Enhanced teamwork: Having a good system for sharing knowledge in the workplace makes it easier for team members to share information and work together effectively.
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Greater competitiveness: In today's fast-paced world, being able to access and utilize knowledge quickly and efficiently gives you a competitive edge.
So, there you have it - a few good reasons to get your information organized. But how exactly do you go about doing it?
How Lorino can Help
We're not trying to tell you that your current system is wrong, or that you need to start from scratch. We're just here to show you that there are other options available and that there are ways to make your system work even better for you.
There are a lot of benefits to using Lorino over other systems, the most important ones being:
It’s Easily Searchable
Unlike your knowledge dump on your company's Google Drive, Lorino is actually searchable. So if you're ever looking for that one file you can't remember the name of, just type in a keyword and Lorino will help you find it.
This also comes in handy when you have new employees starting and you need to quickly get them up to speed on certain topics. Just type in what you're looking for, and Lorino will show you all the posts containing relevant documents and files.
Lorino is also great for quickly finding that one colleague who's an expert on a certain topic. Just type in what you're looking for and Lorino will show you who in your company knows the most about it (aka. posts most about it) so you can get in touch with them.
It’s a Self-Populating Knowledge Base
Well, kind of self-populating. Lorino is a social intranet, that gets all its content from the employees of a company, and that includes the ever-elusive institutional knowledge.
Lorino encourages employees to post helpful articles, documents, and tips on the company intranet. These can be things like step-by-step guides on how to do certain tasks or just general advice on best practices.
So when we say self-populating, what we mean is: you don't have to do it! Your employees will post the content for you. Granted, they might need a little nudge at first, but once they see how easy and helpful Lorino is, they'll be using it all the time.
It’s Structured
A good information and knowledge organization system needs to be structured, of course, and Lorino definitely is.
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Notices are for announcements and general news: here you'll find everything from the company picnic to the new expense report policy. So whether you're back from vacation or haven't been in the loop for some other reasons, you'll just have to click on that section to catch up.
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In the Feed section, you'll see everything that's being shared on Lorino, from articles and documents to files and images, across all departments. This will not only keep everyone informed about milestones and achievements but also fosters cohesion and collaboration between departments.
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You can also mark certain posts as Favorites - such as the announcement about all upcoming holidays or the step-by-step guide on how to do your expense report - so you can easily find them again.
Apart from that, posts are also organized by topics, so you can quickly find all the posts related to a certain topic, such as "Marketing" or "HR".
Available from anywhere
Lorino is accessible from anywhere, at any time, on any device. So whether you're in the office or out and about, you can always stay connected to your work.
Lorino Knowledge Organization Examples
The best way to see how Lorino can help you with your information organization is to see it in action. Here are a few examples of how our clients and colleagues have used Lorino to organize their info and knowledge, and improve their productivity:
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Most companies create a "How-To" Topic on Lorino, where employees can post guides on how to do certain tasks. This is a huge help for new employees who need to quickly learn how to do certain things, but also for employees who have been with the company for a while and just need a refresher.
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One company used Lorino to create a "Company Encyclopedia" Topic, where employees can post articles, documents, and files about the company's history, culture, and products. This allows new employees to quickly learn about the company and its operations.
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One user created a "SCRUM" Topic where they shared documents, templates, and tips on how to use the SCRUM methodology. This has not only been a great resource for employees who are looking to learn about SCRUM but also turned out to be a fun and non-intrusive way to introduce all employees to these methodologies and their benefits.
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By creating a "Tips and Tricks" Topic we here at Lorino share all sorts of useful "intel" on how to brew the best coffee, which restaurants in the area have the best lunch specials, and links to useful tools that help us in our work. This not only makes us more productive but also helps us bond as a team.
As you can see, there are endless possibilities for how you can use Lorino to organize and share your knowledge which is not only great for increasing productivity but also fun to do and it brings us all a little closer together.
Is Your Information Organization System Working for You?
Now that you know a little bit more about information and knowledge organization, it's time to take a step back and assess your current system.
- Are you happy with the way your knowledge is currently organized?
- Is it always up-to-date and accurate?
- Are your employees able to find what they need?
- Are you able to hold on to institutional knowledge?
- Is your onboarding process as efficient as it could be?
If you answered "no" to any of these questions, then it might be time to consider a change and we think Lorino is the perfect solution.
Still not convinced? No problem! We offer a free trial so you can see for yourself how Lorino can help you with your knowledge organization. Just sign up here and we'll get you set up in no time.
