10 key steps for an easy organizational knowledge sharing platform set up
, Hélène Marcq
1. Ensure strong and exemplary support from the highest level
- Obtain management approval and commitment
- Register the approach in a global strategy
- Engage the most influential people / leaders
2. Dedicate an internal team to the project
- Set a project management team that combines the expertises and functions
- Choose people based on their representativeness (background knowledge), motivation and availability
- Formalise their role (responsibility) and their level of involvement (time) in the project
3. Clearly define the needs and scope of the project
- Make sure the needs are expressed in business terms rather than functional ones
- Differentiate individual needs from collective needs (at organisational level)
- Distinguish what is covered or not by the project/tool
4. Stick as closely as possible to users behavior and habits
- Identify the different usage scenarios
- Initially, do not change all the processes but rather try to find a way to replicate existing ones
- In terms of taxonomy, do not create an official thesaurus but match the vocabulary and terms used in the field
- Map existing collaborative practices (networks, communities of practice, mentoring practices, etc.)
- Evaluate the time and methodologies used to manage information and knowledge, the tool is supporting all these processes
5. Take the technological environment into account
- Map the existing tools, their functional scope and the scope of actual use
- Identify current needs and gaps
- Clearly position each tool
- Create an environment as friendly and integrated as possible for the user
6. Design an intuitive platform
- Define a clear and simple architecture that meets the identified needs
- Define simple and explicit rights/roles models
- Define a clear and strategical taxonomy, close to the organisation's vocabulary
- Apply a graphic identity similar to the one of the organisation
7. Develop a network of active facilitators
- Dedicate a facilitator (ideally a volunteer) to each space
- Support facilitators in their mission (support, tutorials, guides)
- Follow and support potential technical problems (connection, browsers, passwords, etc.)
- Transforming facilitators in real ambassadors of the platform, not only online but also offline
- Create a sense of network between the facilitators
8. Experiment with your scenarios on a limited scope
- Test uses with a representative group
- Organise feedback sessions
- Adjust your usage scenarios, deployment strategy and architecture based on the feedbacks and behaviours observed
9. Drive a targeted and multichannel communication campaign
- Communicate, communicate, communicate
- Communicate before, during and after the project launch
- Clearly define the message for each target group
- Highlight the key uses and the key value (gap filled by the platform, real value added)
- Diversify the channels (not to overlook the offline) and the message broadcast medium
10. Observe, evaluate and adjust your knowledge sharing platform
- Define qualitative and quantitative indicators to measure success
- Go back to the results of the information audit to demonstrate success
- Establish mechanisms that value and reward contribution as well as "consumption"
- Keep listening to users and develop the platform use