Solve and Evolve: Practical applications for knowledge-centered service

Abstract

In any organization with a true service focus, knowledge is a community asset. The sharing and availability of knowledge is crucial to providing better customer service, but the larger and more decentralized your group is, the more the logistical challenges pile up. By implementing formal knowledge management (KM) practices, higher education IT organizations can improve performance metrics and customer service, while improving collaboration among fragmented teams and cultivating a singular, rather than siloed, view of the IT ecosystem. Knowledge-Centered Service (KCS, formerly known as Knowledge-Centered Support) presents the administration and lifecycle of an organization's knowledge base in two interdependent rings: the Solve and Evolve loops. "Solve" covers the day-to-day transaction work with knowledge: service desk and customer, incident tickets, and creating articles. "Evolve" then layers in leadership, organizational strategy, and data-driven methods for improving and maintaining a healthy knowledge base. In this paper, we will explore KCS best practices in Solve and Evolve, and how they align with ITIL framework for IT Service Management. Through the lens of knowledge management at Washington University in St. Louis, we will examine the practical application of these processes and the results we are experiencing in our burgeoning KM work, and present scalable takeaways for organizations looking to grow and expand knowledge management.