Multimedia: A New Dimension in Proactive Support

1. Multimedia: A New Dimension in Proactive Support Jennifer MacIntosh Knowledge Management

2. Agenda Cognos Customer Support Knowledge Management How we started Where we are today Where we’re going… What we’ve learned Points to remember

3. About Cognos • World leader in business intelligence (BI) and performance planning software for the enterprise. • Our solutions improve and direct corporate performance by enabling all of the key steps in the management cycle—from planning and budgeting, to measuring and monitoring performance, to reporting and analysis. • Cognos is the only company to support all of these key management activities with a complete solution that spans all of the essential components of CPM—enterprise planning, scorecarding, and business intelligence. • Founded in 1969, Cognos employs over 3,300 people and serves more than 23,000 customers in over 135 countries.

4. Customer Support • Enterprise Web-based Deployments • Cognos & 3rd Party Software • Over 260+ staff worldwide • 8 Global Support Centres • 135K+ Cases Annually • 40% of Cognos Revenue (FY04 275M) • 8 Time Award Winning Website • NA & Europe SCP Certified – 3 Years

5. Knowledge Management • KM Methodology • KCS – Knowledge Centered Support • Data Analysis • Knowledge Base • Text & Multimedia • Supportlink™ Magazine • Text & Multimedia based tips and techniques • Marketing features • Global Support Education Services • Course Delivery • Scheduling & Logistics • Curriculum Planning • Course Development

6. Why Multimedia? • Picture worth a thousand words • Sometimes easier to “show” how to do something then explain in “text” • Take advantage of Web • Increase case deflection • Reduce the number of common questions • Faster knowledge capture and creation • Internal & External uses • Global

7. How we use multimedia

8. How we started… • Creation of multimedia knowledge base • New product – Cognos ReportNet • Limited knowledge assets available • Dedicated resource with advanced technical skills • Concentrated on main product features • Recorded 50 techniques using Camtasia by TechSmith • Third party vendor provided • Post production editing • Voice narration • Flash conversion • Streaming server

9. One year later…Multimedia Knowledge Base • Customers browse standardized taxonomy of Flash movies • Organized by Product & Version • Topic areas: • Install & configure • Design • Features & functionality • Troubleshooting • Search multimedia along with other resources • Link available from left-hand navigation of site • New content added regularly • 25 new movies added in January

10. One year later…Multimedia Knowledge Base • Rotating position for multimedia creation • Great short term project • Opportunity to develop new skills • Project Leader • MM Editor • Planning session & progress meetings with virtual team • Post production video editing expert • 1 day on average per movie • Setup, record, narrate, edit, convert & post • Camtasia “gotcha” training course created and delivered by staff to future participants of virtual team

11. Multimedia Knowledge Base Statistics • 1,300 views/month • 3,000 users • 2005 – 92% top box satisfaction • Customer Feedback • Excellent! Will look forward to more topics covered. • It's first of it's kind!!.. • What a wonderful idea!! • This was awesome

12. Supportlink & Online Learning Management • Supportlink magazine onboard • 50% of all Technical articles in Supportlink Magazine have supporting multimedia. • Marketing features & technical tips • Online Learning Management System • By Product of original project • Open Source – Moodle • Short MM movies make great training • Filling internal knowledge gaps • Tools, Process & Products • Global adoption

13. Currently • Voice narration completed by creator • Staff taking their own initiative to create • Everyone wants to try it! • Promotion continues • Clearly displayed on web site • New messaging in Global Support Guide • Marketing on main pages of support.cognos.com

14. What we’ve learned • It takes time to develop the process • Entire flow • MM editing skills • Configuring software for techniques too time consuming • Buy licenses for screen capture technology • Write a script • Some techniques don’t make very good multimedia • Elocution is important • Share statistics & customer feedback with staff • Make it easy to get started

15. Next Phase • Fill knowledge gaps • Topics generated from analysts for topics they get asked all the time. • Analyze your data • Case & Search • Install & configure – very time consuming • Dedicated multimedia analysts (2) • Analyze Data • Top searches • Most often used KB (text) documents • Each creating 100 MMKB documents/year • Estimate 12k cases deflected/year • 80% of Supportlink articles to have supporting multimedia

17. Proactive Support • Quickly and easily make training available to staff • Content from Development & Product Management • Addresses global requirement • Just-in-time training • Cost effective • Left hand navigation • Promotes browsing • Customers planning installation can “see” how it’s done • “See” new product features • Results returned in search • Supportlink Magazine articles – “see” how its done.

18. Points to Remember • KISS • Ensure effective delivery method • Keep the content fresh • Not Hollywood production • Invest in quality lab setup • microphone and sound proofing • Inexpensive • Continue promotion