Every business, company, employee, or employer feels the need to access a central knowledge base to understand in-depth functioning and standard operating procedures. The real challenge comes when this knowledge base is inaccurate, outdated, inaccessible, or inefficient.
It is essential to maintain an efficient method of knowledge transfer to create an ecosystem of knowledge between dealers and OEMs. In this blog we will be discussing the role of knowledge base, challenges faced by OEMs and dealers in its maintenance, and the latest trends that are being adopted by the aftermarket industry.
What is Knowledge Base Management?
Knowledge base management refers to the efficient methods followed by an organization to maintain and organize their knowledge that is carried out and maintained for the internal team. With such a system in place, it becomes easier for technicians to collaborate and work together efficiently.
Whenever a new technician or an employee is hired, the knowledge base is an efficient way to smoothen the process of onboarding and ease the process without investing much valuable time. It also helps the existing team to collaborate, share ideas, and take collective decisions based on the existing information.
Challenges Faced by Dealers and OEMs Due to Lack of Knowledge Base
1. Outdated Technology
Employees or technicians usually have their own internal systems or methods of transferring knowledge. But often this method is not flexible and has several loopholes that restrict it in multiple ways. Internal methods of knowledge transfer might be restricted to certain repositories and lack the necessary features to stay relevant over the years.
2. Knowledge Transfer Through Employees
Many dealerships and technicians often face the problem of non-cooperation by senior technicians, as knowledge-sharing might not seem like the best use of their time and skills. Knowledge management initiatives are most often not very successful as technicians fail to document their knowledge. Most technicians are busy doing the task at hand and do not prioritize knowledge transfer.
3. Time Constraints
Most technicians have enough work to take care of during the day that makes it next to impossible to adjust knowledge transfer in it. When an important project’s deadline is around the corner, the technicians would prefer completing the task in hand, as transferring knowledge cannot be done with time limitations.
4. Incapable to Transition
In most cases, the higher management is slow at adapting or integrating new changes into their working style. In the case of little to no action on the knowledge management process by the higher management or the rigidity to adapt to new changes can make the process ineffective.
5. Inaccessible Format of Transferring Knowledge
Technicians follow their own methods of knowledge transfer that are less effective and practical in this era. It is highly inaccessible and exists in a format that is not easily searchable. Often, in times of need, technicians have to depend on other experienced co-workers rather than flipping through the pages of an old knowledge management system in place.
Top Trends in Knowledge Base Management
1. Increased Investment in Security
Security and privacy have become the top-most priorities of every business due to increased digitization. As OEMs and dealers have to handle sensitive client data, it became essential for them to invest better in security.
Businesses are investing in knowledge base systems that are secure and have end-to-end encryption. OEMs have also been opting for knowledge base systems that abide by the data protection laws of their respective regions. This increases their credibility from a customer’s perspective.
2. Integration of AI
Knowledge base software has seen a rapid transition since the integration of machine learning and AI. Through AI, dealerships and OEMs are able to analyze large data and make data-driven decisions. Besides decision-making and knowledge transfer, AI has proven beneficial in other activities, including inventory management, stock prediction, repair prediction, and much more.
3. Cloud Solutions
With real-time access to data, OEMs and dealers can stay updated and collaborate regardless of the distance. This method of knowledge transfer, unlike the traditional methods, has been fruitful in eliminating the need for constant printing and manual delivery like traditional methods of knowledge transfer. Cloud has been particularly beneficial for OEMs that need to scale, as cloud systems are highly adaptive and adaptable to expansion.
4. Using Data-Driven Analytics
As mentioned above, leveraging analytics through a knowledge base software has been highly beneficial for both OEMs as well as dealerships through better decision-making. The insights drawn from these analytics are then used to make informed decisions and save time.
For example, if a customer comes in with a problem with their product, the technician enters the symptoms or the exact problems into the knowledge base system and finds the possible problems that could be wrong with the product. This helps in faster diagnostics and saves time.
5. Mobile Access
With mobiles being the most accessible device that needs little to no introduction for a new employee, knowledge base systems have been modified to be mobile-friendly. Being remotely accessible means all possible geographical restrictions are eliminated and every team member can access information from anywhere.
Mobile accessibility also enhances user-friendliness in terms of design and usability. This has tremendously increased the chances of expanding business and increasing customer convenience through doorstep service features.
In Conclusion
As the manufacturing and digitization eras are colliding, more efficient methods of knowledge transfer are coming into existence. With the right use of knowledge base management systems, several businesses have opened their doors to expansion and paved the way for other industries to follow. The recent trends in this sector have not just promoted growth but have also enhanced security, workflow, and efficiency.
Most OEMs and dealers have benefited from the emerging knowledge base management trends and have seen better customer retention. The future of the aftermarket ecosystem is yet to see several trends that will create more efficient methods of collaborating and creating a productive ecosystem for the industry.