Corporate Wikis Flourish

Companies are now using wiki technology to share knowledge online. Corporate wikis are areas where employees can post information, and those postings can be edited by anyone within the company. Some employees don’t appreciate their work being edited, but it is a good method of quality control, according to a Business Week article. Security controls must be created for these sites, to prevent outsiders from viewing proprietary information.

Corporate wikis are often used for project management, tracking industry news, setting meeting agendas, posting corporate policies, and creating strategic documents. Many large companies are using them, including IBM and Yahoo. Companies using them have an advantage, since it makes collaborating on projects a lot easier.

Companies that do not foster a climate of collaboration may have more trouble adapting to this concept. Wikis will not create this climate easily; people may not feel comfortable using it if they haven’t been able to collaborate in the past. However, wikis bring people together, and could cause a shift toward cooperation and collaborative working.