The presentation leverages several recent success stories from EK's client work to discuss current themes in Knowledge and Information Management systems design and development. It includes examples and discussion of Cloud, Agile, Taxonomy, and Change Management, amongst other themes.

1. PRACTICAL KNOWLEDGE
MANAGEMENT
Leveraging People, Process, and Technology
to Ensure Business Value
@EKConsulting, @ZacharyWahl

2. Our Take on Knowledge Management
Knowledge Management involves the
people, culture, processes, and enabling
technologies necessary to Capture,
Manage, Share, and Find information.
Knowledge and Information Management
(KIM) efforts exist on the same spectrum,
with knowledge moving from tacit to
explicit, and then content moving from
unstructured to structured.
The most effective KIM efforts are those
that are driven by “business” value and
end user needs.
1

3. Success Themes for Practical KM
2
AGILE
USER ENGAGEMENT
TAXONOMY
OPEN SOURCE
BENCHMARKING
CHANGE MANAGEMENT
MVP
CLOUD

4. National Park Service
Challenge: The NPS L&D Office needed a single
system to provide access to all Park Service
employees, providing consistent and intuitive access
to Structured, Unstructured, and Social Learning.
Solution: EK conducted a workshop methodology in
order to understand business user needs and engage
them in the design process. We leveraged WordPress
to develop a comprehensive Learning Ecosystem,
spanning multiple types of content and interactions.
Results: The tool has quickly been adopted and has
widespread support for iterative improvements, guided
by strong change management and governance plans.
3

5. National Park Service
KEY SUCCESS FACTORS
User Engagement: The site replaced over
20 existing sites full of content. User buy-
in was critical. We leveraged workshops
from the outset to capture user feedback
and design iteratively.
Change Management: EK used our
workshops to create a dialogue with NPS
staff so that they feel part of the process.
Measurable Success Criteria: Each area
of the project has measurable success
criteria to keep the project focused on the
business needs. These measures also
allow NPS to communicate the value of
the new system.
4

6. Inter-American Development Bank (IDB)
Challenge: IDB needed to roll out a new Document and
Records Management solution for the entire organization.
They needed Taxonomy, Governance, and Development
Support.
Solution: EK consultants held focus groups with IDB
personnel from every department and country to develop a
taxonomy that aligned with the business needs. EK also
provided development services to implement the site.
Results: IDB now has a best in class SharePoint/Office 365
implementation that supports content findability as well as
Records Management. The SharePoint sites are designed
to support IDB’s matrixed structure and can grow as the
organization evolves.
5

7. Inter-American Development Bank (IDB)
KEY SUCCESS FACTORS
Taxonomy: EK facilitated workshops
across every country and business unit to
understand the organizational terms and
to drive adoption.
Automated Metadata: Content types were
designed so that metadata is
automatically assigned based on content
owner and location.
Cloud Technology: IDB is using Office 365
to minimize infrastructure support,
simplify scaling, and lower O&M costs.
6

8. The World Bank
Challenge: The World Bank Knowledge Exchange Group
was seeking a lightweight Knowledge Management System
(KMS) that could be deployed for government agencies
with minimal burden and maximum customization.
Solution: EK developed a workshop methodology to
capture design requirements while conducting knowledge
transfer and encouraging adoption alongside a cloud-
based, open source solution.
Results: Over the last year, EK has conducted workshops
for eight agencies and deployed five instances of the KMS.
Organizations including BNPB (Indonesia), NACO (India),
and SBM (India) now have a simple tool to share
knowledge and connect with experts.
7

9. The World Bank
KEY SUCCESS FACTORS
Agile Development: The “template”
system was developed in three sprints
(total of 11 weeks). Each subsequent
system is developed over two sprints.
Focused Functionality: The core system
includes document uploading, tagging,
expert profiles, favorites, and social
interaction.
Open Source Technology: The underlying
technology is Alfresco. The system is
designed for minimal administrative
burden, but allows for customization and
personalization.
8

10. DOMINATING THEMES
FOR PRACTICAL KM

11. Agile Design and Development
ENGAGE, DESIGN, ASSESS, REPEAT
Ensure engagement with the end users at
every step in the process, for effective
understanding of needs, knowledge
transfer, and change management.
Accompany approach with measurable
success criteria to gauge effectiveness
throughout the project.
Deconstruct any KM initiative into its most
granular components that possess
business value. Pivot around each,
assessing success and readjusting at
every turn.
10

12. Benchmarking
KNOW WHERE YOU ARE AND WHERE
YOU’RE GOING
Critical communications tool in order to
obtain support and show/claim success.
Supports concept of Agile iteration,
addressing issues and making progress
step-by-step.
Provides important incentive for staff and
executive team for budgeting and
resource allocation.
11

13. Change Management
ENGAGEMENT, COMMUNICATIONS,
EDUCATION, AND MARKETING
Engage end users and stakeholders from
project outset onward.
Formalize a communications plan to
ensure multi-tiered, two-way “discourse.”
May be integrated with Project and
System governance plans to support
“reacting” to inputs.
Incorporate standard communications of
Measurable Success Criteria, and
stakeholder value statements.
12

14. QUESTIONS?
Zach Wahl
zwahl@enterprise-knowledge.com
571.403.1109
@EKConsulting, @ZacharyWahl