Trainual: Our Knowledge Base

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Overview

Why this knowledge base exists Cornett is growing. As a creative agency, we know just how powerful and unique the creative process is. No two projects are the same! But beyond the creative work, businesses are built on systems, and there are a lot of proprietary processes and repetitive motions within this business that need to be documented somewhere as we grow. A knowledge base is a place where we document policies, processes and procedures for everything we do from simple things like requesting time off, to complex things like building a website.

• There are a number of reasons why we, as a growing agency, need a knowledge base:
  • It creates a singular vision for how things should be run. We can have separate opinions on politics, favorite fonts and whether or not pineapple goes on pizza. But one thing we cannot be divided on is the Cornett way and how we serve our clients.
  • Because people retire, resign, and get promoted. And when they do, we don’t want any knowledge to get lost. No one person should ever be the gatekeeper for important info.
  • Unlike humans, it can be referenced and searched on-demand – even on Saturdays or when someone is on vacation!
  • It improves the onboarding experience for new employees. By having our onboarding procedures documented, they’ll be evergreen, which saves us time and ensures that we don’t accidentally leave anything out.

The difference between a policy, process and procedure

• Policy - A governing law, philosophy or principle of action within an organization
• Process - A series of actions or steps taken in order to achieve a particular end.
• Procedure - An established or official way of doing something.

Think of it like this: A car is a process. Everything under the hood is a procedure. Policies are the rules of the road.

Dos & Donts for Creating a Knowledge Base

• DO involve everyone on the team. Everyone will have an account, and everyone can contribute to creating a robust knowledge base. Because let’s face it – we should all be excited about growing this agency.

• DON’T let perfection get in the way of getting it done. As we’re building this thing out, it may be tempting to wait until we have a clear schedule to get started, but instead, just get started. You can refine your processes later. In fact, sometimes the best way to get started is to record a video on the fly, then come back later when you have more time and write it out step-by-step.

• DON’T just use video. Make it searchable by listing out the steps for each procedure using keywords that someone may search if they’re looking for information.

• DO keep it up-to-date. Everyone, especially department leaders, should revisit our processes and procedures a few times throughout the year to make sure they’re current.

• DO use video, audio, illustrations, screencaps, attachments, or anything else you need to add clarity to your processes and procedures. Draw arrows, use tools like Loom for video screensharing, and add photos to break up the text. And speaking of…

• DO use emojis and gifs! Make it fun! 🦄