Create a Company Wiki

Knowledge sharing is crucial for organizational success in the Information Age. Knowledgeable, dedicated employees are often eager to add value and contribute to the organization’s success by sharing what they know. Finance professionals are fundamentally information workers who give and receive valuable insights to contribute to the success of the organization. There is not always a clear line of distinction between the finance and technology groups because tech tools are integral for the finance professional’s work.

Fortunately, in an environment that relies upon systematic information sharing, wisely deployed technology can facilitate the free flow of knowledge. CIO Magazine provided some best practices for implementing a company wiki:

  • Initially, what is a wiki? The article says it is “a software application that allows groups of users to create, edit and comment on online documents.” Wikipedia is undoubtedly the most popular example.
  • Companies use wikis for collaboration and employee communication, among other reasons.
  • The first implementation step is to define why the organization wants a wiki. This sets the direction and defines the parameters of the wiki’s purpose.
  • The second step is to choose a software platform. Options vary from free to fee-based, open-source, hosted, or deployed on the organization’s own system.
  • The third step is for the wiki implementation team to define the structure: “These include defining to what extent end users will be able to edit wiki pages, setting standards for how administrators will respond to updates from users, and setting rules around uploading text files or videos.”
  • The fourth step is to put someone in charge for maintenance. A wiki “gardener” can help the project grow, root out “weeds” (i.e., old information), and bring contributors on board.
  • The final step is to promote the wiki to end users. Start uploading useful content, refer to the wiki in communications, and encourage employees to read it and contribute what they know.

One helpful website referenced in the article for comparing wiki options for different purposes is http://www.wikimatrix.org/.

Bottom line, wiki implementation and maintenance is a good tool for finance professionals to consider adding to their skill sets.

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