Making it useful.
WHAT MAKES IT WORK
Documents that are current Documents that actually contain answers Clear titles and structure Removing what is out of date
WHAT MAKES IT FAIL
Stale documents Documents contradicting each other Material too vague to answer anything
HOW TO ASK
Specifically. "What is our returns policy for damaged goods?" works better than "tell me about returns".
CHECKING THE ANSWER
Ask for the source. Where citations are available, check that the cited document says what is claimed.
WHEN AN ANSWER IS WRONG
Usually the underlying document is wrong, missing or out of date.
Fix the document rather than working around it.
WHEN TWO DOCUMENTS DISAGREE
Resolve it. The system cannot decide which is correct, and will answer from whichever it found.
MAINTAINING IT
Review annually, and whenever a procedure changes.
Documents have a shelf life, and old ones cause more harm than gaps.
