Find Anything Toolkit

Sometimes, the information you need is right in your backyard (or at least in your office building or files) and you can tap the collective knowledge of your team to find answers. However, without good knowledge management practices, it can be difficult to find what you need. Does this sound familiar?

How Knowledge Management Can Help

There is a better way! Knowledge Management (KM) is the efficient handling of information and resources within an organization. It is usually accomplished by appointing one or more staff with expertise in this area to become KM champions and define approaches to collective organization, naming, and sharing of resources. KM works best when everyone in the organization buys into the approach and follows the conventions decided upon.



Steps to Knowledge Management

A simplified approach to using Knowledge Management to increase findability of internal resources includes:

1. Assign a champion or a team to define KM approaches, platforms, and conventions.

2. Determine what platform(s) will be used to organize internal resources (such as the shared network drive, Intranet, cloud-based system, or software product). There can be multiple platforms, but there should also be a way to link resources to the primary platform. Schedule demoes and discuss the pros and cons of various platforms, based on organizational needs.

3. Decide what is necessary to include in the KM platform and what is also good to have. An organization may want to start with resources that all staff use, such as policies and procedures, or minutes of staff and board meetings.

4. Assign short, logical names to folders and files to increase findability. For example, a good folder name would be Job Applications and a poor name would be Apps. The poor name could be misunderstood as the abbreviation “apps” could also mean technology applications. Think of the most common-sense, descriptive name for something and don’t use acronyms or abbreviations unless they are the only name that everyone uses. By all means - don’t name a folder Miscellaneous.

5. When filing documents in folders, use standardized names too. While most KM platforms are sortable by date, it can be helpful to add the date to the file name, such as Rider Guide 2022.

6. If the platform allows keywords, tags, or descriptions to be added, take advantage of that feature. The more tags that are added to a document, the more likely it is to be found when searched for. For example, tags for an ADA Policy could include ADA, disability, disabilities, paratransit, wheelchair, mobility aid, etc. If the platform allows a description of the resource, a brief paragraph that summarizes it clearly is also helpful.

7. The KM Champion or team will need to present their plan and approach and train the staff on how to submit resources (or add resources themselves). They should be prepared for initial pushback (Why do we need to do this? It’s a lot of extra work!), but after the transition staff will see that KM will improve their work efficiency and productivity.

8. Remember -- staff are often experts at what they do -- consider capturing scanned notes or recordings of informal trainings and meetings where knowledge is shared to include on the KM platform.

9. Regularly test the KM system to ensure that it meets the organization’s needs. The approach and conventions may need to change and the platform may need to be upgraded or changed.

Knowledge Management Resources

If you need help getting started, there are national organizations that provide resources and training on Knowledge Management:

• AASHTO Committee on Knowledge Management
• National Transportation Knowledge Network (NTKN)
• TRB Standing Committee on Information & Knowledge Management
  

Updated January 17, 2025