KM experts reveal how to modernize knowledge management to boost digital transformation

New technologies provide opportunities for budding entrepreneurs and established enterprises alike to develop new business models and processes that change older ways of running operations and improve how customers are served.

Accelerating digital transformation involves integrated information management and "knowledge as a service." It's about how you work with new tools and across teams. To work smarter and faster, you need KM to ensure that information is not only easily accessible to foster greater productivity and collaboration but also can be trusted to inform action.

KMWorld recently held a roundtable webinar with Kurt Thies, VP product evangelist, Access; John Chmaj, senior director, product strategy knowledge management, Verint; and Timothy Boettcher, SVP, client services, AvePoint, who shared pointers for modernizing your KM strategy for digital transformation.

Knowledge Management serves a vital role in the modern workplace, Boettcher said. Even before the pandemic, cloud-based and team-focused collaboration across diverse locations and employee demographics has changed.

Even though many orgs have adopted tools and platforms in the modern workplace, it’s still critical to avoid sprawl, information overload, and manage security, sharing, and risk effectively, he said.

Good KM is supported by good IM, according to Boettcher. A strong component of KM is context. Being organized is being aware.

Good IM is supported by good governance and good records management (RM). A good governance strategy lays out the IA map that helps with IM workspace management, and understandings for RM location policies.

RM, IM, and governance have been traditionally separate conversations, but all of these are related, and required for good Knowledge Management capture and awareness.

Knowledge management is evolving, Chmaj said, accelerated by "working from anywhere," digital transformation, the demand for open technology platforms, increased adoption of self-service, real-time contextual expectations, and AI and automation.

Knowledge as a service provides consistency across all channels for all audiences, he said. Look for business processes where common or complex transactions would benefit from dynamic information delivery.

Delivering Knowledge as a service Requires:

• Intelligent Information Processing Tools: Normalize, rank, present information proactively through AI/ML tools and methods
• Standardized metadata definitions processed through APIs: Link knowledge repositories to each channel to scope and trigger the right information.  Map information attributes across different tools to drive the best interactions
• Clear, scalable omnichannel authoring for content: Facilitate creation and maintenance of knowledge appropriate for each channel
• Cross-channel reporting capabilities: Assess and adjust to how well information is being delivered to meet critical demand
• Ongoing partnership with the business and technical owners of each channel’s applications: Assure continuous alignment of their goals, capabilities and content requirements

The business case for digitization services is being drive by the COVID-19 pandemic and the move to remote work Thies explained. There are some information management challenges, however that include:

• Limited file access
• Security and legal hold orders
• Growth of electronic records
• Complexity of records management
• Changing laws and privacy regulations

The solution is Access’ Digital Mailroom, he said. Access Managed Services provide reliable and secure access to business information from anywhere at a predictable monthly cost.

The Digital Mailroom platform allows users to gain digital access to mail and physical documents, manage non-document Items, maintain a secure chain of custody, and manage physical mail from any location.

Another solution, Day Forward Scanning, can convert physically born records into electronic records which can increase the efficiency of existing content management systems.

An archived on-demand replay of this webinar is available here.