Most of us hate repeating ourselves, especially when we have to answer the same questions repeatedly. Fortunately, there’s a proven method to capture answers to questions and reuse them effectively: creating a single source of truth (SSOT) for your team or company.
What is a single source of truth?
A Single Source of Truth (SSOT) is a knowledge management principle that involves documenting and storing all relevant information and processes in one centralized location. This approach ensures that your team can access the most accurate and up-to-date information, leading to more efficient and effective operations.
Examples of SSOT include are internal wikis, knowledge bases, Customer Relationship Management (CRM) systems, Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) software, project management platforms, and version control systems for software development.
Why your company needs a single source of truth
1. Enhanced Efficiency and Productivity
When information and processes are scattered across different sources, it becomes challenging for team members to find the optimal information for each project.
According to Xenit, a document management platform, 49% of employees reported that they had trouble locating documents.
This prevalent problem can lose organizations that employ 1,000 people roughly $25 million dollars in lost productivity each year.
By consolidating information into a single source of truth, such as an internal wiki, your team will know exactly where to find the right processes for each project, saving valuable time and resources.
2. Improved Collaboration and Alignment
Different departments often use various platforms to store their information, leading to issues in sharing information across departments.
For instance, sales might use Salesforce, engineering might use GitHub, and marketing might use HubSpot. This fragmentation can create information silos, hindering effective collaboration.
According to Blissfully, a SaaS management platform, a typical company between 51-100 people uses 79 different apps.
By investing in a SSOT, you can ensure that all teams document and store their information in one place, making it easier for everyone to access and share knowledge.
This approach enhances the overall data quality and integrity, ensuring that all project teams work with reliable and accurate data models.
3. Reducing Redundant Work
With processes documented in multiple tools, teams may unknowingly recreate documentation that already exists elsewhere. A SSOT helps reference existing documents, shedding light on the information your colleagues need to succeed. Encouraging teams to store their information in a centralized wiki or knowledge base can significantly reduce redundant work and improve the efficiency of project data management.
4. Answering Repetitive Questions
One major benefit of storing information in a single place is the reduction in the number of repetitive questions employees ask.
For instance, Slack discovered that their paid customers spend more than 90 minutes actively messaging their colleagues each workday, many of which are likely questions that could be answered by a well-maintained knowledge base.
By fostering a culture of documentation and making it known that all information and processes are stored in a wiki, you can significantly cut down on these interruptions.
This practice enhances company knowledge and helps in maintaining data integrity across different sources.
5. Smashing Silos and Fostering Collaboration
Teams often operate in silos, focusing solely on their goals without considering the broader company objectives. This can create conflicting agendas.
A SSOT allows teams to better understand each other’s processes and current projects, aligning their efforts to collectively hit company goals.
For example, understanding the demand-generation team’s objectives can help the blog team tailor their content strategy to support overall business goals.
This alignment not only enhances collaboration but also provides actionable insights that can drive business intelligence initiatives.
Implementing a SSOT
Choose the Right Platform
Select a tool that fits your organization’s needs, considering ease of use, integration capabilities with existing systems, and scalability. Internal wikis or knowledge bases are popular choices.
Develop a Culture of Documentation
Encourage team members to regularly document their knowledge and processes.
This cultural shift ensures that your SSOT remains up-to-date and comprehensive.
Train Employees
Provide comprehensive training on how to use and contribute to the SSOT system. Ensure everyone understands its importance and benefits.
Regularly Update and Maintain
Assign responsibility for keeping the SSOT current.
Implement a system for regular reviews and updates to maintain accuracy and relevance.
Integrate with Existing Workflows
Ensure that using the SSOT becomes a natural part of employees’ daily routines rather than an additional task.
Challenges and Solutions
People are notoriously bad at remembering information they just learned (so bad that we forget 50% of information an hour after it’s presented to us, 70% after 24 hours, and 90% after a week).
Resistance to Change
Some employees may resist new systems or processes. Address this by clearly communicating the benefits and providing adequate support during the transition.
Information Overload
As the SSOT grows, it may become overwhelming. Implement strong categorization and search functionalities to keep information easily accessible.
Maintaining Accuracy
Keeping all information up-to-date can be challenging. Establish clear processes for regular reviews and updates, and assign “information owners” responsible for specific areas.
Security Concerns
Centralizing information can raise security concerns. Implement robust security measures and access controls to protect sensitive data.
Remember this…
A Single Source of Truth is a powerful approach to managing organizational knowledge and improving efficiency.
Spotify implemented an SSOT approach within its unique organizational structure called the “Squad Framework.”
Each squad (a small, cross-functional team) maintains its own documentation and knowledge base, feeding into a company-wide SSOT. This approach has allowed Spotify to maintain agility and innovation while ensuring consistency across its rapidly growing organization.
By providing a unified, reliable source of information like with Spotify, an SSOT can significantly enhance collaboration, reduce errors, and boost productivity.
While implementing an SSOT system comes with challenges, the benefits far outweigh the difficulties for most organizations.
As your business continues to navigate increasingly complex information landscapes, adopting an SSOT approach can provide a significant competitive advantage.
Get more tips about knowledge management from Tettra:
- What is knowledge management? The basics explained
- 8 examples of knowledge management systems
- 5 steps of the knowledge management process
- Here’s your knowledge management strategy
- 11 best knowledge management tools to use right now
Make Tettra Your Single Source of Truth
Tettra is an excellent choice for a single source of truth because it seamlessly integrates with tools like Slack, Google Docs, and GitHub, centralizing your company’s knowledge.
Its user-friendly interface encourages documentation and collaboration, while robust search functionalities ensure quick access to information.
Tettra’s templates and update notifications keep your data organized and current, enhancing data quality and integrity.
This makes Tettra an invaluable asset for boosting productivity and ensuring reliable, actionable insights across teams.
- Centralized Knowledge Base: Store all team documentation in one accessible location.
- Integrations: Seamlessly integrates with tools like Slack, Google Docs, and Github for streamlined collaboration.
- Templates: Use standardized templates for consistent documentation across the team.
- Search Functionality: Powerful search features make it easy to find information quickly.
- Collaborative Editing: Multiple team members can contribute and edit documents in real-time.
- Documentation Requests: Allows team members to request documentation, ensuring all necessary information is covered.
- Permission Control: Manage access levels to keep sensitive information secure.
With Tettra, you’ll get:
- AI-powered knowledge base software to document answers
- Q&A workflow to capture questions
- Knowledge management features to keep content up to date.
