With the latest Odoo 16 version, since last fall, there are also great new features for internal business organization. In this article, we'll learn how valuable a well-organized knowledge management can be and how Odoo 16 helps us with that. For more information and new features of Odoo 16, we can find here.

Knowledge management in companies

Whether you're a young, successful start-up or an established company that's already been around for decades - at a certain point, we reach our limits when it comes to internal organization. What can we do to avoid losing the overview here? Simple checklists are probably no longer enough. 
Well-structured knowledge management can be very helpful, especially in today's age of Big Data. It takes a lot of time and patience to structure and establish it. However, it pays off in the long run! And the best thing is that the knowledge management project is constantly evolving and important experiences contribute to optimization in a company. 
Optimization - our keyword in connection with successful knowledge management. Countless processes can be optimized by an effective knowledge transfer in one's own company. Colleagues save time in internal arrangements because they can work more independently. In addition, all information that may be sought is stored in a central database and, if well structured, can be found quickly. Uniform knowledge management increases transparency and flexibility within a company. The biggest advantage is independent data access for all participants.  

What processes are involved in knowledge management in an organization?
Basically, the following points are the most essential cornerstones of knowledge management in a company:

•  Collect data and information
•  store incoming and current data
• interpret and communicate data
• procure, provide and use organizational and evidence-based knowledge
  
  

Layout and structure in general

In the module itself, own entries can be defined in order to record company knowledge. Here, an own folder and subfolder structure can be selected, similar to a file manager. This can be found on the left side of the screen. From scratch, the categories Favorites, Workspace and Private are created. Once files are shared with other people, they are also found in a separate folder. When items are shared with other people, various permissions can also be assigned in the same context, for example "may edit", "may view". More information can be found in this blog in the section "Sharing". The use of a document that is intended exclusively for one's own work is also possible without any problems. As a result, there is no restriction of access rights to this module and it can be used by anyone.

Create article

It is easy for anyone to create a new article. An article in the Knowledge module can be designed individually. However, it is recommended to use a similar structure for each article from a knowledge management research. This way, the most important information can be accessed more quickly by other people with insight and is also clearly presented. 
In addition, it is possible to insert a header, including a photo, as well as emojis at the title, which are also visible in the file manager. However, one should not be distracted from the essentials. The more articles there are, the more confusion emojis could cause.  

Linking with other apps

Within an article, information from other apps can be accessed. For example, diagrams from the Sales module, among others, can be added to the current article without a complicated procedure. To do this, go to the Sales module and select the display type (e.g.: pie chart, bar chart) for a corresponding chart that is to be displayed. Then you can select under the field "Favorites" that the diagram should be transferred completely into an article. You can then select where the diagram should also be stored, as in a file manager. The diagram then appears in the desired article. It is also possible to adjust the display format, colors and other settings later in the article itself.
Furthermore, the link with other apps is useful in that we can create templates for potential e-mail templates in the Knowledge module. It is possible to use these afterwards for our own email marketing without any problems. Likewise, the app can also be used for description texts, as they are necessary in tickets or tasks.

Shared work

Each set entry can be shared with everyone or only with certain people. It is also possible to assign different rights to a document, e.g. "Viewer: in", "Collaborator: in", etc. So you can also work together with other people on the same project. This promotes an agile way of working within one's own company. However, this feature is not limited to internal communication, but articles can also be shared with our customers who use the Odoo ERP system.
Another helpful feature is the chat function to quickly exchange short concerns directly within Odoo 16. As with tickets or tasks, however, public messages, internal notes can also be written as usual. The possibility of activity assignment is also not left out here. 
It is possible to see who has worked on a file the last time and when. Thus, in case of ambiguities or changes, one can directly address the corresponding person.

Filter options to find the best solution as quickly as possible

For this purpose we go to the "Search" tab created in the upper menu. Now we can use various filter criteria to find the items we are looking for on a specific topic.
The process is similar to the one in the Project module. It is possible to search for different Or or subfolders, titles, single words or favorites.

The most important advantages of the Knowledge module in Odoo 16

Easy handling allows access for everyone. There is no need for an eternally long introduction to the use of the module. The Knowledge Module makes it possible to map the entire information, processes and data of an organization in a uniform database. Even more so in the ERP system Odoo - all in one! The overall clear structure enables an extraordinarily useful knowledge management. With good data maintenance, transparency and agility in the company are still ensured. From now on, teams can also work together on projects within the Odoo 16 platform. No further platform is required for the joint creation and editing of documents. This results in a significant simplification in communication. Finally, it is also possible to work across apps in an uncomplicated way, so that links can also be created within several projects, if necessary.  

Are you looking for an ERP system that provides the ideal basis for integrating uniform knowledge management in modern business processes? Contact us now, we will be happy to help you!

Sources: www.odoo.com, www.zehnplus.ch