In recent years, knowledge management systems have changed business and customer success. And companies who don't want to be left in the dust need to start using new tools that can help them simplify complex data and develop better ways to store and access information to achieve better business outcomes instead of relying on bandaid solutions for an easy fix.

However, cracking the code to a new knowledge management technology is no easy feat, especially for large companies with massive data and endless amounts of information.

There are many software programs out there claiming to be the end-all tool that can help you manage your entire business strategy in a few simple clicks, but it's only half true.

The good news: There are programs that can genuinely help you manage your data and access it in a way that makes sense for your company but only if you know the right questions to ask and the best features that make sense for your company.

In this article, we're going to take a closer look at what knowledge management technology is and what it can do to help you better understand your customers, improve your internal processes, and how to take this technology to your advantage to see real and measurable results.

What is knowledge management technology and how do organizations benefit from it?

A knowledge management system is an IT solution that stores and retrieves information. Creating and developing an efficient KM system aims to enhance comprehension, collaboration, and process alignment to develop better strategies that achieve favorable business outcomes.

Knowledge management can also refer to technologies that allow businesses of all sizes to better organize, share, and capture information in a single platform. Examples include document management systems, content management systems, data warehouses, and customer relationship management (CRM) software.

The benefits of knowledge management technology for businesses can be summed up in three main areas:

• Improved Customer Understanding
• Better Internal Process Alignment
• Measurable Results

Improved Customer Understanding

One of the reasons organizations implement knowledge management systems is to better understand their customers' needs, requirements, and preferences. It also offers companies an in-depth view of how their customers use their products and services. The collected data could then be used to implement necessary adjustments to improve prior offerings or to come up with new ones. Improved customer understanding can also lead to increased customer satisfaction and loyalty.

Some examples of KM systems that help businesses better understand their customers include:

• Survey software
• Data collection tools for research purposes
• Analytics programs that generate a report of gathered customer data

Better Internal Process Alignment

Another benefit of using knowledge management technology is that it helps improve internal process alignment. This is essential to companies with different departments that need to share critical information easily and conveniently to initiate organizational change or make smarter decisions throughout the entire business process.

For many companies, the primary reason for utilizing such technology is to give managers access to the collective knowledge of data and insights stored in a single platform. While this is true, a KM solution also supports a collaborative learning workplace that enables the easy transition of information across different teams and platforms. In addition, this improved communication also allows for a more streamlined workflow, which leads to increased efficiency and reduced costs.

Some examples of knowledge management solutions that help businesses improve their internal process include project management software, recruitment systems, and training software.

Measurable Results

When different teams can access the right information at the right time, they're better equipped to make quick decisions and avoid unnecessary delays.

A company using a knowledge management system can learn more about their customers and apply those insights to better deliver on customer needs. Consequently, companies can better understand their existing and new customers, improve customer experience, sell more, and ultimately boost their profits.

How can knowledge management technology be used to improve productivity in the workplace?

There are various applications.

As a Research Tool

Employees can use knowledge management technology to increase productivity by using it as a research tool. By having access to all company data and insights in one place, employees can quickly find the information they need without searching through multiple folders or databases across multiple platforms and computers. This also enables managers to create and compile reports more quickly and efficiently.

As a Customer Relationship Management System

Second, employees can use knowledge management solutions by sharing information with each other easily and conveniently. When different teams within an organization have easy access to critical information, they can work more productively together. For example, customer service representatives can leverage this technology to share information with different teams to provide a better customer solution and improve customer success management. Some examples of CRM tools are Microsoft Dynamics 365, Salesforce CRM, and Zoho CRM.

As a Document Management System

When employees have easy access to important company data and insights, they can also identify issues faster, solve problems more easily and mitigate risks before they escalate. As a whole, they do their jobs more effectively without seeking approval or help from other departments. This allows them greater autonomy within the organization so that they can take on more significant projects, which ultimately leads to increased productivity across the board.

As an Intranet

An intranet is a corporate website where employees can access company information, communicate with colleagues, and manage projects. By having a central repository for all critical company data and insights, employees can find the information they need without searching through multiple folders or databases. This saves time and eliminates the risk of losing critical information.

As a Data Warehouse

Data warehouses combine data from various sources into a single, centralized, consistent data repository to aid in data analysis, data mining, artificial intelligence (AI), and machine learning. Extracting information from these repositories allows businesses to extract insights and customer patterns that enable executives to make data-driven decisions.

As a Content Management System

A content management system (CMS) enables businesses to manage digital content creation, editing, publishing, and deletion. A CMS typically provides a user interface and tools that allow non-technical users to create and manage website content without learning how to code. This is beneficial for businesses because it will enable them to update their site without coding skills easily.

As a Collaboration Platform

A collaboration platform allows businesses to easily share information, documents, ideas, and projects with each other online. These platforms are also known as enterprise social networks and enable employees to easily collaborate no matter where they're located or what time zone they live in. For organizations, it provides them the ability to increase employee engagement, retain top talent, and support a hyper-flexible workforce.

As a Decision Support System

A decision support system (DSS) is an interactive computer application that allows users to make better decisions by helping them gather, analyze, and understand data. DSSs are used in various industries, including healthcare, finance, education, and manufacturing. By providing employees with insights and data-driven decision models, businesses can improve their bottom line while reducing risks.

Now that you know more about what KM technology is and what it can do for you, let's understand how to choose the right KM system for your organization.

Building Blocks of a Successful KM Strategy

Before you can even begin to think about choosing a KM system, you need to understand your business goals and objectives clearly. Once you have that in place, you can then start thinking about the specific features and functionality you need to achieve those goals.

With that said, let's take a look at some of the features to consider when evaluating KM systems:

1. Accessibility and Ease of Use:

The interface should be user-friendly and intuitive so that the learning curve is minimal and adoption is quicker. It should also have a cloud storage feature, accessible from any device, whether it's a desktop computer, laptop, tablet, or smartphone.

Suppose your organization uses a lot of video and PDF files. In that case, you should also make sure that it supports this format or has an option to convert files and documents into searchable text for easier retrieval.

2. Data Integration and Visualization

Ideally, your KM system should have the ability to integrate with your company's existing data sources, including ERP, CRM, and HR systems. This way, you do not need to shell out additional funds for data integration and can get started using the system right away.

The system should also come with built-in reporting and visualization tools to easily see how your company's data is being used and what insights it is providing.

3. Analytics and Reporting

Your KM system should come with built-in analytics and reporting that allow you to see what information is most in demand, which projects are taking up the bulk of your employees' time, and how much money specific departments are spending on outsourced work.

4. Security and Compliance

Make sure that the system you choose has robust security features in place to protect your company's data. It should also be compliant with industry-specific regulations such as HIPAA and GDPR.

5. AI and Machine Learning Capabilities

The development of machine learning capabilities can give your KM system the ability to detect and classify relevant information for you automatically. With machine learning, you can have access to predictive insights and recommendations, which can help you better formulate winning sales and marketing strategies.

In other countries, AI and machine learning are used in the healthcare industry to identify repeat offenders and people with mental health conditions. Over the years, natural language processing (NLP) has also become more accurate, making it the perfect tool for handling unstructured data.

Jeff Bezos, CEO of Amazon, believes that AI will be the key to unlocking new opportunities for optimizing business processes, "Much of what we do with machine learning happens beneath the surface. Machine learning drives our algorithms for demand forecasting, product search ranking, product and deals recommendations, merchandising placements, fraud detection, translations, and much more".

Cracking the Code of the Future

There is no one-size-fits-all answer when it comes to deciding to invest in a KM system. It depends on your specific business needs and what you hope to achieve with the system. However, by keeping the above features in mind, you'll be well on your way to making an informed decision.

The right KM system will provide business users with the information they need to streamline operations, reduce costs, support faster decision-making, increase employee engagement and productivity while enabling you to adapt quickly in a fast-paced marketplace.  

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In today's knowledge-driven economy, knowledge management is a powerful tool for any business. Knowledge management can help organizations be more efficient and productive by improving their information-sharing practices. However, without the proper tools, implementing this best practice can be inefficient and lead to lower productivity levels.

Knowledge management itself has the potential to benefit organizations in the long run, and it’s only fair that we take a look at the different kinds of technological tools that can help companies acquire and distribute information more effectively across all of their teams.

What is Knowledge Management and How Does it Benefit Businesses?

First off, let’s address the basics of knowledge management. Essentially, it's an organizational process that aims to use information more efficiently by centralizing access to all necessary resources required for success in a digital age where knowledge reigns supreme.

Knowledge management has three main components: sharing knowledge, creating new knowledge, and using existing knowledge effectively. Due to quickly shifting digital and customer landscapes, knowledge management can be difficult for many organizations. However, if you optimize your knowledge management processes, you can improve communication and collaboration among team members, make better decisions faster, and stay ahead of the competition.

Using the right tools is essential for your business to be genuinely effective when implementing new knowledge management strategies.

AI Tools That Advance Knowledge Acquisition and Value

Artificial intelligence (AI) is one of the most powerful tools at your disposal when it comes to knowledge management. AI can help you automate knowledge acquisition and make better decisions faster by understanding data and extracting it. It also helps employees avoid mindless, repetitive workflows while relying on automation to expedite processes and improve accuracy. Several different AI tools can be used for this, such as natural language processing (NLP), machine learning, and predictive analytics.

Each of these tools has its unique capabilities that can be used to improve knowledge management in businesses.

For example, NLP can help you read and understand the text more effectively. In addition, machine learning can identify patterns in data and predict future outcomes based on past behavior. At the same time, predictive analytics can determine which actions are likely to result in the best outcomes.

When it comes to knowledge management, AI is essential for acquiring and understanding knowledge quickly and efficiently.

Online Visual Tools That Improve Collaboration

Another knowledge management tool that is particularly relevant in today's digital world is online visual tools. Although this knowledge management tool isn't as complicated as AI, it can still improve communication and collaboration among team members by making information more accessible.

There are many different types of online visual tools available. Some examples include:

• Mind mapping software to generate clear, well-organized presentations for key messaging;
• Brainstorming tools like an online whiteboard and sticky note apps that allow team members to collaborate in real-time;
• Diagramming tools that help you to create and share flowcharts, process maps, and network diagrams;
• Photo editing tools that can be used to annotate images with text or symbols to improve communication.

All of these online visual tools are essential for making information more accessible and easy to understand when it comes to knowledge management.

Machine Learning and Natural Language Processing Uses

There are many practical uses for machine learning and NLP in your knowledge management processes. One of the most common examples is using knowledge management to improve customer experiences with chatbots and virtual assistants.

By leveraging machine learning, it's possible to build a more intelligent bot that can understand context, follow up on previous conversations, answer questions accurately without needing too much information upfront, etc. Furthermore, as AI becomes more intelligent over time thanks to machine learning algorithms, your knowledge base will become better at conversing naturally as well.

Using NLP effectively improves knowledge acquisition because the bot doesn't have to ask you repetitive or essential questions. Instead, it can learn from its mistakes and continue improving conversation flow organically over time through trial-and-error. This makes customers happier because they can get the information they need without waiting for a human representative.

In addition to chatbots, machine learning can also be used in other knowledge management processes such as knowledge tagging, data mining, and information retrieval. For example, knowledge tagging can automatically identify and tag important information in documents. Data mining can be used to find trends and insights in large data sets, and information retrieval can help you quickly locate the right piece of information when you need it.

These processes can significantly reduce repetitive tasks and improve knowledge management efficiency.

In Summary

Many different technological tools can be used to improve knowledge management in businesses. Each tool or technology has unique capabilities that can be leveraged to make knowledge acquisition faster, easier, and more accurate.

By incorporating these tools into your knowledge management processes, you can make knowledge acquisition and understanding easier than ever before while continuously supporting the success of your business.

In a rapidly evolving world, we must align with modern digital approaches like VR (Virtual Reality), Big Data, and AI to gain and maintain a competitive advantage. The education sector embraces knowledge management by CoPs (Communities of practice)
to keep abreast with these technological advancements.

Knowledge management is a term that refers to the application of the latest technologies to drive results for organizations like universities. Hence, Communities of Practice proffers an adaptive and evolving avenue for diligent teachers and students to gather together and explore innovative and creative ways to improve the teaching and learning experience.

Systems and Technologies of CoPs

Various technologies and systems are available that assist in Communities of Practice. Non-technological tools are mostly hardware-based, while advanced technologies utilize software systems. Both systems support knowledge collection, processing, and storage. And unite all information into a single piece to share on digital tools that provide and maintain the requirements for networking, communication, collaboration, and socialization.

Various real-time synchronous and interactive tools like web conferencing, audio meetings, instant messaging, chat, instant messaging, and white-boarding provide innovative platforms for communication. Other than synchronous tools, many asynchronous tools like discussion boards, website links, polls, surveys, and group announcements are also available. Both mechanisms gather data and assist in the practice of CoPs in universities.

Knowledge Management and Communities of Practice in Universities

Communities of Practice is a functional knowledge management (KM) practice that aids sharing of valuable knowledge in universities and other educational institutions. Most information in the education sphere is tacit and is tough to enunciate. CoPs act as a carrier for knowledge creation and sharing. The objective of CoP is to develop, extend, and swap useful information among concerned authorities and administration to devise an effective mechanism for educators. 

Due to the compelling and productive outcomes of Communities of Practice in universities, it has become a strategic and expanding tool for crafting the most effective teaching methodologies and learning knowledge. Hence, many academic institutions adopt Communities of Practice to design productive strategies and cope with the technological and diverse changes.

Best Approaches that Capitalize on Communities of Practice

Several tools and technologies are available to expand the scope of CoPs, such as digital platforms and marketplaces that proffer valuable data of both educational institutions and students. Other than digital portals, here are a few best approaches with proven outcomes.

• Analyze information from messaging (email, SMS).
• Gather knowledge from E-learning systems and Teleconferencing facilities.
• Create data charts from social media accounts.
• Automation.
• Survey and Polls.

Employ these approaches to capitalize on KM and Communities of Practice in universities.

Effect of Knowledge Management and CoPs Implementation in Universities

In academic institutions use of Communities of Practice and KM proposes new prospects for teaching methods and learning processes. CoPs furnish powerful and practical models for change and growth in the education sector. KM with a Community of Practice helps in forming a constructive community. It also provides a sense of acceptance, improves cross-discipline, and promotes creativity and innovation. The role of Community of Practice creates a sense of unity among diverse staff and students. Hence, it helps in creating versatile teaching methods and unified classrooms. 

Foundation of CoPs in Universities

Communities of Practice have a foundation of three main components; knowledge, institutions, and practices. The educational sphere consists of schools, colleges, or universities. The psyche comprises inferential and direct information. And CoPs based upon communities, domain, and practice. Altogether these components are interlinked with technology and people, assisting higher education institutions in developing adaptive approaches in diverse classrooms.

The core goal of every education institution around the globe is to utilize KM in designing scalable strategies for improved teaching, administration, well-planned research, and conceptual learning. Therefore, CoPs and KM with modern technologies provide a meaningful platform for every academic institution that supports organizations to adapt and incorporate these frameworks.

The Bottom Line

Educational institutions thrive on KM and Communities of Practice. Personal experiences provide tacit knowledge that represents the staff's values and beliefs. Processing tacit knowledge will give explicit information that facilitates better Communities of Practice through dialogues and social interactions.

It is pertinent to understand that people and technology are the functional aspects of KM and Communities of Practice in universities or any educational setting. Community of Practice and knowledge have undoubtedly specified roles that depict the institutional collaborations such as the teachers, group facilitators/leaders, administrations, and learners. This foundation ensures the knowledge-centered working of the institutions. It is noteworthy that a proper linking of knowledge and CoPs always furnishes profitable results. Therefore, to ensure maximum leverage from these two key players, KM and CoPs employ advanced technologies like Big Data and Artificial Intelligence to gather and process relevant information and craft strategies accordingly. 

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Introduction

I work for a major online- and campus-based university with about 5,000 full-time employees and 4,000 part-time faculty. When I began my KM journey, knowledge management within my company, where it existed, was disparate and siloed. It was also limited only to knowledge bases and other similar forms of information management on the DIKW pyramid and even then not managed well.

Because of this, it failed to leverage knowledge collaboratively across the company. By acting independently, we were perpetuating the multiple discovery phenomenon within the company, where individual departments and sometimes different teams within the department were all moving to the same goal in their own way, often duplicating work, making similar mistakes in different ways, and not moving forward as a united front.

This had repercussions and risks in that valuable knowledge was lost, through retirees, department transfers, and general attrition. Financial and process efficiency was impacted, through extended new hire training, recurring development training, repeated mistakes, and more.

Starting Out

I had been asked to lead a new team that focused on knowledge, the first full team dedicated to doing so within the University. At the time, I was also under the impression that knowledge management was nothing more than knowledge bases and document controls. After several months of just getting by, I began to search for training on knowledge management best practices and I stumbled upon the KMI CKM course and sent out inquires.

Initial discovery meetings with Eric Weidner and John Hovell were eye-opening, as my team and I never knew there was so much to KM beyond the knowledge base work we were doing. I was excited to learn more and got approval to host KMI for a private CKM course for my entire team in May of 2018. My team and I loved the training and I was impressed with the depth of Knowledge Management and could easily see how it would benefit the University. I didn’t know how to go about implementing these ideas, but I started to give it some thought while working on other projects.

A couple months later, in July of 2018, I had reason to call together the other individuals in the company who owned knowledge bases within the same CRM platform as mine. I wanted to make a change to the platform and needed their buy-in in order to get it approved.

I organized the meeting at a central location as we were coming from all across the city and we had an agreement within 5 minutes of the hour long meeting. The rest of the time, we chatted about our knowledge bases and the responsibilities thereof. I learned two things from that meeting: First, that mine was the only team in the room dedicated to knowledge, the others had it as a small part of their jobs, and secondly, that nobody in the room, other than me, had any understanding of knowledge management as a whole and what it could do beyond self-help articles. The group itself found the session useful and agreed when I proposed we make it a regular meeting. And so what was then known as the Knowledge Manager’s Council was born.

Building Consensus

We started by meeting quarterly in different locations on campus and in the office buildings the University rented around the city. I would coordinate schedules and often pick a topic for discussion, with a few slides and some research. Many of the topics were ones I had been exposed to in my CKM course. There was always room for open table discussion for the last half of the meeting and we addressed several issues about information ownership and styling in those sessions. We also identified others who had similar roles but not working on the same technology platform that we used. We invited them and several became regular members of the group.

Eventually, after over a year meetings, the knowledge base and platform discussions boiled away and the conversation finally started to turn towards what knowledge management as a field was. Other departments who did not have anyone working in KM had heard of us and had sent a person to one meeting or another to listen to the discussions and my presentations of what I had learned. Most would drift in and then out, without any real change to the group, but a few stayed.

In December of 2019, I proposed that we host another KMI CKM training on-site and that anyone who was interested and could find the budget for it could let me know. To my pleasant surprise, the idea was well received, and we had enough people and funding to schedule a second private CKM class.
Getting Educated.

In February 2020, we hosted our second private CKM course from KMI and instead of consisting of solely my team, we had representatives from several different departments within the University. The class was a hit with everyone who took it and this caused the inter- departmental discussion around KM to really take off.

I often sat in on the training in-between meetings and joined the group for lunch every day. I was interested in what people thought and where their ideas were going. I would ask participants for their ideas and opinions, and to my delight, there was a strong consensus that our company needed more KM and had a willingness to make it happen from the bottom up.

By lunch of the final day of training we had a small group of core believers who wanted to make the effort, and had the capacity, to begin real KM change within the University. There was also general agreement that our quarterly Knowledge Manager Council was really a CoP of sorts and we should formalize it and advertise for membership.

A Call To Action

A small group of participants in the Knowledge Manager’s Council and the CKM course decided to join me in the effort of bringing awareness and adoption of KM methodologies to the University at an inter-operable level. We decided to call ourselves the Knowledge Drivers and our first task was to change the Knowledge Manager’s Council into a true Knowledge Management Community of Practice.

While at the time we did not, and still do not have, a formal leadership hierarchy within the group, I took on the task of, and remain the, main coordinator for the Drivers and the CoP. I was able to get the word about our new community out through several projects I was attached to and, in early March 2020, we had our first KM CoP meeting, replacing the former Knowledge Manager’s Council. What was a group of about 10 individuals who had knowledge, primarily knowledge bases, as part of their job was replaced with about 25 people, many of the former Council included, who were interested in the discussion about Knowledge in general.

We started off the meeting with an exercise those of us who took the CKM course learned there: the constellation. We asked about our new members familiarity with KM as a practice and their interests. We explained what it was and how we wanted to bring it to the University and we did the constellation again to see who thought it would work for their team.

The first CoP meeting transformed the group from what was originally a council of 5 departments to a community with representatives of 9 workgroups across 7 departments. It was a small gain, but a success nonetheless.

Growing The Community

Of course, the COVID-19 pandemic really hit the United States around this time and less than a week after our first CoP meeting, my entire company was sent to work from home as best we could. Now I found myself having to coordinate a new community as well as a new task- group, the Knowledge Drivers, in a remote-only setting. The answer that helped me be successful with both was something I had learned in my CKM course and participated in when the second course happened: The Knowledge Café.

By utilizing features of our remote meeting software, specifically the ability to host individual break-out rooms from a central meeting, I was able to devise a format to use for the CoP meetings that worked for everyone and replicated the Knowledge Café effect with only minimal adjustment for digital life. We would start out each meeting with a sharing presentation, as the community had indicated as a whole that this was one of the things they wanted to see more of. This is where someone from the community would volunteer to talk a bit about something KM related, either a project their team was working on, their team itself and its knowledge, or even an interesting topic that had little to do with a University project.

We would then have a section where the Drivers, usually myself, would report on the work we had been doing towards our goals and then we would finish off with a community exercise that changed for each meeting. Sometimes we would seek feedback on a specific topic or item, others we have a general discussion, using breakout rooms, around different topics, allowing for more sharing and faster transfer.

This approach proved to be very successful and now, nearly 20 months after our first meeting, word of mouth and our outreach has caused the CoP to grow to an invite list well over 120 people and a regular attendance of 40+, nearly 50, individuals. I have been asked, and have given, talks to other groups in the University on the Knowledge Café model and how it has helped drive community engagement in a world where nobody can enter the same room as the person they are meeting with. These groups included our HR department, Customer Experience, Communication and Marketing, and a few others.

Developing a Mission

While I was working on how to best coordinate and operate a community of practice in a de-centralized world, I was also trying to maintain interest and momentum in the new Knowledge Driver’s workgroup. I had a group of influential and excited individuals who wanted to bring true KM to the University in a standardized manner. My initial challenge was to get the group to agree to what that meant and how we would implement it.

In my opinion, the easiest place to start was to craft a business case. It would force us to look at these questions and have those discussions in a regulated manner. What quickly became apparent was that, while we could talk about the benefits of KM in general, we didn’t have, for lack of a better phrase, a monster to slay.

The solution I found was not something I learned in the CKM training or from KMI in general, though I would gladly see it added to the curriculum. I came across it in my own research. That was the anthropological theory of Multiple Discovery. While still a theory, with its own critics and supporters, the basics of it are commonly accepted: that many civilizations throughout history developed the same or very similar solutions to the same problems entirely independently. Essentially, every civilization invented the wheel on its own.

I was able to educate the remainder of the Knowledge Drivers on the Multiple Discovery Theory and we agreed that this was a dragon that we could slay with KM. Our University prides itself on innovation and being ahead of educational trends, but we could prove the existence of the MDT within the University itself, a barrier to innovation and then relate it to other motivating measures such as cost avoidance, impact of turnover and retirements, and time to proficiency of new hires.

Synchronizing Efforts

Now that we had a dragon to slay, which would help us with leadership buy-in, we wanted to know what other goals we could have. I suggested a process which we still use, and that is presenting to the KM CoP at those meetings and engaging the community in our work, so that it was a true grassroots movement, pushed forward by a dedicated few but with input from the interested many.

My first effort into this was a simple polling exercise of the CoP using a tool called Menti, which allows real-time anonymous polling by having members navigate to a website, enter a code, and answer the questions. The facilitator, in this case my training lead, could share the results on the screen for everyone to see. I had us start simple and asked the community “What are you looking to get out of this CoP?”. The answers formed a word cloud that proved invaluable to the drivers and what we wanted to do. With answers such as “Learn”, “Process”, “Best Practices”, and “Definitions”, the Drivers had our first few goals.

I worked with the other Drivers and we were able to incorporate these into our business case and put together a roadmap and timeline for our efforts. We divided this timeline into 4+ phases with the first four being defined, that truly reflects the community grassroots movement my efforts have turned into. In July of 2021 we entered the third phased after nearly 18 months of work laying foundations, getting leadership buy-in, and growing the community and its voice. Presenting To Leadership

With the work of the Knowledge Drivers aligned with the needs and wishes of the Knowledge Management Community of Practice, I wanted to address a pressing issue that had come up in several CoP discussions: what did senior leadership at the University think of us doing this?

In the early weeks of 2021, I rallied the other Drivers and we began putting together a presentation that we have come to lovingly call “The Roadshow” that explained the history of the Knowledge Drivers and KM CoP, explained what our goals and desires were, why KM was important and different aspects of our business case, and showed off our timeline.

In May of 2021, we presented to our first group of leaders, the Chief Information Officer and her direct reports. The presentation was given by a group of four of the Drivers, myself included, where we went through the slides and fielded questions from the group. The presentation was a great success with unanimous praise of the grassroots nature and mission. In the following months we presented to other senior leaders such as the Chief Experience Officer and her staff, and the Chief Product Officer and his.

From these presentations we received unanimous buy-in for the movement and its efforts. As the main face of the group and its chief coordinator, I have personally received invitations to three enterprise-level projects that had given no thought to KM as an advisor on how it could be built into the process. This has had the direct result of both the Project Management Office and the President’s Office becoming a key stakeholder and partner to the KM CoP and the Knowledge Drivers and our efforts.

We are still holding The Roadshow, the next group we are scheduling with as of November 2021 is our Executive Vice President of Human Resources and her staff. I have also given a progress report to the KM CoP about these meetings and their reception, which has had a direct impact on attendance and engagement. It seems with the knowledge that senior leadership will not be shutting the effort down, more people are willing to participate.

Looking Back, Facing Forward

While all this work has been going on, we have had other KM successes as a group. In September 2021, I was asked to meet with leaders in our HR and Communications departments who were told about Organizational Network Analyses by a member of the KM CoP after I gave a presentation on it in August of 2021. Knowledge Management has become something of a buzz-word among leadership since we began our Roadshow and I have been asked to consult with other departments, such as Product Strategy, Academics, and the Library, on standing up their own KM initiatives within their department and aligning them with the whole.

One of my team members, who is herself working on her doctorate in KM and who joined my team in early 2020, has begun standing up a University-wide Knowledge Retention program in conjunction with HR. It is early in its pilot phase, but feedback so far has been tremendously positive. She is a graduate of the CKM program herself and I will let the details of the effort be her own MCKM article.

Looking forward, the Knowledge Drivers, in cooperation with the KM community within the University, is already deep into phase 3 of our roadmap, where we have identified and mapped the current state of KM in the university. Our next step is to analyze this map and see what we can start standardizing, looking for both elephant and squirrel sized projects, and really, finally, drive home the work we have all been striving toward, in my case, for over three years. Conclusion

When I took the CKM course in 2018, I was the only person in the University with Knowledge in my title. To the University, Knowledge was limited to knowledge bases and other forms of information and document management. Now, in November 2021, I am one of three individuals with a title for knowledge and Knowledge itself means so much more.

The three of us, all of us Knowledge Drivers, have joined together to make an informal workgroup we call Knowledge Operations with the goal of working as one team across departments. There is promise of more groups joining us in the coming months.

When I first began my KM journey, knowledge management within my company was disparate and siloed. That was four years ago. With consistent effort and a lot of politicking, I have managed to create and lead a grassroots Knowledge Management movement within the company that has taken on a life of its own. It crosses 9 major departments and members of over 30 workgroups. It has caused KM to become a source of excitement and discussion. While we still have a long way to go to be a true Knowledge Age institution, the foundations have been placed and they were placed by a community of people whose interest and drive made it happen. I am proud of this work and submit this account, as well as the accompanying documentation, as my application for the Master Certified Knowledge Manager certification.

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It may sound strange, but pop culture has a lot to offer Knowledge Management, especially science fiction and superhero franchises. Some of these institutions now stretch across several lifetimes as well as every conceivable kind of media. This includes adaptations in film, television, comic books, radio, podcasts, magazines, novels, gaming of every variety, and much more. Overtime, this body of work has led to a wide range of strategies to simply keep track of it all. This makes these franchises particularly content rich with a lot of characters, alien planets, and generations of creative teams who made it happen. Consider that Superman and Batman are almost a century old at this point, representing an incredible amount of information to organize from their many adventures. And other iconic heroes aren’t far behind! So after carefully reviewing the most popular franchises over quarantine, I wanted to share what stood out most and what seems applicable beyond just your next trivia night.

Why?

You might wonder, why bother tracking an epic battle between good and evil on a planet that doesn’t exist? The short answer, of course, is that people enjoy it and it makes money. But that’s not the complete answer. Even the knowledge products that aren’t directly profitable still contribute by encouraging the myriad outlets of fandom and inspiring more creative endeavors – artistic collaborations, cosplay, and reimagining something that’s been around since before your parents were born! But before you can boldly go where you’ve never gone before, you have to know where you’ve already been.

Who?

Because these franchises are corporate owned intellectual property, it’s no surprise that there’s paid staff dedicated to them, producing a variety of knowledge products for internal reference and future consumption. What’s more noteworthy though are the legions of fans that populate unofficial wikis, zines, and comment threads for no other reason than because they like it. This synthesis of paid and voluntary work is necessary and even reinforces itself, where more of one sparks more of the other.

How?

Search through the information available about a franchise and you’ll soon find official databases and bulky encyclopedias that document every hero and villain, alien species and speculative piece of technology in the galaxy. Then, there are the video interviews and making of featurettes, documentaries and in-depth guides that unpack all the components that collectively make up these cultural enterprises. Communities form around them and become forums for discussion and debate. Interestingly, the franchise and these knowledge resources are really one in the same, just an extension of the experience that empowers people with more ways to engage with the story.

So What?

Your latest project might seem like it’s a universe removed from summer blockbusters and hit TV shows. The difference is that your work, those it benefits, and the results you’re achieving are real – like really real in the real world where things matter. More time and energy might get devoted to fiction, but the best practices pioneered for our entertainment can be useful guideposts towards a higher calling, your higher calling.

Let’s review some key takeaways:

• Combine the paid Knowledge Management efforts of a few with the voluntary passion of many.
• Encourage a sense of community for those who are interested in what you’re doing. These are your biggest fans, thoughtful advocates, and potential reinforcements in future endeavors.
• Develop engaging and easily accessible resources about your work and how it was accomplished, because it deserves that conversation! It’s these things that allow other people to learn from your valuable experience.
• And most importantly, use all these touchpoints to spur a creative cycle where past projects inform and inspire future ones in new and imaginative ways.

One benefit of fiction is that it helps people rethink and redefine what’s possible. And hopefully, that same impulse behind today’s blockbusters can get us all to look at our own Knowledge Management work a little differently from time to time. Don’t forget that with great knowledge comes great responsibility. I’m sure it’s a burden that you know very well. But in the herculean tasks ahead, you are the real deal and the hero of this particular saga. Good luck and Excelsior!

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