Knowledge base vs Knowledge Ops Platform: Similarities & Differences

Written by Rebecca Lane | Sep 8, 2023 11:48:00 PM

When it comes to managing your company knowledge, there are a lot of software solutions available.

It’s difficult to know which one will work best for your company and which ones you need to spend time researching further.

Two powerful software solutions are a knowledge base and a knowledge ops platform. Most likely, you’ve heard of a knowledge base before, but a knowledge ops platform is new.

So, how do the two platforms compare? And which should you use for your business?

Working for ScreenSteps — a knowledge ops solution that works both as a knowledge base and knowledge ops platform — I’ve learned the nuances that make these knowledge management tools different.

Dive into the details below to better understand the similarities and differences between a knowledge base and knowledge ops platform. Then see the “Which should I choose?” section to help you identify reasons you should choose each.

Knowledge base

Knowledge base software is a cloud-based system that centralizes all of your company information and resources. You can create, store, and share your resources from one location.

It is a one-stop shop for where your employees and/or customers can access answers 24/7. With a knowledge base, you can seamlessly share information across your organization.

The goal of a knowledge base is to improve employee performance by providing easy-to-access guides at your employees’ fingertips. A well-maintained knowledge base that has high usage often leads to reduced employee mistakes, increased productivity, and increased employee performance metrics.

Knowledge ops platform

A knowledge ops platform is software that helps you manage and transfer knowledge more efficiently. It does this by providing tools to help with employee support and employee training.

Similar to knowledge base software, a knowledge ops platform centralizes all of your company information into a centralized hub. Overall, a knowledge ops platform does everything that a knowledge base does with additional training resources.

Ultimately, the goal with a knowledge ops platform is to operationalize your organizational knowledge. It helps you share complex knowledge with your users so that they can handle any procedure on their own, no matter how complex.

Quick comparison table: Knowledge base vs knowledge ops platform

Short on time? Here’s a quick summary of how a knowledge base and knowledge ops platform compare.

It’s important to note that a knowledge ops platform has all the features and benefits of a knowledge base plus additional features to help transfer knowledge faster and more efficiently.

For more details, read further in the article.

	Knowledge Base	Knowledge Ops Platform
Purpose	Create documentation Centralize documentation and make it searchable Help employees when they get stuck or can’t remember something	Everything in a KB + Store interactive checklists and decision trees Store self-paced courses Guide employees in their daily tasks, not just when they are stuck Onboard employees in less time Reduce questions to supervisors Improve compliance and consistency
Problem it solves	Scattered documentation Documentation that can’t be found	Everything in KB + Reliance on tribal knowledge Supervisor overload Inconsistecny in procedures Employee independence Long onboarding times High attrition rates
Use Cases	Knowledge hub Self-service answer to questions and simple how-tos Documentation tool Customer help desk Employee help desk	Everything in KB + Employee onboarding Customer onboarding Self-service guides for complex procedures Self-service guides for troubleshooting Change management Process optimization
What it stores	Digital guides How-tos Reference guides Policies Procedures	Digital Guides Everything in KB + Interactive checklists Decision trees (complex procedures, troubleshooting guides) Foundational courses (videos or text)
Features	Article creation and formatting Interactive elements (i.e. foldable sections, links, etc.) Image and video embedding User analytics	Same as knowledge base + Decision trees Interactive checklists Content certification Browser extension Courses
Benefits	Centralizes information in one location Provide 24/7 support to employees	Same as knowledge base + Decreases onboarding time Simplifies the work environment Aligns training and operations Increases employee confidence and independence Provide consistent customer support Increase productivity Makes remote work easier

Which should you choose?

Which software you choose is really according to which problem(s) you are trying to solve.

So do you need a knowledge base or a knowledge ops platform?

Use this summary to help you decide.

When to choose a knowledge base

If your only problem is you need to document your policies and procedures in a centralized location, then a knowledge base will be sufficient for what you need.

Or if you just need a centralized place where your employees can go when they are stuck, then a knowledge base will work for that.

When to choose a knowledge ops platform

If knowledge transfer or relying on tribal knowledge is your problem, then you are looking for a solution that goes beyond a knowledge base’s scope. You need a knowledge ops platform.

This could mean you have a training issue (i.e. it takes too long to train employees and it takes a long time for them to reach proficiency).

If you have complex procedures, need to troubleshoot problems, or have complicated decision trees, then a knowledge ops platform will better help you navigate the complexities.

You need more than software — get a solution

Both a knowledge base and knowledge ops platform are powerful tools. The thing is just getting new software isn’t going to solve your training and employee performance issues.

You need a complete solution.

While we consider ScreenSteps a knowledge ops platform, it can also function as a knowledge base. ScreenSteps is a knowledge ops solution. It is a big-picture answer to your knowledge transfer problem.

Our knowledge ops platform provides you a single source of truth while also providing you a space to train your employees. That means solving your knowledge transfer problems with one software, plus the appropriate frameworks.

Companies that use ScreenSteps have achieved onboarding new hires 85%, cross-training employees faster, and increasing employee performance metrics.

Want to see ScreenSteps in action?

Watch the demo videos to see how the ScreenSteps software works.

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