Practice 6: Process Integration
Overview
The Process Integration Practice aims to make the Solve Loop frictionless. The goal is a tight integration of the Solve Loop practices, the incident management tool (CRM - or any tool that captures the request), and the knowledge management tool. This proves to be a daunting challenge. We strive for transparent integration of the request for assistance with the problem solving and knowledge creation and maintenance processes. What we describe in this section is the ideal. However, we know of no company that started with the infrastructure and integration described here; it is a goal, not the starting point. You do not have to have all the functionality or the level of integration we describe to start your KCS journey. Many have been successful with very crude integration. The key is to be constantly improving the infrastructure and moving toward the ideal state.
Tight integration is helpful so the responders can move quickly through the necessary functions with a minimum number of screens and clicks. The workflow is a real-time problem solving and knowledge capture process; the tools, navigation, and infrastructure used to support the process must be real-time as well. Once the initial workflow is defined, it must continually be improved as we gain experience in using it.