Key Takeaways
- Knowledge management rarely fails because knowledge is missing – it fails because that knowledge isn't available in the right context
- 78% of companies regularly lose important knowledge, even though systems are in place
- Up to 35% of working time is lost to inefficient information searches
- Modern knowledge management software connects content across systems and makes knowledge directly usable
You improve knowledge management in your company by not just storing knowledge, but making it usable in the right context. What matters most is connected information, powerful search, clear structures, and the targeted use of modern knowledge management software.
Knowledge management has long been established in most companies. Documentation exists, knowledge management tools are in use, and information is being captured. Yet day-to-day reality often looks different: information can't be found, knowledge goes unused, and decisions take longer than necessary.
Studies* show that while 92% of companies practice knowledge management, only 65% rate it as truly efficient. This highlights a central challenge: knowledge exists, but it's often not usable at the moment it's needed.
This article is aimed at companies that need to manage growing complexity in their knowledge management – in particular:
- Industrial companies with distributed documentation systems
- Organizations with a high share of technical or regulatory knowledge
- Teams that need to bring together information from multiple systems
Why Doesn't Knowledge Management Work in Many Companies?
The problem is rarely a lack of knowledge. Far more often, what's missing is the context in which that knowledge can be used. Why tools and documentation alone aren't enough is explained in the article Knowledge Management Is Not the Same as Documentation.
Typical challenges include:
- Knowledge is spread across different systems
- Content isn't linked together
- relevant information is hard to find
- knowledge remains tied to individual people
On top of that, there's a structural problem:
78% of companies regularly lose important knowledge, and 69% see this as a noticeable impairment to their processes. At the same time, 61% have no clearly defined knowledge management strategy.
The result is a familiar pattern: knowledge exists – but it has no effect.
How Can Knowledge Management Be Improved in Practice?
Improving knowledge management sustainably depends on several key levers. These don't work in isolation – they work together.
- Provide knowledge in the right context
Knowledge only realizes its value when it's available at the right moment. Employees don't need entire documents – they need exactly the information required for their current task.
What matters here:
- Content must be linked together
- Information should be organised around roles and processes
- Knowledge must be available directly within the work context
- Break down knowledge silos and connect systems
In many companies, knowledge is fragmented. It exists across different systems, departments, and formats.
Typical examples include:
- Document management systems
- Collaboration tools
- Specialist applications
- individual file stores
The challenge is connecting these information islands and making knowledge accessible across systems, without having to replace existing systems.
- Deliberately improve information search
Search is one of the biggest levers in knowledge management. When information is found quickly, its use increases automatically.
Real-world figures show:
- up to 35% less time spent searching for information
- significantly reduced search times in everyday work
- faster, better-informed decisions
Modern approaches rely on semantic search and intelligent linking, rather than just classic full-text search.
- Make knowledge independent of individual people
A significant share of knowledge is created in day-to-day work and often stays tied to individual employees.
This leads to:
- Knowledge loss when employees leave or are absent
- Dependencies within the team
- longer onboarding times
The goal is to systematically capture experiential knowledge and make it available across the company.
- Use tools purposefully instead of just adding more
Many companies invest in new tools – but more systems don't automatically lead to better knowledge management.
While it's true that:
- 68% of companies use collaboration tools
- 55% use document management systems*
knowledge management still often remains inefficient because knowledge isn't connected.
The decisive difference isn't the number of tools, but how well knowledge is connected.
Which Measures Improve Knowledge Management the Fastest?
The most important steps at a glance:
- Structure knowledge systematically
- Link content together
- Optimize information search
- Break down knowledge silos
- Define responsibilities
- Use suitable software
A typical scenario:
A service technician is looking for specific instructions for a product variant. The information exists, but it's spread across multiple systems. Instead of finding the right answer in a few seconds, he spends several minutes searching or asking colleagues.
Multiply this effort across many employees, and the productivity losses become substantial.
What Role Does AI Play in Knowledge Management?
Artificial intelligence is becoming increasingly important in knowledge management. Above all, companies expect it to make information more usable.
In fact, 89% of companies see AI having a positive impact on their knowledge management.*
AI enables, among other things:
- smarter search
- automatic linking of content
- context-aware delivery of knowledge
This makes knowledge easier to find and directly usable.
What Measurable Benefits Does Improved Knowledge Management Bring?
Companies that deliberately improve their knowledge management benefit not just organizationally, but economically as well.
Typical effects include:
- up to 35% less time spent searching for information
- up to 30% faster onboarding of new employees
- over €119,000 in annual capacity gains for a team of 75 employees
These figures clearly show that knowledge management is a measurable productivity factor.
How Do Companies Concretely Benefit from Better Knowledge Management?
Beyond the numbers, the benefits also show up in practice. Companies report, above all, better usability and availability of knowledge.
“The high usability of the digital environment and the flexibility it offers our authoring team convinced us right from the start.”
Henning Rethage
Head of Corporate Reporting & Policy Issues
Bertelsmann SE & Co. KGaA
“Our customers find information exactly when they need it – simply, quickly, and in context.”
Andrea Scheck
IT Applications Specialist at Metrohm AG
What Role Does Modern Knowledge Management Software Play?
Modern knowledge management software addresses these central challenges directly. It connects content from different systems and ensures that knowledge is available in the right context.
Unlike classic solutions, it's no longer just about storage – it's about the actual use of knowledge.
Solutions like the knowledge management software JUNOfy follow exactly this approach: knowledge is connected across systems and made usable directly within the work context.
JUNOfy was built specifically for companies that need to make knowledge from different systems usable – without replacing existing IT structures.
The focus is on:
- cross-system connectivity
- context-aware use
- fast availability of knowledge in day-to-day work
How Do You Know Your Knowledge Management Is Working?
Knowledge management that works shows up in everyday life, not just in systems or processes.
Typical signs include:
- Information is found quickly
- fewer follow-up questions within the team
- Decisions are made faster
- Errors occur less often
- new employees become productive faster
Conclusion
Improving knowledge management doesn't mean creating more content or introducing additional tools. It means organising knowledge so it can be used at the right moment. The decisive question, then, is: can your employees access knowledge exactly when they need it?
Make Knowledge Usable at the Right Moment
Many companies already have extensive knowledge. The difference lies in whether that knowledge actually gets used. With JUNOfy, you connect knowledge across systems and deliver it exactly where it's needed – structured, contextual, and instantly usable.
See how modern knowledge management works in practice.
* “Knowledge Management in Transition – A Study on the Current Handling of Knowledge in German-Speaking Companies in the Age of Artificial Intelligence,” Fraunhofer Austria
