Knowledge (retrieval) is Power

"The ability to preserve knowledge is nothing without the ability to retrieve it. Retrieval is power".

The preservation of knowledge for reuse is the backbone of a businesses' ability to compete. Every action we take and problem we solve creates knowledge. Insight is a byproduct of living.

Today we have an array of tools that can capture knowledge the moment it is created. Platforms like Salesforce and SharePoint make it possible to generate reusable documentation as we are addressing business issues.
The trick is how do we find the right information at the right time? The power and potential of knowledge is only realized when it can be quickly retrieved. The value of knowledge diminishes if it is difficult to find.

It is here that having a scheme to organize knowledge is helpful. Categorizing information based upon an agreed hierarchy of  terms is essential. A technical word for this scheme is taxonomy. Taxonomies organize concepts and the terms used to describe them in a consistent manner. It is important to create taxonomies based upon the perspectives and knowledge of the end user. The terms used must make sense to the end user. Terms requiring special knowledge or training foreign to the target audience are not great candidates for inclusion in the taxonomy.

When content is captured it can be tagged with established taxonomic terms known as meta data. Most platforms allow users to filter searches based upon this meta data expediting the speed of knowledge retrieval.

For a deeper dive regarding taxonomies checkout:

• The Accidental Taxonomist