What is a Knowledge Base?

A knowledge base (KB) is a published collection of documentation that typically includes answers to frequently asked questions, how-to guides, and troubleshooting instructions, either for public or internal consumption. Its purpose is to make it easy for people to find solutions to their problems without having to ask for help. Additionally, it streamlines the process for those tasked with providing assistance by reducing the volume of questions and ensuring that all important information is held in one place.

Is a Knowledge Base needed?

While ServiceNow's Knowledge Bases are very flexible and useful in lots of contexts, not all scenarios are best fit by one. The setup of a KB is not trivial, so for scenarios that do not require one, you may be better served by another solution. When considering creating a KB, consider the following:

• What kind of knowledge will be stored? A KB is best used for storing information, documentation, and step by step procedures.
• How much knowledge will be stored? ServiceNow KBs can store essentially unlimited articles. However, if you only have a few articles that need to be stored and don't anticipate more in the future, it may not be worth creating a Knowledge Base.
• Who will be accessing the knowledge? In addition to deciding whether a KB is necessary, this information will help you decide whether to create an internal or external KB.

Structure of the Knowledge Base

In order to begin creating your Knowledge Base, first consider what you want to get out of it and who the users will be. You'll need to determine the following things:

• The name of your KBs what content will be in it, and who will have access to it.
• How you'll organize the KB content by topic and category to make the content easy to find. Each KB can have its own multilevel taxonomy that is independent of the other KBs.
• Will the KB be internal or external? Internal KBs are only accessible through ServiceNow to authorized members of your team, while external KBs are accessible to everyone.
• The various views you'll need (for example, one for end users, knowledge managers, network support, or others).
• The various configurable aspects, including:
  
  • Templates for article creators to use for common article types, such as How Tos and FAQs.
  • Processes for receiving feedback on articles and taking action on received feedback. This will help develop your KB on collective experience.

What kind of content goes into a Knowledge Base?

Depending on the type and focus of your KB, you may see fit to add a wide variety of content. Here are some common types of content that would go into a KB:

• Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
• Policies
• Reference articles for Service Desk employees
• Service request forms assistance and guidance
• Standard operating procedures (SOPs)
• User guides
• Release notes
• Quick reference guides
• Lists of available products and services
• Comparisons between available products and services
• Departmentally-specific policies and guidance
• Glossaries of important terms

Who will run the Knowledge Base?

All KBs require one Owner and one or more Manager(s). The Owner is the authoritative voice for the organization and is the primary knowledge manager. This person sets all KB-wide policies and procedures, assigns other Managers, defines category structures, configures who has read-only or contributor status, moves and pins articles, and modifies most fields on the Knowledge Base form.

The Owner must also designate one or more Manager(s). Managers can review and publish articles, depending on the workflow selected, as well as update and organize categories and articles.

Who will be using the Knowledge Base?

KBs can be created to be used by either internal users or by the general public. As an illustrative example, the KB "IT Knowledge" is public-facing and can be accessed via a public landing page, external links, or search engine. Alternatively, the KB "ServiceNow /ITSM" is only meant for IT Services and University employees, and can only be accessed when logged into ServiceNow. Choosing an internal or external KB is one of the most important decisions to make when setting up a KB.

Who will be contributing to the Knowledge Base?

When establishing a KB, it's also important to think about who will be writing and editing KB articles. Each KB's owner has the ability to define this functionality.

Which workflow will the Knowledge Base use?

There are two workflows available to select for your KB. Instant Publish allows contributors to publish their own KB articles, not requiring the KB manager's approval. Approval Publish allows contributors to "Request Publication" and the KB manager or owner must approve it.

How to get started

If a KB is right for your purposes, simply comment at the bottom of this article with your interest. We'll be in touch within 3 business days.