What do you find to be the most challenging part of knowledge management?

[ItzJulia]

Whether you are using Service-Now or not, we all have things that come up with knowledge management that makes the job tough.   What is the most challenging task you face?

For us, it is maintaining the content to ensure it is still accurate.   The renewal process for us is still some what manual and getting the SMEs to find the time to review documents is a challenge.   Especially since they are often involved in day to day support or project work with deadlines.  

[StephLindorff]

So many different challenges .   My biggest struggle is just getting IT to contribute knowledge.   I consistently tell them "once knowledge exists, incidents for XYZ never have to come to your assignment group again" (the "shift left" deflection that Jeff Smith talked about) but even enlightened self interest isn't getting the desired outcome.

It's the classic case that IT would much rather do the work than document the work.   Fortunately, I also have strong C-level executive buy-in so part of the quarterly IT Manager's meeting is a look at which teams are contributing and to what degree.

I'm also working on building relationships with the people in each assignment group - picking a problem for each team and demonstrating how knowledge can move the dial.

[SimonDunsmoor]

I agree Stephanie Lindorff.   I was having good luck talking to Managers about their low hanging fruit.   I figured that 10-20% of most 2nd level department's support calls should be able to be pushed down a level.   My ambitious goal is to get back into that mode and drive more knowledge to the KB in July/Aug.   Wish me luck!!  

I unfortunately completely agree with you rfedoruk.

[Uncle Rob]

Three problems that blend together.

1)   Getting Knowledge Management started as a discipline

Most C's will nod and smile and agree that KM is "a good thing", but try getting it listed as an official project.   Its good, but its not "pressing", unless you're an exceptional case builder.   I think its been around long enough that its promise can be written off as "sure, that's what everyone says, but is this going to be just one more of IT's long list of failed endeavors".

2)   Convincing project sponsors not to over-process the discipline at the starting line

Its new, therefore it must be governed, and "governance" means one of two things:

- Getting external process consultants to make the process too heavy to use

- Equating governance with "everyone gets every field and category that they think they need because bla bla bla reporting bla bla".

3)   Getting participant buy-in

Nobody is getting any extra hours in their day to contribute to KM, and very likely the project will get zero FTE's to drive management.   So somehow you need to get the users to buy in and participate on their own.