Netsmart implemented NICE Expert Knowledge Management in 2015. What had started as a promising resource aimed mostly at the technical users of Netsmart’s healthcare solutions was not scoped for scale. As Netsmart grew their solution portfolio through organic and acquisitional growth, incorporating 15 new solutions into their CareFabric platform, they faced challenges in streamlining onboarding and integration processes for these additions within the existing wiki structure. The effects of turnover affected the technical writing team and team reshuffling further contributed to a decline in the knowledge base’s consistency and quality. “The platform had splintered into small ghost towns of old user guides, empty solution pages, duplicate articles, and hidden, unpublished drafts,” said Carol Hattrup, Netsmart’s Client Learning Manager.
02 DESIRE TO CHANGE
No half-measures
An assessment of the knowledge base revealed over 10,000 site structure errors in their site’s hierarchy content, as well as the realization that Expert’s features were not being utilized to their fullest. Even more importantly, Netsmart learned that both clients and internal stakeholders had lost trust in the resource. The team attempted to refresh and restructure content inside the existing solution but fell short of significantly resolving the underlying issues of the site’s infrastructure.
The technical writing team found themselves being pulled in several directions as revenue-generating live training took precedence over the crowdsourced knowledge base. At one-point, Netsmart strongly contemplated moving to a new knowledge management platform and completely starting over. However, they recognized that both the cost and the time commitment of that move would greatly exceed initial estimates, leading to a reconsideration of their approach.
03 THE SOLUTION
A relaunch
Netsmart chose to migrate to the new Guided Content Framework experience offered in Expert. In collaboration with NICE, the Netsmart technical writing team quickly got up to speed on both overlooked and new features. They created a new user experience focused on consistency, clean design, and permission guardrails around content to promote discoverability and keep crucial articles accurate and up-to-date. Netsmart designed both internal and client-facing materials including emails, banner ads, video plugs, and t-shirts to trumpet the relaunched knowledge base, now branded the Netsmart Resource Center.
Gaining a better understanding of the technology was only part of the process. The writing team was reallocated away from classroom instruction and put back on content development and editing. Netsmart also reevaluated how to serve all stakeholders in the Netsmart Resource Center audience. Articles had previously been designed both by and for technical minds and catered to an IT audience. With coaching assistance from NICE, Netsmart acknowledged the need to craft resources that cater to all users, not just tech professionals.
“Previously our documentation was really good at covering features and functionality, but now we’re adding context to make sure that our knowledge can be consumed by the nurse, the clinician, and the biller as well, not solely the IT persona,” said Sarah Owings, Netsmart Client Learning Senior Director.
04 THE RESULTS
Trust restored, engagement climbing
The successful relaunch of the Netsmart Resource Center on CXone Expert has empowered users and reestablished trust in the content. Instead of avoidance, both internal and external stakeholders are contributing innovative ideas and are engaging more with the platform. Older content is finding a newly energized pool of eager contributors ready to take responsibility for refreshing and maintaining the evergreen articles. The pivot to free, accessible, on- demand, and self-led training has been remarkably well-received by users who weren’t fully benefiting from pricier instructor-led sessions.
Beyond expanding its reach, Netsmart is also using the Resource Center to tackle a wider range of client challenges. For example, newly designed learning paths streamline the staff onboarding process to help users address rising turnover in the healthcare landscape and related disciplines. Audience engagement improvements include:
Clickthrough rate on search results rose from 49% to 57% and continues to climb an annualized 2%
Average content age has fallen by more than 200 days
With a formal feedback process now in place, user feedback has risen from nearly zero to 456 reports
Session engagement is up 14%
Overall content creation (including editing) is up 70%
Between the costs of a comparable replacement knowledge base, the need for a more expensive integration with Netsmart’s ServiceNow ticketing system, and other publishing costs, the move to Expert is saving Netsmart $119,000 annually against the alternative. Because of the streamlined design and elimination of several customized templates, editors are now able to switch seamlessly between topic and category areas, making the entire team more productive.
The Netsmart Resource Center implementation was awarded the CXone Expert Metamorphosis Award, in large part for demonstrating the value of being active and intentional about cultivating new enthusiasm and engagement with the refreshed platform. “Our marketing effort positioned our department as thought leaders and high achievers in our own company,” Hattrup said. “And they have begun asking for advice about how to build up their own teams and cultures.”
05 THE FUTURE
Ongoing benefits expected from superior knowledge management
As the relaunched Netsmart Resource Center continues to thrive and evolve, the company envisions a closer integration with both the associate and client onboarding processes, ensuring that interacting with the knowledge base becomes a seamless aspect of everyone’s platform experience. Increased engagement is also expected to lead to a reduction in support ticket volume, enhancing overall efficiency.
Expert’s Guided Content Framework, a content organization system that establishes a logical site structure, arranges pages into an intuitive hierarchy, and provides a user-friendly navigation experience, is also expected to assist Netsmart in pursuing its growth and acquisition initiatives. This approach will uphold high standards of quality and clarity as new solutions become part of the Netsmart portfolio.
“With CXone Expert we can easily tailor content, and in this way, we’re providing even more value to our clients by positioning ourselves as an extension of their own learning and IT teams.”
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ABOUT
Netsmart, a leading provider of Software as a Service (SaaS) technology and services solutions, designs, builds, and delivers electronic health records (EHRs), health information exchanges (HIEs), analytics, and telehealth solutions and services.
