By definition a wiki is a “website that allows the easy creation and editing of any number of interlinked web pages via a web browser using a simplified markup language or a WYSIWYG text editor.”. Most people instantly think of the most popular wiki, Wikipedia, but in reality a wiki is an application at heart that can be repurposed for any number of uses.

At the Riddle Brothers we have an internal wiki that we use for just about everything - from our Operations Manual to client information to project management purposes. It is essentially an open repository of knowledge that can be referenced at any time. How would your company benefit from a wiki?

One Common Reference Point

Your wiki is the brain of your business. If you continually update your wiki over time, it can be referred to for absolutely everything. Prior to using a wiki we used various spreadsheets in Google Docs. Over time we had dozens of spreadsheets with different permissions going out to various users. Then new version were created for the new business year and formats changed over time. After our third year of Google Docs we decided to move to the wiki format and it has made life much more simple. We still use Google Docs for a lot of purposes but more for client purposes rather than internal references.

Internal Operations

How many times have you tried to find out how to complete a task, and your co-worker said “go ask Jim, he knows how to handle that”? Your entire division may be relying on the knowledge of one person who may one day decide to leave the company. If you use a wiki you can build up your documentation so your co-worker instead says “look in the operations section of the wiki”. A wiki is a living site that should be updated daily whenever you are completing a new task. You can store server configurations, login credentials (make sure you secure your server and use an encrypted network), human resources documents, and pretty much everything. Every time someone asks you how to do something check to ensure it is available in the wiki. If not then you can add a page and never have to answer the same question twice.

New Employee Training

Hiring a new employee? Have them read through the wiki on their first day. You can include a section for new employees with everything they will need to know about the company in general, as well has how to operate on a day-to-day basis. This works particularly well with office jobs where you are in front of a computer 90% of the day and can access the wiki at all times. You could also keep printed copies on hand although they may quickly become out-dated depending on how well maintained your information is and how routine that positions’ tasks are.

Permissions and Accessibility

If you aren’t using a wiki then you probably use some type of local network for sharing documents that contain this information. Maybe you have a VPN or use Dropbox to sync folders of this information. However if you are keeping internal documentation stored here you are not benefiting from other features of a wiki including version control, page-based permissions, and being able to access the information when outside of your network. Also there are a large number of extensions that can be integrated to cover nearly every common purpose. This is not possible on a local network of files unless you are using a separate application such as a web-based intranet.

Cost Effective

While there are commercially available wikis (usually a paid-hosting suite) the software that powers Wikipedia is available for free (it is open-source). No software licenses means you only have to pay for hosting, the domain, and the cost to have it installed and configured. Most companies will want some branding integration which is also possible with a majority of solutions - some even featuring a full templating system for advanced themes.

Convinced?

As I mentioned we use a wiki for 90% of our internal documentation. I usually have it open in a browser window throughout the day in case I need to refer to it or add something.

If you are interested in finding out more, or would like to get a wiki set up for your company let us know!