I've often wondered after the 20+ years I have been working in Knowledge Management, why are the same KM issues still happening in customer service organisations?

• Agents still need help finding the information they need.
• When Agents do find what they need, it's often overcomplicated and full of jargon.
• Customers still get an inconsistent experience across channels.
• Customers still get frustrated when agents put them on hold to ask a team manager.
• Team Managers are frustrated as they spend all their time dealing with agent queries and escalations.
• Back-office functions are still frustrated when the wrong form or incorrect details are used.
• Broadband Engineers get frustrated going to a house and finding no issue to resolve; the customer needs the correct knowledge.
• Senior Leadership get frustrated with poor customer service metrics as a result of poor knowledge management.
• Senior Leadership get very frustrated in having to deal with regulatory issues.

So why is this still happening? Why are organisations yet to get this right? Technology has come on leaps and bounds, so what's going on?

Possible reasons

Greater Complexity - In the last 20 years, organisations' Products, Services and Processes have become more complicated than before. A mobile phone 20 years ago may have had 30 things a customer may need to know. Nowadays, it could be hundreds or even thousands of different scenarios with different applications, interoperability with other devices, and multiple phone plans to handle.   

Also, the pace of change is far greater than 20 years ago. Software updates can come monthly, rather than every few years. In addition, promotions, campaigns and processes change far more frequently than before.

The belief in a Technical silver bullet - Over time, many organisations have overlaid technology upon technology to try and resolve their Knowledge Management issues and sometimes over-customise their software so much that it becomes unusable. This results in a large technical debt for the business, and end users are confused about which system they need for different knowledge.

Organisational Design - Many customer service organisations are siloed. For example the digital customer service team are separate to the contact centre team, who are in different division to the retail team, all with separate budgets and different goals and objectives. As time has moved on over the last few decades, organisations have added more channels (e.g. social, chat) to support customers than ever before, increasing the likely hood of siloes and making it easier for conflicts and confusion between the different channels.

Lack of Knowledge Management strategy - When organisations see KM as a technical problem to fix, the other components of a well-rounded Knowledge management strategy get neglected. It's easy to understand why, with the huge marketing from vendors offering the latest AI tech to solve all problems. Organisations prefer to pay a vendor to implement technology to resolve an issue than invest internally in a robust Knowledge Management strategy. 

Summary

These are my observations as to why the same issues are seen over and over again in Knowledge Management. Will these keep happening in the future? Who knows?

Organisations need a clear vision for Knowledge Management and combine that with a well-rounded Knowledge Management strategy , covering Content, People, Process, Technology, and Culture delivering the metrics and value to the end users.

The Global Knowledge Index helps countries and decision-makers to understand and respond to related transformation and challenges more clearly. For years, organizations have been benchmarked against each other using Maturity Models based on structured policies and processes that are designed to achieve Metrics that cater more to securing leadership sponsorship for running a successful KM Program than actually delighting the user, as the goal is never to begin with the end in mind.  

“You can’t know where you’re going until you know where you’ve been.” - Maya Angelou

If we look at the CX Strategy we can infer how ideally firms should setup KM programs and empower employees and customers to solve complex problems, hence aiding in Innovative practices that contribute to growth.  Let us understand how...

Understand your audience and create user personas

At inception it is a good start to invest in building a Content Management Systems (CMS). With time there would be a pattern of how the same is being used. Users would be motivated to use it more often or show specific reasoning as to why or what is missing. This information is key to understanding some of the on-the-ground challenges and improving on your CMS - turning it into a Customer Experience Management Platform.

To goal is to build user personas that clearly identify who our target audience is and their motivation for using the platform.

Analyze your Business Objectives

KM has to be aligned to the business strategy for it to succeed.  Popular maturity models spell the narrative wrongly and demand that short-wins are important for seeking sponsorship and with this goal in mind leaders design dashboards that are sacrosanct and become de-facto standards, impeding innovation and creativity. 

Reverse-engineer the experience you want to deliver

If we indulge in achieving small wins such as focusing on building a culture of knowledge sharing - helping the users to share feedback, then we understand the vast use-cases that target users are demanding, and we see linkages to a few of the org-wide business metrics, such as improving organization agility through Expert Knowledge aids in Rapid Innovation.

Hire team players and get them invested in the process

To gain insights to design a Futuristic KM platform you need passionate team players who look for unmet knowledge-related needs and can devise KM practices that engage leaders, teams and champion catalysts to drive adoption at scale. These are individuals who have a customer experience mindset and pay attention to how teams engage and help in building champion networks, using creativity at the workplace and personalize the experience for leaders to sponsor KM programs.

Eliminate bad design early in the game

Many users avoid using a KM Platform as they find it challenging or a cumbersome design. Users are asking for a personalized experience - something that they habitually use everyday, feeding their reputation and helping them to be productive. The KM experience has to be consistent throughout and the success is measured by how they recommend it and share outcomes of ways it helped them. It is important to also build trust and ensure that any negative feedback is addressed, which would spread by word of mouth and create many deterrents in the mind impacting future use (hence, brand appeal).

Pay attention to customer feedback

It’s a fool’s paradise as many leaders who don’t advocate using KM platform themselves would have had just one or two bad experiences, and hence the narrative to avoid experimenting with using the platform. In reality, if we address this feedback and build features to address these unmet needs we can see the adoption improve. Hence, it’s important through quarterly surveys to provide feedback on ways the platform is being improved and engage - a sample set of the target user group in design thinking workshops to collect feedback that would improve the platform with time.

Research your competition

Today, with AI and many 3rd party tools having in-built KM, it is a challenge to compete and design a state-of-the-art system. Integration of the KM platform with this competing platform can be one answer, but given the budget constraints of tech teams and the need for security standards, there is a debate on having two parallel platforms targeting the same use case.  Hence it is important that by design the use-cases are clearly laid out and the KM team is clear of ways in which the Change Management has to be done for ensuring sustenance of the KM practices that would result in long-term benefits being measured.

Build systems for quick and effective resolutions

Imagine a user not finding help on how to use the KM platform and having to walk away. It is important to make sufficient documentation available including video tutorials and access to live chat for user queries to be responded to and help them progress and not lose trust in the platform.

With the advancement in automation and features like auto tagging, it is possible to make the experience more user-friendly.  Today with advancement in AI & Machine Learning there are tools to also track how users have visited the portal in the past and have recommendation engines to auto-send personalized messages and track their responses - and this increases adoption. 

Understand your customer experience metrics

There is no ideal KM Experience Management Platform and final measure of success is if we can co-relate ways in which the user need is being met. It is through a mix of qualitative and quantitative data that we can say if KM is truly matured.

In-Summary

What effect does your KM content have on the performance outcomes of an organization? Many define this as a Maturity Model that helps leaders secure a budget to start on their KM Journey. In-time what is missing is many promising initiatives are derailed as they fail to create a lasting Customer Experience (CX) that can increase adoption and define metrics that lead to sustainable growth. 

To understand how to design an effective KM Experience Management Platform it is important we relate to CX Strategy and while not all the stages are important, certainly a large number are relatable. If we start with the end in mind, which is co-relate ways in which the users' need is being met, we can eliminate bad design.  By using Design Thinking we can truly empathize with our audience and create a Futuristic KM platform.

Companies put new hires through a rigorous training process. However, the time and resource costs are substantial. Companies invest an average of $1,308 annually in the training of one employee. Therefore, it is crucial to concentrate on programmes that ease tension and make the onboarding process economical. 

Onboarding, however, usually takes more time than necessary. According to statistics, 58% of businesses acknowledge that the onboarding process they use is largely paper-based and convoluted. Here, choosing a knowledge management system would enable better distribution, storage, and preservation of all intellectual capital within an organization.

In the end, it ensures improved communication and knowledge transfer within the organization and better training procedures. You can gain access to a knowledge base that is secure and provides self-service with tools like knowledge management system.

Employee Onboarding: Why Should You Pay Attention to It?

It is essential for every business across all industries to hire staff and equip them with an accurate knowledge management system. According to statistics, businesses that concentrate on improving their onboarding procedure observe an increase in employee productivity of 70% and employee retention of 82%.

With the right initiatives, employees are more devoted to their employer in the workplace. When companies make early onboarding process improvements, they see higher employee satisfaction levels and better work quality.

You should realize that proper onboarding calls for more than just hiring new employees and providing them with job-specific training. Instead, brand-new workers need to learn more about the company. They ought to use the information they learn to perform better.

How are knowledge management (KM) and employee onboarding related?

A proper KM system coordinates the onboarding of new employees to offer advantages like:

• Standardized orientation for employees
• Worker role understanding is good
• Higher rates of employee retention
• Increased employee productivity
• Heightened interest from customers

Practices in a KM system make the employee onboarding process more functionally seamless. The impact on employee onboarding is as follows:

• Fast-paced training for new hires using a comprehensive knowledge base
• New hires can meet deadlines on time with the right information at hand.
• Assurance of superior work
• Proper task assignment and collaboration for faster task completion

The main ways that KM would affect employee onboarding are listed below:

1. For new hires, easy access to current company knowledge base 

The sources of information about their companies are unknown to new employees. It makes sense that they are having trouble finding the information quickly. Employees had to search through several sections in traditional onboarding processes to find a single piece of information. That takes a lot of time, though, which leaves new hires with less time to concentrate on other crucial elements.

As a result, it's crucial to introduce new hires to your KM platform at an early stage of the onboarding procedure and to ensure that they are aware of the information that is stored there and how to find it. Implementing a KM system will empower the employees to locate the information they need quickly whenever it is needed (without having to look for a subject matter expert or spend time searching through different files and folders).

Building a knowledge base can serve as a single location for all information so that new hires can quickly conduct data searches as needed. It provides a safe platform for sharing files and documents where you can keep all downloads and files and give your staff easy access to them.

2. Benefits from Self-Service

When brands include a knowledge management system in their onboarding programme, new hires can experience an independent working environment. They can look up information about the business, including tacit, implicit, and explicit knowledge, with ease. 

Clean code customization

The information and codes on this platform are all clearly laid out and readable. For better categorization, filters are available. It makes systematic searching simpler for both new and seasoned employees.

Strong search engine 

This platform's centralized knowledge base comes with a top-notch search engine. The fast deep indexed details allow employees to quickly search for any information in the system and obtain it in a matter of seconds. Users can also easily find files without knowing their names thanks to the software.

3. Quick Onboarding

Companies must quickly induct new hires into the duties of the organization. They can begin the actual work more quickly in this way. As a result, in traditional onboarding programmes, existing employees spent a considerable amount of time educating new hires on company policies, customer information, arrangements, employee training tools, and partner names.

It has two negative effects on businesses. Older employees spend a large portion of their workdays training rather than performing their duties, whereas new hires take a long time to learn. Employees can easily access company processes, policies, cycles, and frameworks with the help of a well-structured knowledge base.

As a result, new hires can progress through their training programme more quickly, and senior employees can concentrate on increasing productivity. Implementing a knowledge management platform ensures better time management by lowering the overall stress of existing employees supporting new hires. Find out more about how a central knowledge base reduces the time needed for employee training.

Higher Productivity

Employees who are familiar with their roles are more likely to carry out their tasks successfully, and the onboarding process teaches new hires the best practices for doing so. If they have the necessary knowledge base. 

According to statistics, an effective onboarding procedure increases new hires' chances of staying with a company by 82%.

More effective teamwork

Early on, it's impossible for new hires to seamlessly integrate into teams and existing organizations. They typically have a way to communicate with coworkers and other professionals who are training them thanks to the onboarding programme.

Users can benefit from services like Knowledge Collaborations thanks to knowledge management system programmes. Here, everyone on the team and the creators of the content can communicate, exchange ideas, and pass messages cooperatively for complete social team participation.

Conclusion

If customers receive timely resolutions, the customer experience (CX) can be improved. Customers' questions are likely to be handled more effectively by trained staff. Better and more knowledgeable agents encourage brand loyalty. Additionally, the customer forms an impression of the business in their mind and develops a sense of trust for it. 

Employee onboarding benefits both customers and agents with the help of a knowledge management system.

Think about how your customer service representative would deal with a client. They are trying their best, but the knowledge management software you now use makes it impossible for them to find the information they need. 

Was the customer support representative to blame? possibly not. They might have merely been the victims of a slow and ineffective knowledge management software.

Companies started keeping policies, product details, and marketing materials in internal wikis, intranets, and occasionally even Excel spreadsheets years ago. They continued to use their outdated system as it grew more and more obese as the volume of information increased.

Long instruction manuals and recommendations on how to use products are no longer common in business. Customers today dislike any sign of information overload and lack the time and energy to read through lengthy written explanations.

To do this, firms must have competent, contemporary knowledge base repositories to construct structurally solid knowledge base systems.

By allowing the generation, organization and management of information from a single platform, knowledge base builder tools enable a business's knowledge to become an asset.

Choosing a KM Software Checklist

To make sure you have the appropriate knowledge management  software, follow these steps:

Analyze the Situation in Your Business

It is not sufficient to know the knowledge base definition. You must now concentrate on what you want. Before selecting a knowledge base software, you must first understand where you are in order to decide where you want to go.

Analyze your company's current status. Here, a detailed examination with elaborate graphs and charts is not necessary. To find out where and how knowledge is stored, simply do a knowledge audit.

Features you want for your knowledge base should be listed

You undoubtedly want a ton of functionality from your knowledge management software. Just a few items to consider are as follows:

• Supports multiple languages
• Easy language creation
• XHTML code that can be restored from the trash box
• Personalized services
• For at least a year, updates are free.
• Cash-back promise

View Knowledge Base Demos from Various Vendors

It's crucial to choose a few companies and evaluate their knowledge management systems. Demonstration, or demo, allows you to see what the internal knowledge base software is capable of.

However, a lot of sales demos concentrate more on the tool's features than on how to utilize it and its benefits.

Consider requesting three demos of knowledge bases. You can then experiment with the various choices. You gain a sense of what is available and may concentrate more on your requirements after reviewing three vendors.

Know what you want for the structure and design

You aren't truly informed about all of the available knowledge management software options by the knowledge base description. You must therefore be aware of the design and structure you desire.

The knowledge base format looks like this. Most begin with high levels and resemble a standard website home page.

Users can search for items, browse categories, and more based on what they see.

Additionally, your internal knowledge base software needs to be discoverable. If users run into an issue, they must figure out a fix or it won't work.

Sifting through popular articles and highlighting them is one of the main areas of concentration. You should be permitted to enhance search functionality as well.

How do I choose the best software for a knowledge repository?

There are numerous options for knowledge repositories on the market. To reap the anticipated benefits for your company, choosing the appropriate knowledge base repository tool is crucial.

Listed below are some recommendations for the top knowledge management  software.

1. Complete the fundamentals first

You must have the answers to a few fundamental questions that will help you better understand your requirements before choosing the appropriate instrument.

How many users would it have? What purpose will it serve? What qualities do you want from a knowledge management software? What is the cost that you intend to incur?

You may lay the foundation for your search for the greatest knowledge repository tool by using these simple questions. You would be better prepared to properly comprehend your existing and desired state if you obtained answers to all the fundamental questions.

2. Verify the benefit it provides

Checking the tool's value is one of the most important stages you can take on this trip. It concerns the entire package, not just the cost. Consider the whole bundle when shortlisting a few knowledge repository applications rather than just focusing on price.

For instance, two similar-priced tools might both provide you with a better value for your company than the other.

3. Consider the Flexibility Level

Most companies that use knowledge management software need some flexibility to tailor the solution to specific needs. Therefore, it is crucial to determine the tool's level of adaptability for your use case. The quantity of actions a tool can carry out, the ease with which it may be scaled, and the degree of customisation are all examples of flexibility.

If your team presently consists of five individuals, for example, you would need a solution that would enable you to increase users as you add more personnel in the future.

4. Assess the usability

Any knowledge repository tool's success in an organization is typically determined by how simple it is to use. Obtaining the necessary staff buy-in will be difficult if the knowledge management solution is overly complicated and difficult to manage.

Before choosing a tool for your company, it is advised that you evaluate how user-friendly each of the solutions on your shortlist is. Obtaining product demos and using the tool is one technique to contrast the usability of the tools that made the short list.

Final Thoughts

You may choose the best knowledge management software for your company with the aid of these suggestions. The most important thing is to have realistic expectations and a proper understanding before choosing a gadget depending on your needs.

Your first option should be a knowledge management program because it is a user-friendly solution that enables you to produce materials for a better client experience. It provides the ideal ratio of flexibility to overall value you can produce for your company.

What is the secret to customer loyalty? The answer straight from ~50,000 consumers, per a massive survey conducted by Corporate Executive Board (now Gartner), was: Make it easy to get service.

In order to find the recipe for “ease,” Forrester Consulting asked 5,000 consumers (on our behalf) about their biggest hurdles to getting customer service. The answers (by far) were lack of knowledgeability among contact center agents and inconsistency of answers across touchpoints, followed by the inability of websites to deliver answers. With a common “knowledge and intelligence” theme running across the pain points, the panacea is clearly unified omnichannel knowledge management, infused with AI.

Done right, a modern knowledge management system (KMS) can transform contact centers. Here are sample metrics and real- world examples from our Global 1000 clientele.

First-Contact Resolution (FCR)

FCR is an important contact center metric that significantly reduces customer effort. While FAQs, search, and topic-tree browsing help with simple queries, more sophisticated technologies like Artificial Intelligence (AI) can help resolve issues of medium-to-high complexity at the very first contact through conversational guidance. When a premier telco client made  it mandatory for agents to use this technology to solve customer problems, FCR improved by 37% and NPS by 30 points across 10,000 agents and 600 retail  stores.

Average Handle Time (AHT)

As you know, AHT without FCR increases customer frustration even more. Happily, a modern KMS can transform both these seemingly conflicting metrics. A premier banking client reduced AHT by 67% while improving FCR by 36% by leveraging eGain AI to guide  customers to answers. In fact, advisors in its contact center used the technology to guide customers through processes such as account opening and other banking transactions while complying with industry regulations!

Annual Training Hours (ATH)

How do you reduce training needs without compromising service quality? Again, KM delivers the answer. A global banking client soared to #1 in customer service NPS and reduced training time by 50%, even as it expanded to 11 countries with mostly novice agents in its workforce! With the same technology, a telco reduced induction training time by 43% and time-to-competency by half. Note that reducing the need for training also cuts shrinkage, which is the amount of time lost due to agents’ breaks at work, sick time, training time, holidays, etc.

Call / Email / Chat deflection

One of the popular metrics for measuring digital self-service effectiveness is the number of deflections from agent-assisted channels. Using contextual self-service, with robust KM as its backbone, a media and legal services giant deflected 70% of requests for email and chat customer service.

Product returns and exchanges

No-charge product returns or exchanges has become standard policy in many branded manufacturing firms, retailers, and telecoms due to customer expectations and competitive pressures. Called No Fault Found (NFF), many of these returns and exchanges are unwarranted where the products were not defective but the contact center could not solve the customers’ problems. NFF costs organizations tens millions of dollars each year, but here’s the good news: KM and AI can address this issue head on—one of our large telco clients has reduced unwarranted handset exchanges by 38% while improving FCR by 19% and call quality by 23% in its contact center.

Dispatch avoidance rate

Depending on the industry, each truck roll or engineer callout for issue resolution can cost from a couple of hundred to a few thousand dollars. With omnichannel AI knowledge deployed in the contact center and on the website, a water utilities client saved ~$5M per year by reducing unnecessary engineer callouts, while improving FCR by 30%!

Final word

Some technologies improve customer service on the margins, some enable incremental improvement, but only a handful truly transform it. Modern knowledge management, infused with AI, clearly falls into the last category. Gain the edge today with knowledge!

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