wiki or knowledge base

[CarloF]

We love using Google products but are facing a challenge organizing our knowledge base. 

Right now everything is saved in a Shared Google Drive and we put them on Google Sites.

Some of the drawbacks are multiple tabs open and search not being so great. I am curious if anyone has a solution to this. 

We want to keep everything in Google and not use alternatives like Notion.

[bmcdowell]

I have the same challenges. I think Google needs to add more features to Spaces. I would like to add links to other applications and my only option is to add it to a chat. Google please take some tips from Teams. 

[CarloF]

When comparing Google's offerings to other in the marketplace (specifically Microsoft Loop and Notion) it lacks critical features and take 3-4 tabs to do 1 thing that you can in those other programs. If they can keep it in 1 tab with breadcrumbs with a sidebar that would be more than enough. 

[bmcdowell]

It looks like are starting to get what we asked for.

https://workspaceupdates.googleblog.com/2024/03/access-and-sort-shared-files-in-google-chat-space.ht...

[DraztheNerd]

Google is good about responding to users if  enough of us express the need for a feature. 

[DraztheNerd]

Have you ever thought about using Google's Blogger APP to share and sort files? You can use posts, pages, and a hash tagging system to categorize files. This also makes using the bloggers search engine to easily find a topic or file discussed in a post. 

[bmcdowell]

I do like what Blogger has to offer. I am looking for something more internal like spaces but I would like a few additional feature for organization and the ability to post links under the files not just the chat.

[DraztheNerd]

I understand and Blogger does have limitations such as limiting to 100 members for a private blog.

Another Google APP I've used for sharing files in an organized manner is  Google Keep  The keep search engine works well as long as labels are used. I also like the ability of housing the keep APP within both GMAIL & Google Calendar. This makes it so easy to access and view files.

[CarloF]

They just need to have everything stop opening in so many tabs and keep the menu in google drive apparent in whatever you are working on. Make Google Drive the Wiki/knowledge base and when you open something it opens in Drive. 

Also, they should have it work in Chat where you prompt Gemini/duet for info and it searches your drive.

[MercianMadge]

Im my own humble opinion, I consider Google Drive to be an invaluable
resource for "file storage" and "file sharing". Like all the Google tools,
it's simplicity enables the user to interpret how it best suits their
needs, and use it as they see fit. However, some see this as a single
solution, rather than part of a broader integrated set of tools, which
comprises Google Workspace. Ergo, transitioning from legacy methods of
"storage" to "knowledge management", is often much more complex for them,
as they are not aware of how or why such integration exits. Ultimately,
frustrations ensue because the single solution fails to meet their
expectations, typically because it is not being used in the manner for
which it was designed. Should you encounter such frustrations, one option
is to revisit the suite of tools within Google Workspace, and consider if
integrations are being used appropriately for your needs. This often helps
improve the entirety of a "knowledge management strategy", rather than
focusing on percieved functionality misgivings in a single solution,
whereby user interpretation and expectation can be maligned with the actual
purpose of the solution.

Obviously, this is my personal opinion, which I hope is of some use moving
your own "knowledge management strategy" forward.

[sparkkz]

Thats a lot of words to basically just say 'You're using it wrong'. Since the problem has been fairly succinctly described (the need for a wiki or knowledge base) and you obviously know a lot about Google products, are you able to suggest any way of using the available tools that would help us achieve what we are looking for?

[CarloF]

While I agree with your opinion it is not going to work as a strategy for Google in 2024. Its just tab overload if you have a lot of content.

Search in Google Drive is great but it is not as intuitive as let's say Notion's AI

https://www.notion.so/help/guides/get-answers-about-content-faster-with-q-and-a

In 2024 we are expecting AI to give us an answer based on our own content and share the data with us.  

Google can easily do this with in Google Chat and give us the information based on our data. 

[MercianMadge]

Perhaps if you could share a specific use case of both your current and desired methods, it would help in determining the specific challenges that are not already satisfied by Google Workspace.  

Your original post suggests your current method of "knowledge management" is to place files on Google drive and share them on Google Sites.  Whilst this may suffice for some SMB's, this is not a "knowledge management strategy" I would endorse. 

I offer that "knowledge" has two parts.  One being the comprehensive element, and the other, meta data that describes that content. Typically, a knowledge management strategy employs the meta data, not the comprehensive element, as part of the retrieval process.  Moreover, such knowledge is further abstracted to deliver Key Quality Indicators (KQI) and Key Performance Indicators (KPI) amongst others, for managerial summary and review. 

Ergo, a use case of your current and desired methods will help in understanding your definition of "knowledge management", and where you are in the development of your knowledge management strategy.  Ultimately, this may help in requirements determination for future product enhancement, or internal Continual Service Improvement.

HTH

[DraztheNerd]

As MercianMadge pointed out a lot is dependent upon what one perceives as the characteristics for an effective knowledge. I do agree most of the Google APPs can fall into this window. Perhaps part of the problem is sometimes user don't access all the features of a Google APP. Such as if drive was used as the knowledge base then one may want to add detail to both the folders, subfolders and files being used.  Details may be added to a file or folder by using the following steps:

1. On your computer, go to drive.google.com.
2. On the left click My Drive.
3. In the upper right, click Info .
4. To access recent changes, click Details.
5. To access the details of a specific file or folder, click the file or folder.
6. To add a description, Scroll down to the description section and describe what the file, sub file or file is about.

[CarloF]

We bit the bullet and used google sites and put everything in plain text and collapsible modules. It’s just easier to manage than a bunch of docs. I’m shocked Google doesn’t expand on Google sites functionality. It actually makes perfect sense, you can embed Google sheets for project tracking, Google forms for PTO, Google calendar, etc