P2P

69 I L T A N E T . O R G current. This is necessary so that lawyers see the base itself as a trusted source, and the "go to" place for answers. This investment of knowledge personnel for repository maintenance can also be justified by the way the system is used. The right assets drive satisfactory levels of usage, and this can drive the business value of the know-how base itself. Here, user statistics through system reports are crucial. In specific cases, PSLs or Knowledge Leaders can also analyse the quality of knowledge submitted, considering user reviews and the cost-savings of articles (i.e. in their ability to reduce the need for one-on-one sessions with experts). This data can be used to report on improvement to the knowledge store, as well as the ROI of the practice of knowledge curation. T E C H N O L O G Y U S A B I L I T Y User experience is also a critical success factor for any knowledge technology, so it's crucial that firms regularly review a system's ease of use. Analysing search systems, firms often start by considering what the searcher may need and how they may look for it. Are staff using the system in the way it was designed to operate? Is it offering what it promises, and are users satisfied? With this, firms could also look to analyse all system access points and consider where new integrations may need to be considered, such as with email clients or PMS integrations. A know-how system that is easy to access with an intuitive interface will empower staff to start projects running instead of walking, with a deeper level of understanding of the way tasks were handled before. On the other hand, a tool with poor usability – and that no one can find - will have little business value. It is also important to analyse the usability of the system for all working styles, reporting on the ease of system use for knowledge browsers and refined searchers alike. As well as supporting existing staff, a comprehensive knowledge repository is also a real asset for streamlining the onboarding of new employees, therefore the ways in which junior staff use the system could be reviewed, to ensure that new joiners are able to access what they need in a way that suits them. Although reporting functionality will vary between systems, a number of solutions are now able to highlight inputted keywords or other such search data, indicating user needs by highlighting exactly what they were looking for from the knowledge system – and ultimately the firm's knowledge store. By identifying any areas of weakness with the firm's know-how library, KM teams can justify the need for KM by pinpointing genuine user requirements. Knowledge is Human Fundamentally, knowledge and learning are human conditions, which is why connecting staff with resources and with each other is often a core starting point for KM initiatives. Successful KM is not just about processes or workflows, but behaviours, mindsets and perspectives towards knowledge sharing and knowledge values. "User statistics through system reports are crucial."

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