Maltix SaaS Knowledge Base versus alternative SME technology

1. Organisation and retrieval: A Knowledge Base system is designed to help you organise and retrieve information in a more efficient and structured way. It uses advanced search and categorisation features to help you quickly find the information you need, even if it's scattered across different files or formats. This saves you time and effort compared to manually searching through your laptop's storage.

2. Collaboration and sharing: Knowledge Base systems often come with collaboration tools that allow multiple users to access, update, and share information in real-time. This can be especially useful for teams working on projects together, as it ensures everyone is on the same page and has access to the most up-to-date information.

3. Automation and insights: The Maltix SaaS Knowledge Base systems offer automation features that help streamline processes and provide insights into your data. For example, they may suggest related articles or topics based on your search queries, or automatically categorise and tag information for easier retrieval.

4. Scalability and flexibility: Unlike your laptop's storage, which may have limitations in terms of capacity and organization, a Knowledge Base system can scale with your business needs. You can easily add new information, update existing content, and adapt the system to suit your changing requirements.

In comparison, what Microsoft offers (such as Microsoft OneDrive
and Microsoft SharePoint) are more traditional data storage and collaboration tools that may not have the same level of sophistication and features as a dedicated Knowledge Base system. While they can certainly help you store and share files, they do not offer the same level of organisation, search capabilities, and automation that a Knowledge Base system can provide.

Key Differences:
1. Organisation and Structure:
Laptop or Microsoft Solutions: When using a laptop or software like Microsoft Office or OneDrive, you manually organise files into folders, and it’s up to you to maintain that structure. Searching for files across different folders or systems can be cumbersome, and if the data is unorganised, finding it can be time-consuming.
Knowledge Base SaaS: A Knowledge Base system allows you to structure data more intuitively. You create categories and topics (like "Customer Files," "Project Guides," or "Event Planning Templates") that are easy for you and your team to navigate. It often includes features like automatic tagging, metadata, and search optimisation that help organise the content even if you initially input unstructured data.
2. Search and Retrieval:
Laptop/Traditional Filing: You rely on file names and folder structures to retrieve information. If the data is poorly named or in various formats, you’ll have to manually sift through folders and documents to find what you need.
Knowledge Base SaaS: With built-in advanced search capabilities, you can retrieve information quickly, often using keywords, tags, or even partial search terms. It indexes content, making it far easier to search through documents, FAQs, guides, and tutorials. It can also offer smart suggestions based on past searches, making data retrieval more intuitive.
3. Collaboration and Version Control:
Laptop/Office Files: On your laptop, collaboration is limited. If you need multiple people to access or edit a file, you either email it or use shared folders (e.g., OneDrive or SharePoint). However, keeping track of edits and versions can be a challenge.
Knowledge Base SaaS: These platforms are designed for real-time collaboration. Multiple team members can edit, update, and refine content. Changes are tracked, and version control ensures you never lose previous versions. It’s revolutionary more robust than simply storing files on OneDrive or in Office 365.
4. Automation of Organisation:
Laptop/Office Files: Everything needs to be manually organised. You have to decide where files go, how to categorise them, and how to name them.
Knowledge Base SaaS: While you would need to input your data initially, many Knowledge Base platforms offer tools that can help categorise and organise the data based on keywords, topics, or tags. Some platforms have automation features to help “make sense” of the content and suggest better ways to organise it as you build the knowledge base.
5. Access Control and User Permissions:
Laptop/Office Files: If you’re storing files on your personal laptop or OneDrive, controlling who has access to specific documents can be limited or manual. You may need to share passwords, links, or restrict access to certain files.
Knowledge Base SaaS: You can set up granular access controls. For example, clients can only view certain articles or guides, while team members have editing rights to other sections. This level of control is more flexible than standard file sharing solutions.
6. Customer-Facing vs. Internal:
Laptop/Office Solutions: Data stored on your laptop is largely internal. You control who gets what, and it may require a lot of manual effort to share relevant information with clients.
Knowledge Base SaaS: These platforms allow you to easily create public-facing sections (like FAQs, tutorials, or client guides) and internal sections for your team. It becomes a powerful customer support tool, allowing clients to access the information they need without relying on your direct involvement
You Need Everything Assembled First?
No, you don't need to have everything assembled before using a Knowledge Base SaaS. While having structured data helps, you can begin by uploading what you have, and many platforms will help you:
1. Gradually Organise: As you input data, you can start categorising and tagging it to improve organisation. Over time, you’ll have a well-structured repository. 
2. Input Unstructured Data: Some systems can take unstructured data (e.g., emails, documents, files) and help you organise it into categories or topics.
3. Build Over Time: A Knowledge Base is often a living system. You don’t need everything perfect upfront. You can start small, building on it as you go.

4. We do however recommend you create 20 to 30 categories before you start assigning articles. This way you can opt for maybe 6 to 8 top categories and then the rest become sub categories and wont show up to the visitor until an article is assigned to it

Microsoft Solutions Comparison:
Microsoft OneDrive/SharePoint: These are file storage and collaboration tools but lack the specialised features of a Knowledge Base, such as advanced search, content indexing, versioning for FAQs or tutorials, and the ability to present information in a user-friendly interface.
Microsoft Teams: This is useful for collaboration, but it doesn’t offer the dedicated, structured knowledge-sharing environment that a Knowledge Base SaaS provides, especially for customer-facing support.Conclusion

A Knowledge Base SaaS goes beyond traditional file storage by offering better search, organisation, collaboration, and client-facing tools. It saves time by helping you automatically categorise and retrieve information. So, while you do need to input your content, the system can optimise and structure that data in ways that make sense for your business and clients—something your laptop or Microsoft tools can’t do in the same way.