Connected Knowledge from Upland Software Upland Software

Got AI on the brain? You’d be forgiven if that answer is yes. Peek around just about any corner of the organization, and you’ll likely find a team exploring how AI can help in one fashion or another. But where do you draw the line, especially in your contact center? 
Our own Stephen Harley joins Pete Wright to help us define what that line might look like, and with over 20 years of experience in both the engineering and sales side of the house, he’s perfect for the job. 
Links & Notes
Reimagining Knowledge Management with ChatGPT (uplandsoftware.com)AI Guide for Contact Centers (uplandsoftware.com)10 Must-Know Gen AI Terms in Knowledge Management (uplandsoftware.com)Submit your Questions to Connected Knowledge
(00:00) - Welcome to Connected Knowledge
(00:50) - The Mainstream Question
(03:17) - Using AI Tools
(08:14) - Do's and Dont's in Implementation
(12:42) - Making a Difference for Agents
(15:33) - AI and Jobs
(22:38) - Training on The Training

When it comes to contact centers, the stereotypical image most people have in mind are large offices with a lot of agents on the phone and a computer in front of them furiously trying to find the right answer to a customer’s problem. As we continue to see changes in the way people work, more organizations have shifted from on-premises to cloud-based solutions. The changing consumer impacts the evolving organizations, which ultimately impacts the contact center. 
This week on the show, Upland’s own Fiona Vanderlinde is here to help us understand how to get into the cloud... one toe at a time.
Links & Notes
Harness the Power of Salesforce Service Cloud Voice | Upland InGenius (uplandsoftware.com)How Empowering Your Agents Boosts the Customer Experience - InGenius (uplandsoftware.com)Increase the personal touch in your contact center – by digitizing voice! - InGenius (uplandsoftware.com)
(00:00) - Welcome to Connected Knowledge

Each year, Destination CRM magazine holds its Customer Experience Trends to Watch webinar. In fact, it’s the number one most popular roundtable topic they have each year. It’s where CX solution providers are invited to share what they believe are the 2024 trends to watch. 
This week, we’re talking all about trends of 2024 with our own Samantha Middlebrook, Senior Director of Product Marketing and Management for Contact Center Productivity at Upland. She presented at the webinar and is back with Pete Wright to share what she learned—and shared—from the CRM Magazines Customer Experience Trends to Watch Webinar. 
Links & Notes
The Inner Circle Guide to Agent Engagement & Empowerment (uplandsoftware.com)3 Ways AI Can Boost Your Contact Center Productivity (uplandsoftware.com)AI Guide for Contact Centers (uplandsoftware.com)
(00:00) - Welcome to Connected Knowledge
(01:52) - Call Center Trends for 2024
(09:26) - AI

This week, we’re talking about change. Big change, small change, and all change in between. But here’s the thing... employees report the lowest willingness to accept enterprise change in years. What’s behind that so-called transformation deficit? 

Harvard Business Review says employees experienced an average of ten planned enterprise changes in 2022. Gartner research shows employees’ willingness to support enterprise change dropped from 74% in 2016 to 43% in 2022. HBR is calling this gap between those changes and employee’s willingness to adapt to each one is being called the “transformation deficit.” How can organizations get ahead of this, and might knowledge management be a part of the answer?

Luke Jamieson, our own Solutions Consultant for Upland’s Contact Center Productivity Solutions and Michael Mattson, former veteran customer experience practitioner and thought leader are here today to explain it, and how knowledge management solutions might just get us out of that adaptation trough. 
Links & Notes
Guiding Change: Digital transformation and how technology is conquering the challenge of change | Panviva (uplandsoftware.com)Single Source of Truth Across Digital Channels | Upland Panviva (uplandsoftware.com)The Importance of KMS (Knowledge Management Systems) by the Numbers | Panviva | Upland Software
(00:00) - Welcome to Connected Knowledge
(00:26) - Introducing Luke Jamieson and Michael Mattson
(03:39) - How do you Change the People?
(06:36) - The Incentive Roller Coaster
(12:28) - Evaluating the Statistics
(16:20) - Building the Case
(19:48) - Purpose versus Process
(22:31) - Implementation
(28:08) - How do you know you have a need for a new KMS?

How do you know your knowledge management system is getting a bit long in the tooth? Are your people complaining about too many emails covering the same things? Are they struggling to keep their knowledge current as the organization changes around them?
This week on the show, one of our own leaders is back to help us out. Keith Berg is senior vice president and general manager of contact center productivity solutions, and he sits down with Pete Wright to help tune us to the red flags that point to your organization’s readiness for the KMS upgrade.
About Keith Berg
Keith provides leadership of the contact center and knowledge management suite of products at Upland Software, overseeing all of its business operations. He has worked with KM and contact center leaders for 20 years, helping them improve customer experience, increase agent productivity, and reduce operational costs. 
Links & Notes
The Importance of KMS (Knowledge Management Systems) by the Numbers | Panviva | Upland Software  Leveraging Generative AI in Knowledge Management (uplandsoftware.com)Leveraging Agile Project Methodology for Successful KMS Implementation (uplandsoftware.com)Submit your Questions to Connected Knowledge
(00:00) - Welcome to Connected Knowledge
(01:17) - How do we know we're ready to change in our centers?
(06:20) - Adapting around holes in the system
(08:16) - How do you know if your KMS is broken?
(13:36) - Listener Question: Human Behavior, AI, and Improvement
(18:20) - Sneak Peak: Destination CRM’s 2024 CX Megatrends to Watch: Expert Predictions webinar
(20:26) - Learn More

In this episode of Connected Knowledge, we explore how knowledge management can transform the employee experience and unlock greater engagement. Pete Wright is joined by CX experts Luke Jamison and Nate Brown, and together, they dive into the power of the employee journey map and why knowledge management should be at the heart.
“Knowledge is the lifeblood of customer service. It's either flowing or it's not,” says Brown. When employees have easy access to living knowledge, they can serve customers with confidence and autonomy. This fuels engagement, innovation, and advocacy. Many companies excel at onboarding but then lose momentum in engaging employees. The employee journey map provides a holistic view across the entire arc - from hiring to retirement. This enables organizations to pinpoint friction and cultivate knowledge sharing.
Jamieson explains that most friction happens when new hires transition to managers who are focused on targets over nurturing talent. He emphasizes the need for an “employee experience change coalition” so HR doesn't go it alone. Knowledge should be interwoven at every stage.
Questions We Explore:
What does the employee journey map contain and why does it matter?Where does the employee experience usually go off track and how can knowledge help?How does living knowledge create confidence and autonomy vs. frustrating searches?What tools and resources can help organizations empower employees through knowledge?Critical Insights for Knowledge-Centered Organizations
This episode explores the connections between engaged employees, customer experience, and knowledge management.
“When we start thinking about knowledge management in that way, it really is much more a holistic approach to making your business more cohesive versus, ‘hey, this is just another piece of software,’” explains Jamieson.
Instead of focusing on goals and tickets, create space for employees to grow. Knowledge builds confidence to serve customers and drive innovation. To create a thriving culture, put knowledge at the heart of the employee journey.
Links & Notes
Maximizing Knowledge Management for Agent Effort & Productivity (uplandsoftware.com)Knowledge management supports your agents by reducing their cognitive load - RightAnswers (uplandsoftware.com)How to Improve Call Center Agent Performance - 6 Tactics (uplandsoftware.com)CX AcceleratorFusion: How Integrating Brand and Culture Powers the World's Greatest Companies by Denise Lee YohnPrimed to Perform: How to Build the Highest Performing Cultures Through the Science of Total MotivationLearning to Learn and the Navigation of Moods: The Meta-Skill for the Acquisition of Skills by Gloria P. FloresCustomer Experience | CX AcceleratorSend us a Question!
(00:00) - Welcome to Connected Knowledge
(01:09) - What is Employee Journey Mapping?
(12:39) - The Operations Break-Down
(18:24) - What's the Role of KM in Employee Mapping?
(20:30) - A Day in the Life
(26:53) - Making the Case for KM
(37:26) - Learn More