All about knowledge management

Les connaissances que doivent maîtriser les conseillers se multiplient, alors que les attentes de réactivité des clients s'intensifient. En effet, 72 % des clients souhaitent un service immédiat lorsqu'ils contactent une entreprise. Près de la moitié d’entre eux attend une réponse du service client en quatre heures ou moins. Et 12 % indiquent vouloir une réponse dans les 15 minutes, selon SuperOffice.

Avec une stratégie de knowledge management, comprenant une base de connaissance, le conseiller peut gagner en productivité et en temps. Mais comment cela fonctionne-t-il exactement ? Qu'est-ce que le Knowledge Management, en réalité ?

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What is knowledge management?

Le Knowledge Management, ou gestion de la connaissance en français, combine les concepts de "knowledge" (connaissance) et "management" (gestion). La connaissance représente l'état de l'esprit de celui qui connaît et discerne. Elle se construit et évolue à travers un cycle de vie : de la donnée à l'information, de l'information à la connaissance, et de la connaissance à la compétence.

Le management, quant à lui, désigne un ensemble de pratiques visant à assurer la bonne organisation d'une structure. Ainsi, le Knowledge Management consiste à mettre en place des pratiques pour organiser au mieux la connaissance au sein d'une entreprise.

Cela inclut :

  1. Identify knowledge
  2. Analyze knowledge
  3. Organizing knowledge
  4. Memorize knowledge
  5. Sharing knowledge
Image credit: Mayday

La gestion de la connaissance centralise, harmonise et diffuse toute la connaissance de l’entreprise, visant à en faire une source unique de vérité pour tous les collaborateurs.

Depuis 2020, la gestion des connaissances est devenue une priorité dans les services clients pour améliorer la performance.

Plus récemment, lors du Gala de l’Expérience client, L'agora des Directeurs de la Relation et de l'Expérience Client a révélé que le choix prioritaire des directions de la relation client en 2024 pour alimenter l'efficacité opérationnelle est à 60 % le knowledge management.

En effet, une information centralisée et facilement accessible permet aux conseillers de fournir les bonnes informations au bon moment, augmentant ainsi la satisfaction des clients et l'efficacité opérationnelle des équipes.

En résumé, le Knowledge Management est essentiel pour toute organisation souhaitant optimiser ses ressources intellectuelles, améliorer son service client et dynamiser l'efficacité et la productivité de ses équipes, quel que soit le secteur.

The rise of knowledge management

Un simple constat permet d’expliquer la nécessité, et donc l’essor du Knowledge Management : nous sommes tous confrontés à une quantité d’informations considérables, dont les sources sont diverses (supports écrits, oraux, vidéos, connaissances issues des individus, etc.)
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Auparavant au sein des organisations, la connaissance était souvent détenue par quelques personnes considérées comme des experts ou des “sachants” par leurs performances ou leurs années d’expérience, rendant difficile sa transmission aux autres en raison d’une rareté et d’une absence de formalisation.
Des années 1950 et jusqu’aux années 1990, de nombreux efforts ont été déployés pour optimiser la diffusion et la formalisation de la connaissance au sein des entreprises, originairement très cloisonnées, et réparties en silos dans différents départements. D’abord par la création de systèmes experts, applications conçues pour modéliser le raisonnement humain, la gestion des connaissances en tant que telle s’est par la suite surtout développée avec l’apparition des premiers systèmes d’aide à la décision.
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C’est dans les années 80 que Peter Drucker est le premier à employer le terme Knowledge Management. Pour le théoricien, l’enjeu du Knowledge Management est d’accompagner intelligemment les activités de l’entreprise afin de l’aider à maximiser son efficacité et à innover.
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Aujourd’hui, cela se traduit pour les entreprises en un besoin de centraliser leurs connaissances pour que celles-ci puissent être répertoriées dans un unique format et partagées à l’ensemble des collaborateurs au bon endroit au bon moment. 

De cette manière, les connaissances deviennent un atout précieux pour les organisations ou départements intensément axés sur le savoir, tels que la Direction de la Relation Client, la Direction Commerciale, ou la DSI.

Le Knowledge Management joue un rôle crucial en augmentant la productivité des collaborateurs, en assurant la qualité et les niveaux de service, en maximisant la montée en compétences et la formation, et en améliorant l'expérience des collaborateurs.

The arrival of knowledge empowerment

Product, price and salary are no longer enough. Now, more than ever, companies need to differentiate themselves from their competitors through the customer and employee experience.

The best way to do this is to make better use of an asset they already have, but which they rarely exploit: knowledge.

Indeed, customers need knowledge in order to be fully satisfied. Employees, on the other hand, exploit and deliver knowledge to achieve their mission.

Until 2024, companies implemented knowledge management strategies, which consisted in centralizing, harmonizing and verifying knowledge, making this concept an end in itself. This approach is now obsolete: to make the most of knowledge and place it at the service of employees and customers, you no longer need to lock it up in a knowledge base, but rather ensure that the right knowledge is disseminated in the right place at the right time.

This is where knowledge empowerment comes in, ensuring that knowledge is omnichannel, collaborative, proactive, assimilated and impactful.

The 6 pillars of knowledge empowerment

Knowledge empowerment transcends simple knowledge management by making knowledge intelligent and learning.
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By relying on artificial intelligence and feedback from employees and customers, it is perfected while reducing the effort of administrative teams. This knowledge must be leveraged in every interaction, whether human or technological, and supports omni-channelling by being omniscient, accessible both to employees and in self-service.

Disseminated effectively, it must be rapidly exploitable, accompanied by training mechanisms to become a real skill.

Finally, knowledge must serve the company's strategic challenges, measured by indicators of operational performance, impact on customer relations and team well-being.

Image credit: Mayday


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1. Omnichannelity: knowledge is ubiquitous and accessible through all channels, whether human or technological. It must be easily exploited, both by employees and in self-service for customers.

2. Collaboration: co-construction and knowledge sharing are essential. Feedback from employees and customers continually enriches the company's knowledge, fostering continuous improvement.

3. Proactivity: thanks to automated management of the knowledge lifecycle, the company proactively detects and closes gaps. Artificial intelligence plays a key role in making knowledge self-learning and reducing the effort of administrative teams.

4. Catalyst/innovation: on the advisor side, knowledge acts as a catalyst, offering proactive and relevant suggestions to improve decision-making and the customer experience.

5. Pedagogy: the dissemination of knowledge is accompanied by ongoing training mechanisms, transforming information into real, operational skills for employees.

6. Data-driven: knowledge is measured and steered by performance indicators. It must demonstrate its positive impact on customer relations, operational efficiency and team well-being.

In short, knowledge empowerment, orchestrated by artificial intelligence, becomes a strategic lever that aligns corporate challenges with customer expectations and team needs. It is a true engine of transformation that ensures sustainable and harmonious growth.

Knowledge empowerment transcends simple knowledge management by making knowledge intelligent and learning.
‍
By relying on artificial intelligence and feedback from employees and customers, it perfects itself while reducing the effort of administrative teams. This knowledge must be leveraged in every interaction, whether human or technological, and supports omni-channelling by being omniscient, accessible both to employees and in self-service.

Disseminated effectively, it must be rapidly exploitable, accompanied by training mechanisms to become a real skill.

Finally, knowledge must serve the company's strategic challenges, measured by indicators of operational performance, impact on customer relations and team well-being.

The importance of knowledge management in customer service

Knowledge management plays a crucial role in improving customer service. By centralizing and harmonizing essential information, it enables advisors to quickly and efficiently access the data they need to respond to customers. This structured knowledge management transforms raw information into a usable asset, ensuring that every interaction with the customer is accurate and rewarding.

Knowledge within the company thus becomes a single source of truth.

As you can see, this process aligns people, processes, technologies, structure and corporate culture around a single knowledge base. This ensures that every employee has the information he or she needs to provide high-quality customer service.

The different types of knowledge

Before implementing a knowledge management strategy, it's important to understand the three types of knowledge that exist within a company:
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‍Explicit knowledge: captured, documented and codified, this knowledge is easily transmitted to employees. For example, advisor training manuals and product sheets.
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‍Implicit knowledge: incorporates employees' processes and know-how. Although not always formalized, it represents proven methods and practical solutions to common problems.

‍Tacit knowledge: based on employees' intuition, values and emotions, it is often difficult to capture but essential for authentic, empathetic interactions with customers.

To find out more, feel free to consult our practical guide to applying knowledge management within a customer service department. On the program: step-by-step knowledge management methodology and tips inspired by over 100 customer relations departments!

Customer service benefits: why knowledge management?

Effective knowledge management directly improves customer service performance. It ensures that advisors have the right information at the right time and in the right place, resulting in fast, accurate responses to customer queries.

By making knowledge easily accessible and seamless, Knowledge Management not only enables more effective problem-solving, but also creates more differentiating customer experiences.

‍Incustomer service, Knowledge Management plays a vital role in providing agents with the tools and information they need to resolve customer issues quickly and efficiently. A well-structured knowledge base can contain FAQs, troubleshooting guides and response scripts, helping to standardize responses and improve service quality.

In short, knowledge management makes a significant contribution to team efficiency and productivity by facilitating rapid access to necessary information. It reduces the time spent searching for information, reinventing the wheel or correcting errors due to a lack of knowledge. By centralizing knowledge, teams can collaborate more effectively, share innovative ideas and continually improve their processes and performance.

Knowledge management is now recognized as a key factor in competitiveness and performance in customer services, enabling companies to stand out for the quality of their interactions and customer satisfaction.

The foundations of knowledge management in customer service

The knowledge management process includes the creation, storage, sharing and use of knowledge, ensuring that information is always up-to-date and accessible. To be effective, knowledge management relies on two basic principles.

‍Information sharing culture: encourage a culture where knowledge sharing is valued and integrated into daily practices.

‍Knowledge management technology and tools: use tools to facilitate knowledge management and dissemination (example: knowledge base). Moreover, artificial intelligence (AI) is playing a growing role in automating these processes and improving the efficiency of knowledge management.

Efficacité, rétention et innovation

Comment le knowledge management transforme-t-il le service client ?

As you have understood throughout this article, effective knowledge management enables organizations to :

  1. Preventing the loss of knowledge
  2. Optimizing consultant training 
  3. Promoting a culture of continuous learning

And that's not all! There are many other benefits too...

By optimizing knowledge management and dissemination, companies can also significantly improve operational efficiency, talent retention, customer satisfaction and innovation!

Here's how knowledge management can transform customer services.

The 3 pillars of knowledge management for customer services

The benefits of knowledge management for customer services today fall into three main categories:

‍Operational excellence: operational excellence aims to optimize processes and improve efficiency. Reduced processing times and customer autonomy are key to delivering rapid responses, reducing waiting times and improving the customer experience, while maximizing resources.

‍Employee engagement: employee retention focuses on an organization's ability to retain talent and create a satisfying working environment. Consultant autonomy, supported by a knowledge management system, gives employees easy access to the information they need, boosting their competence and confidence. This fosters their long-term satisfaction and loyalty.

‍Avalue center: knowledge management stimulates innovation by facilitating knowledge sharing. The use of technologies such as artificial intelligence optimizes operations and keeps the organization competitive. Centralized feedback helps identify improvements and develop new products, strengthening the company's position.

Let's look at these benefits of knowledge management in more detail.

Knowledge management = increased operational excellence

On ne vous apprend rien, vous l'avez lu plus haut… L’excellence opérationnelle est un enjeu majeur pour les entreprises aujourd’hui. Grâce au knowledge management, les entreprises peuvent optimiser leurs processus et maximiser l'utilisation de leurs ressources. Voici comment le knowledge management contribue concrètement à atteindre cet objectif :

Faster access to essential information thanks to knowledge management

Customers expect fast, accurate answers. Thanks to knowledge management, customer service agents can quickly access the information they need to answer customers' questions. This reduces waiting time and average handling time (AMT), and improves the customer experience.

Greater customer autonomy with knowledge management

De plus, le knowledge management peut considérablement améliorer l'expérience client (et par conséquent le NPS) en offrant des solutions rapides et précises à leurs besoins. Par exemple, avec un outil de self-service, le taux de contact va baisser, à l’instar de la plateforme Ankorstore qui a réduit son taux de contact de 10 %. Pour en savoir plus sur la stratégie mise en place par la marketplace B2B, découvrez cette étude de cas.

With knowledge management, quality answers are guaranteed

Chatbots and virtual assistants, powered by a well-structured knowledge base, deliver consistent and accurate responses to customers. These tools can handle a large volume of requests, offer 24/7 service, and ensure consistent response quality, thus reinforcing customer satisfaction and empowerment.

Improving talent retention: building loyalty with knowledge management

Knowledge management also plays a crucial role in talent retention, by creating a working environment where employees feel supported and valued. When information is easily accessible and processes clear, employees feel more competent and confident in their work. In addition, professional development opportunities, facilitated by access to a rich knowledge base, contribute to employee satisfaction and retention.

The power of knowledge management: less repetition of questions and problems

An effective knowledge management tool empowers both customers and advisors! When employees have easy access to a comprehensive, up-to-date knowledge base, they can quickly find answers without having to constantly ask their colleagues or superiors. This reduces interruptions and repetitive questions, lowers contact rates, and boosts overall productivity.

Efficient knowledge management reduces training time for new employees

Knowledge management helps to centralize and structure essential information, making the process of training new employees faster and more efficient.

Well-organized databases, online manuals and interactive training modules enable new recruits to quickly familiarize themselves with company procedures and tools. This reduces the time needed to become operational and frees up trainers for other tasks.

For example, thanks to the implementation of the Mayday internal knowledge base, Doctolib was able to reduce training time for new employees by 2 days. AtEdenred, the implementation of Mayday has cut initial training time by 5 days.

Image credit: Mayday

Sharing best practices between teams is encouraged with optimized knowledge management

Knowledge management facilitates the sharing of best practices between teams, fostering a culture of collaboration and continuous learning. Collaborative platforms and cross-team meetings enable innovations and improvements to be disseminated rapidly, ensuring consistent and rapid implementation.

Facilitation de l'innovation et de l'amélioration continue : le knowledge management comme centre de valeur

Le knowledge management encourage l'innovation et l'amélioration continue en facilitant la collecte et le partage des connaissances au sein de l'entreprise. Surtout avec l’émergence de l’intelligence artificielle qui est un catalyseur d’innovation. En effet, l'intelligence artificielle joue un rôle crucial dans l'optimisation des processus de gestion des connaissances, cette démarche devient encore plus puissante et transformative ! Cela permet aux entreprises de rester compétitives et de répondre de manière proactive aux besoins évolutifs de leurs clients.

De plus, les retours d'expérience des clients et des utilisateurs internes sont cruciaux pour stimuler l'innovation et l'optimisation. Un système de knowledge management efficace centralise ces retours, permettant de les analyser pour identifier des domaines d'amélioration et développer de nouveaux produits ou services. Les enquêtes de satisfaction et l'analyse des feedbacks jouent un rôle précieux dans ce processus, aidant les entreprises à rester compétitives et à répondre de manière proactive aux besoins évolutifs de leurs clients.

Pour résumer, le Knowledge Management apporte des bénéfices significatifs aux services client. En améliorant l'efficacité opérationnelle, la rétention des talents, la satisfaction client et l'innovation, le knowledge management permet aux entreprises de rester compétitives et de prospérer dans un environnement dynamique. Investir dans le knowledge management est donc essentiel pour toute organisation souhaitant optimiser ses performances et offrir une expérience client exceptionnelle.