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Consortium for Service Innovation

Technique 6.2: Technology Integration

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Design and integrate tools to facilitate a structured knowledge-centered workflow. 

Technology is a critical enabler for KCS. Ideally, technology enables the problem solving process in the Solve Loop at the speed of conversation, or in real-time. Responders become more proficient at the process, solve problems faster, and minimize rework by using the experiences of the entire organization.

To achieve this "speed of conversation" goal, the tools being used must be integrated to enable a seamless workflow where the problem solving process is integrated with the knowledge base and KCS article creation.

Design criteria:

  • Make it easy and obvious for the responders to do the right thing
  • Minimize context switching, screen changes/application changes
  • Align with and support the responders' problem solving process
  • Capitalize on all that is known and already entered (no duplication of work)
  • Integrate what is known from multiple sources: about the customer, the account, entitlement, the product and the issue

Most organizations operate within a complex ecosystem of tools. There are case management systems, knowledge bases, CRM platforms, and more. You may not directly control these systems, but you are a key stakeholder. Successful KCS adoption depends on partnering with your tools and technology teams to ensure the systems in place support knowledge practices and don’t serve as barriers.

We can have the best tools and user interfaces in the world but if we don't understand why and how to use them, it won't matter. A good user interface must be complimented with understanding and buy-in on the part of the responders, coaching to support behavior change, and appropriate, outcome-based measures.

Content Reusability

KCS depends on knowledge being easy to find and use, by both requestors and responders. Key considerations include:

  • Findability and discoverability through effective search
  • Use of AI-powered capabilities to surface relevant content
  • Optimization for both internal use and external channels (i.e. self-service)
  • Support for SEO (Search Engine Optimization) and AEO (Answer Engine Optimization) to improve reach and surface relevant content
  • A customer journey that supports a seamless flow from self-service to assisted interactions without loss of context

The easier it is to find and trust knowledge, the more it will be reused and the more value it will deliver.

Integration With Self-Service

The value of knowledge is maximized when it is made available directly to users through self-service experiences that take advantage of always-on digital access, modern discovery and intelligent suggestion tools, and the presence of online communities.

When offering a self-service experience, it is critical to consider the user's entire journey to a solution.  If a user starts the problem solving process in a digital knowledge experience but does not find anything helpful, it is important to allow them to easily move from the self-service path to the assisted path without losing the context of their digital engagement. This seamless, logical transition improves the user's experience and encourages future use of the self-service path because it is the path of least resistance and best results.

Learn more in Measuring Self-Service Success: Self-Service Strategy

Knowledge Worker Experience

Technology should make it easy for knowledge workers to contribute to and benefit from KCS as part of their everyday workflow.

While specific UI details vary by platform, the desired experience is consistent:

  • Knowledge is created, updated, and reused within the workflow, not in separate steps
  • It is easy to link interactions (cases, tickets) to knowledge articles
  • Contribution is lightweight and intuitive, reducing friction and supporting participation
  • Tools align with and support the responders' problem solving process
  • Problem solving incorporates all that is known and already entered (no duplication of work)
  • Access is provided to what is known from all/multiple sources: about the customer, the account, entitlement, the product and the problem/question
  • The system supports continuous improvement of knowledge over time

The goal is a seamless experience where knowledge work is simply how work gets done.

Sustainability of the KCS Practices requires that knowledge workers see continuous improvement in the level of integration. The KCS Coaches and Knowledge Optimizers should provide requirements to the owners of the user interface to promote continuous improvement in the design and functionality of the infrastructure.

Variations on a Theme

Process is important, but be smart about it. Success with KCS requires an understanding of the Practices so that the processes can be tuned to meet the needs of a specific environment.

For example, in an environment experiencing an extremely high frequency of a few problems or questions, we would expect those articles would make their way quickly to self-service due to the high reuse. But what if the environment is such that self-service is not an option? In this case, the responders already know the answer, and the full process of search, capture, and structure does not make sense. 

For these frequently raised issues, enable an easy way for responders to record that they answered this question again. A "quick click" or a favorites list allows us to track reuse on how often these answers are being delivered, without burdening the responder with extra steps.

This list of frequently provided answers may be unique to any group of responders. There should not be more than ten items in this list. Processes should include ways to update responders if the preferred answer changes, so when a better answer evolves, the new information is displayed when "quick click" button for that KCS article is used.

Data Integration

The ability to observe and measure Solve Loop activities and support Evolve Loop practices relies heavily on data.

Technology should support:

  • Bi-directional integration between incidents (cases, tickets) and knowledge
  • Visibility into knowledge creation and improvement activity
  • Search and discovery effectiveness metrics
  • Resolution outcomes tied to knowledge interactions
  • The ability to track knowledge usage and success across assisted and self-service channels
  • Insights into content performance and knowledge gaps
  • Trend analysis and pattern detection
  • Identity and context sharing to ensure users can only access data to which they have permission

Versioning of articles can also play an important role in preserving the context in which knowledge was used or delivered while allowing content to evolve over time.

Working with Your Technology Ecosystem

If you are evaluating or evolving your technology stack:

  • Engage your internal tools teams early.
  • Clearly articulate your KCS requirements.
  • Consider solutions and partners who are already aligned with KCS Principles and Practices.
  • Set up a process for regular technology review. The KCS Adoption and Transformation Guide recommends a thorough evaluation of technology after Wave I of adoption.

KCS can be enabled with many different technologies. The Consortium has developed KCS Verified and KCS Aligned programs to help in the tool selection process. See KCS Verified tools in action, or explore real-world examples of how KCS helps companies leverage organizational knowledge.

Software products become KCS Verified by demonstrating support for the following sample criteria:

  • An article object and search engine
  • Supports distinction between problem content and environment content
  • Search engine granularity
  • Search problem content against problem content
  • Search environment content against environment content
  • Ability to link/point/relate incidents to KCS articles and KCS articles to incidents
  • KCS article audience management
  • KCS article state categories
  • Search arguments are preserved as the basis for a new KCS article
  • Reporting and metrics

To find out which vendors' products are Aligned or Verified, or for a detailed list of all requirements, visit the Consortium for Service Innovation.

Emerging AI technologies and tools can pose their own unique integration and adoption challenges. Get guidance in our AI Implementation Essentials. Consortium Members have access to the AI Blueprint, which provides more detail (Member login required).  

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