I have had the privilege of working with some very large well-known businesses in Australia. For the most part, they usually have great systems in place to capture and share knowledge and lots of systems people looking after those systems. As a small business, I have found that it can be a bit more challenging.
Knowledge is often one of the most underutilised assets. While many teams are full of experienced individuals with rich insights, that expertise often remains locked away — or shared informally, inconsistently, or not at all.
But what if you could transform that internal knowledge into a competitive advantage?
The Problem: Knowledge-Rich, Process-Poor
Most small to medium sized businesses don’t lack knowledge—they struggle with the systems and processes to capture, organise, and share it. This results in:
- Repeated mistakes or reinventing the wheel
- Onboarding that takes longer than necessary
- Lost knowledge when key employees leave
- Missed opportunities to improve operations and customer service
So how do you fix it?
The Solution: Use Your LMS as a Knowledge Hub
A Learning Management System isn’t just for formal training—it can be a dynamic knowledge-sharing platform that supports user-generated content and social learning.
Informal training and day-to-day knowledge-sharing between employees—and between team leaders and their teams—already happens in most workplaces. These spontaneous interactions often include quick tips, process walkthroughs, and problem-solving insights that are incredibly valuable. The challenge is capturing that informal learning in a way that’s accessible to everyone.
While tools like SharePoint and OneDrive are sometimes used for this purpose, they come with limitations:
- SharePoint often has rigid folder structures controlled by administrators, making it difficult for everyday users to contribute or update content.
- OneDrive/Google Drive is typically tied to individual users, so shared knowledge can be lost when employees leave or change roles.
- Microsoft Teams (or other chat/meeting tool) – great for an immediate answer from a co-worker but as with OneDrive or Google Drive knowledge is tied to specific employees and is not easily organised or categoried.
By contrast, a collaborative LMS like WorkPlan Learning is designed to democratise knowledge-sharing and informal training, giving all team members—regardless of role—the ability to create and access content within structured, collaborative spaces.
Here’s how to make it work:
Encourage User-Generated Content
Empower employees to create and share what they know—whether it’s a short video on how to handle a specific client request, a checklist for a common process, or a quick tip that saved them time.
This kind of grassroots content:
- Reflects real-world knowledge
- Builds engagement
- Keeps your content fresh and practical
A collaborative LMS like WorkPlan Learning makes it easy for users to upload and share content within secure team environments. This is usually the most difficult for L&D people to accept because of several reasons:
- fear of losing control
- concerns about content quality and accuracy
- resources and time constraints to train people or review and curate the content
- perceived lack of value
I am not suggesting that every employee gets access to create and share content immediately when a collaborative LMS is implemented. There should be processes and policies established. Our clients find it is best to start with specific roles, such as team leaders/managers and subject matter experts.
Foster Social Learning
Not all learning happens through courses. Use your LMS to create forums, discussion groups, and collaborative spaces where employees can:
- Ask questions
- Share stories and experiences
- Solve problems together
Social learning helps break down silos and reinforces your culture of collaboration.
Make Knowledge Easy to Access
All the knowledge in the world won’t help if it’s buried in a hard-to-navigate system. Your LMS should:
- Allow smart tagging and search
- Be mobile-friendly
- Offer personalised dashboards based on team roles or objectives
When knowledge is accessible, it’s actionable—and that’s where the advantage kicks in.
Don’t Let Knowledge Walk Out the Door
Every time an employee leaves or retires without sharing what they know, your business loses a piece of its competitive edge. But when you turn internal expertise into shared learning, you create a resilient, agile organisation that can adapt, improve, and lead.
Want to learn how WorkPlan Learning can help you turn your team’s knowledge into a strategic asset?
Contact us for more information.
Phone: 1300 726 708
Email: contact@workplan.com.au
