October 2024 Meetups

October 3: Coffee Hour with Experts - Favorite Page

Here are the highlights of the customer meetup:

Jessica Betterly from Sylogist shared about their content reuse strategy:

• They have a repository page that is invisible to customers but helps manage content updates across multiple product lines.
• This allows for a single source of truth for content used in multiple places, making it easier to update and manage attachments.

Frank Tagader from Sylogist commended Jessica for thorough documentation:

• They use a launch page with detailed instructions to ensure proper content reuse across their team.

Heather Tipton described using semi-private page permissions:

• This feature makes content invisible in search until added to the correct page, making it easier to manage access.
• They have also implemented a feature flag to identify pages with reused or copied content.

Rachel Columb from Verizon added their experience with semi-private pages:

• They started using semi-private settings for snippets and smaller content sections to better manage permissions and content reuse.

Heather Tipton also shared a customization for feedback:

• Their team pinned the feedback option to the bottom of the page for increased visibility, which led to an over 100% increase in feedback.

Nathaniel Ricardi From Alterra shared about managing seasonal content transitions:

• Working with a ski company, they manage transitions between different product seasons by using faceted search and content reuse.
• They emphasized training agents on search best practices to differentiate between old, current, and future season content.

Danielle Duffy from Hudson Valley demonstrated their customized Table of Contents (TOC):

• They have a TOC on the left that remains static as users scroll, enhancing navigation for long pages.
• They also use templates for callout boxes in different colors for different content types (e.g., warnings, tips) and have tailored templates for internal procedures.

October 10: Hastings Direct Spark's Redesign

Here are the highlights of the customer meetup: 

Spark Knowledge Base Redesign:

• Rebranding Spark: The knowledge base was rebranded as “Spark,” with the introduction of a brand character named Sparky to enhance engagement.
• Content Streamlining: Spark underwent a significant content restructure, reducing over 3,000 individual articles to topical articles with expandable sections, improving navigation and reducing scrolling.
• Enhanced User Interface: The interface was simplified to improve user experience, with a focus on making important resources, like the address book and recent updates, easily accessible.

Search Optimization:

• A drop-down search feature was introduced to categorize content more efficiently, addressing feedback from colleagues who struggled with overwhelming search results that included customer FAQs.
• A site map was added to help users understand what content exists in each category.

Results from the Redesign:

• Spark has seen a 50% increase in usage across all tenure groups.
• A 15% improvement in click-through rate and a higher page scroll rate due to better content structure.
• All retail content is now 100% up-to-date.

Future Tech and Content Strategy:

• AI and ChatGPT: The team is exploring how future technologies like ChatGPT and next-best action tools will require further restructuring of content to serve colleagues automatically and efficiently.
• A content reuse strategy will be employed to link individual articles to broader topics, enhancing content retrieval for users.

Engagement and Rollout:

• A strong engagement plan included working groups with operational teams, virtual colleague engagement sessions, and planned on-site roadshows.
• Internal communication campaigns using TV screens (called war boards) and the Sparky character will promote Spark within the organization.

Key Functionalities Implemented:

• Content reuse to reduce duplication.
• Expandable definitions and drop-down menus in articles to enhance readability.
• Scheduled publishing to ensure timely updates.

October 24: Driving Customer Enablement Utilizing Expert with Model N

Here are the highlights of the customer meetup:

Matt Adlai-Gail, VP of Education Services for Model N, led the presentation, focusing on enhancing customer experience (CX) by improving how users find, learn, and engage with Model N's content and support tools.

• Challenges in Model N's system:
  • Model N’s previous system struggled with fragmented content across multiple releases and silos, making it difficult for customers to find the right documentation.
  • Matt Adl discussed the issue of redundant search results and the complexity caused by different terminologies in various industries (e.g., pharma vs. semiconductors).
• Key Improvements:
  • Flattening Content: The content structure was reorganized, making it less deep and easier for users to navigate and find what they need.
  • Version Blending: A new approach where content was differentiated by software release versions, allowing users to filter content specific to their release.
  • Single Sign-On (SSO): Model N introduced an SSO solution using Okta to streamline customer access across all resources (learning libraries, help center, knowledge center, etc.), improving security and user experience.
• Knowledge Center Integration:
  • The team integrated a previously separate knowledge repository (from SharePoint) into Help Center, significantly increasing usage and customer engagement.
  • This move simplified user access to knowledge articles and allowed for better search results, with an almost 10-fold increase in page views.
• Pendo Integration:
  • Model N implemented Pendo to gain better insights into customer behavior and search effectiveness within the Help Center, allowing for real-time analytics and in-app guidance to improve user experience.
• Results and Metrics:
  • After the changes, Model N saw an improvement in customer satisfaction and efficiency in finding content. Metrics such as time on page increased by 10%, and usage of the integrated Knowledge Center rose sharply.
• Collaborative Approach:
  • Matt highlighted the importance of cross-functional collaboration between education, product, and support teams to achieve these improvements.
  • The presentation emphasized the need for continuous feedback, analytics, and iterative improvements to drive success.
• Takeaways:
  • Listening to customer feedback, gathering data, and making data-driven decisions were key to the success of the initiatives.
  • Matt also stressed the importance of building strong vendor relationships to stay updated on best practices and new tools.