The wiki, an internet-based tool for knowledge management, has been valued for the speed it can be deployed and its relative simplicity of use. Wikipedia first comes to mind when we hear the word wiki but there are actually many ways in which a wiki may be employed within the business to support diverse business streams. Here are some of the examples information and knowledge sharing can be facilitated by an Enterprise Wiki:

1. Sales – An Enterprise Wiki is a good way to share info in the sales force and to other departments that need valuable sales info.

2. Project Communication – Although it hasn’t got Gantt charts andall the bells and whistles of full on project management software, wikis are a very effective way to control the communication crucial to project success.

3. Learning – Wikis may contain training material that will help employees reinforce or upgrade abilities and knowledge.

4. Internal Communication – Enterprise Wikis are now used extensively as a primary way of communication and knowledge sharing in an organisation.

5. Consumer Service – One of the first uses of wikis was to provide online support for consumers. This feature eventually developed the wiki as a means of talking with customers and gathering their inputs for product and process improvement.

6. Process Documentation – A wiki is the best repository of information for compliance and certification (e.g. ISO 9001 for Quality Management or BS25999 for Business Continuity Management.

7. Staff Handbook – An organization’s wiki is an ideal place to provide general-use information to an internal audience. For example, the human resources section might publish the employee manual on the wiki. Pages containing mission, vision, policies and procedures would only be editable by HR staff, but employees could use the comment feature to ask non-confidential questions, get clarifications, or suggest improvements.

Enterprise Scorecard is an integrated management system that has a built in wiki to provide staff with easily accessible documentation that outlines policies, people, values, and processes. One source of controlled documentation is needed, and the Wiki provides a convenient way for our customers to make and maintain their business manuals, guaranteeing that their users always have accessibility to the one, definitive, and agreed upon document. This is essential for compliance with the ISO 9001 standard for Quality Management systems, and other ISO management system standards.

Enterprise wikis are a standard feature of the Enterprise Scorecard.