How do you leverage technology and tools to support and enhance your KM processes and activities?

Knowledge Management should begin with an understanding that MOST of what the company needs to know about is outside the company's control. Think of 1,000 banks (or 1,000 insurance companies, or 1,000 widget manufacturers) the basics (the industry analyses) and the generic industry skills training are not company specific. Given above, focus on any KM needs that are specific to your company that provide a competitive advantage of some sort. PS - tools like GuruScan can help identify the human knowledge you have - and need.

Imagine starting with a clean slate: you have a team eager to collaborate but no roadmap. I once faced this challenge head-on. We initiated by identifying key areas with knowledge gaps and inefficient information flow. This assessment guided us to specific tools and technologies that streamlined our KM processes. Utilizing collaborative platforms like Microsoft Teams for discussions and SharePoint for content management was pivotal in achieving our objectives. The vital lesson is customizing technology to your KM needs rather than opting for a generic solution. This strategy boosts efficiency and cultivates a culture of continuous learning and knowledge sharing within teams.

I think it's essential to prioritize requirements in this step. Typically, there's a long list of requirements, but it helps, in my experience, to organize them into 'must-haves,' 'should-haves,' 'could-haves,' and 'nice-to-haves.' The first step is to prioritize these requirements. Then, identify the key problem the knowledge management system aims to solve. For example, if the main issue is scattered or inaccessible knowledge across various platforms like emails, chats, and drives, the main goal should be to centralize this information, making it easily accessible for everyone.

Reverse engineer your approach with stakeholders and focus groups. If for example you are trying to determine the best AI resource for legal professionals, don't start with looking at the actual tools available but rather consider the use cases or purposes required. Too many processes start with an "eye," on the shiny new toy rather than the "prize" which is ensuring you have selected the right technology to match the specific requirement. For example if your use case is the review of legal documents such as contracts you don't want to pick a generalist tool that has no applicability to the skill set required. Too many shiny toys have been bought and abandoned because the required disciplined use case analysis has not been done prior.

Whether it's a comprehensive knowledge base, collaboration tools, or AI-driven analytics, choose solutions that align with your goals and facilitate seamless sharing and access to information. Imagine you're part of a big project team spread out across different locations. You all need to share and access important documents and updates regularly. So, you decide to use a cloud-based collaboration platform like Microsoft Teams. With Teams, everyone can upload, edit, and access files in real-time, no matter where they are. It keeps everything organized and makes collaboration a breeze!

Leveraging technology and tools to support and enhance knowledge management (KM) processes involves utilizing advanced software and platforms that facilitate the creation, storage, sharing, and retrieval of information. Implement knowledge management systems (KMS) like intranets, wikis, and content management systems to organize and centralize knowledge resources. Employ collaboration tools such as Slack, Microsoft Teams, or SharePoint to enable seamless communication and information exchange among employees. Additionally, ensure robust security measures are in place to protect sensitive information while maintaining ease of access for authorized users.

Unless you use AI-augmented tools, most tools don't do the work for you. The processes around the tools are way more important. Worse than using no tools, is to impose ONE tool to the whole organization. Let each team select their tool of choice because what's worse than managing multiple tools is to pay for a tool nobody uses. Then, use knowledge operation platforms like trampoline.ai or qatalog.com to make each tool and its respective information easily accessible.

I select the right tool for me based on my KPI. Then it is important which tool was trained with which data records. Is it data protection compliant? Does it ensure my continued existence by providing knowledge or does the exact opposite happen due to the higher-level data processing and my knowledge is suddenly available worldwide without my consent? Yes, you should know the tools in question and analyze exactly what they do with the data and why. What always counts when making a decision is who trained and provided the AI with what data and for what purpose? Not every tool that fits your requirements will help you achieve your goals.

Knowledge Graph- Always start here. Knowledge graphs should completed by the end of your knowledge audit. Knowledge Bases- Knowledge management platforms are simply information management systems without a proper knowledge base. Knowledge Sharing Apps - How seamlessly knowledge gets into the knowledge base is just as important as the knowledge base itself. Automations- Humans forget. Automate as much as you can. Always refer to your knowledge management SOPs and Policies.

If you want to ensure solid integration of KM related tools and resources, ensure you add this 4th one to the oft overused trio of People, Process and Technology - the fourth being Reality. You can't neatly tie up a KM solution in a bow without taking a deep and thoughtful look at how people in your organization actually work in reality. What are the real work flow patterns and use cases that will resonate with a business requirement for adoption of a resource. Tap into REALITY as a fourth reference point and you will arrive at a KM solution that will work.

Use collaboration platforms, knowledge bases, and analytics tools to streamline knowledge sharing and management. For instance, combine a knowledge base with a collaboration tool like Microsoft Teams. Document insights and best practices in the knowledge base while using Teams for real-time discussions and updates. Automate content updates and notifications between tools, ensuring that your team always has the latest information. This integration supports efficient knowledge flow and keeps everyone aligned and informed.

One of the best tools you can invest in today is a Knowledge Graph. Knowledge Graphs support the capture of business concepts, semantics, their properties and classifications, and the interrelationships that may exist between them; including links to external resources and data. Imagine knowledge expressed as a web. The general accessibility of knowledge graphs make them an ideal medium for socializing knowledge in the language of business. Their enormous flexibility permits combination of pre-existing and newly-discovered knowledge; which can be retained and externalized within the graph. Knowledge graphs can be considered 'actionable' in that fresh insights and discovery can be internalized into new understanding and application.

The best method I have found for motivating knowledge management users is to focus on people managers trough a lense of consistency. Oftentimes the products that knowledge managers are creating can be used as helpful frameworks for people managers work managing individual contributors. Having People Managers constantly citing their source as a knowledge management resource is a surefire way to make sure that KM tools and products are not left to gather dust on a shelf.

How to do this? For example, implement interactive, gamified training platforms that reward users for engaging with KM tools, fostering consistent usage. Or use a more modern approach: use AI-driven tools to provide personalised feedback and recognition, motivating users to improve and actively participate in KM processes :)

We encountered a common challenge when implementing a new KM system: low initial user engagement despite robust features. To address this, we redesigned our approach with interactive training sessions that not only covered technical aspects but also highlighted the system's benefits for daily tasks. This hands-on experience resonated well, encouraging active exploration and use of KM tools. Recognizing participation and sharing success stories further motivated users. Concise, relevant, and accessible training modules were instrumental in boosting user adoption and satisfaction. Aligning training with user needs proved crucial, emphasizing the significance of tailored training and continuous motivation for KM success.

Point 4 here is totally oldschool and completely inappropriate. If the benefits of a tool are immediately apparent to every user from the outset, then no training is needed, because one of the KPIs should be that it is largely self-explanatory and easy to use. A tool that requires extensive training is not well thought out and designed. You should rather avoid the need for training or having to motivate employees. The right tool selection and a careful change management process with a comprehensive information chain over the entire selection period ensures this. It's not the tool with a billion features that wins, but the one that meets my requirements in an uncomplicated and simple way. Stop training people, choose the right software.

To be quite frank, if you are in KM and not seriously exploring ways to adopt AI in your organization, you are going to be left behind. Your leadership and advocacy for the technology will be key in the months and years ahead to ensure your organization has adopted industry grade solutions in whatever discipline you find yourself in artificial intelligence. In much the same way that search engines became the key standard for information retrieval, Gen AI is firmly the successor to that space. Ignore it at your peril and thinking that a few baby steps in its direction will be sufficient is only a form of cognitive dissonance. Be prepared to be bold and transformative and your KM initiatives will thrive.

One way to do this is to regularly conduct surveys and focus groups to gather user feedback. This allows for iterative improvements and aligns KM tools with evolving needs.

Introduce new features or tools on a small scale before a full rollout. This piloting phase allows for real-world testing and iteration based on user feedback, minimising risks associated with larger-scale implementations. As your organisation grows, so too will its knowledge needs. Regularly assess whether your KM tools can scale and adapt to changing demands. This might include adding new functionalities, increasing storage capacities, or enhancing integration capabilities with other enterprise systems. Continuous user education and support are critical for maximising the adoption and effective use of KM tools. Offer regular training sessions and create user guides to assist users in navigating and leveraging KM technologies effectively.

You can easily leverage technology to enhance KM processes. Really easily ?? For example: use Microsoft SharePoint for document management and collaboration, ensuring all team members had access to up-to-date information. Then, for real-time communication, integrate Microsoft Teams, enabling instant messaging and video conferencing. Implement or use a learning management system (LMS) to provide ongoing training and development resources. Then capture and share insights, by utilising Confluence for wikis and knowledge bases. These tools streamlined the KM activities, improved information sharing, and enhanced overall productivity.

The most counter intuitive reason I regularly encounter for resistance to adoption of new technologies that can enhance KM (GEN AI tools, know-how resources, digital or virtual meeting platforms) relates to the paradoxical fear of an investment that may have no financial return due to increased efficiency. That's right - you heard it correctly! The notion that efficiency tools can somehow undermine the "way things have always been done" and reduce revenue - be it an hourly rate for a lawyer, an in person visit for a doctor, or an automation that replaces a manual mechanical repair. Just adopt the technology! You will actually have more time for additional business and more time for enjoying life - the "KM premium" predates the wheel.