Elevating Knowledge Management at KNHS for Enhanced Member Interactions

Anoek: “We proudly represent the authority in Dutch equestrian sports. Our core responsibilities encompass ensuring the fairness of equestrian competitions and safeguarding equine welfare. We empower our members to acquire proficient equestrian skills by offering comprehensive rider education programs. At KNHS, one can theoretically evolve from novice riders to participating in prestigious events like the Olympic Games.”
“The keystone of our offerings is the ‘start pass,’ which serves as the pivotal permit for participation in equestrian competitions. Additionally, we oversee the entire process, from event registrations to result tabulations.”
“Information management in equestrian sports can be complex due to the myriad of disciplines involved, each having its unique set of rules.”

Caroline: “Our members directly reach out to KNHS when they have queries, distinguishing us from sports like football where members primarily engage with their respective clubs.”
Anoek adds: “Equestrian sports, given their diverse disciplines, can be intricate. These include dressage, show jumping, eventing, driving, endurance, or even combinations thereof. Each discipline is governed by distinct regulations. KNHS serves as the custodian of this vital information, and our mission is to present it to our members in a manner that is both intuitive and comprehensive. Our website plays a pivotal role in achieving this goal.”

Caroline: “We handle approximately 14,000 customer interactions each month, encompassing telephone calls, emails, and WhatsApp messages. On any given day, we have an average of five staff members fielding member inquiries. We systematically categorize incoming queries, enabling us to identify the most frequently asked questions. This same methodology is applied to knowledge items within Polly’s knowledge base, ensuring the perpetual accuracy of our information.”
Anoek: “While we strive for standardization whenever possible, we do encounter specific situations. For instance, we often receive inquiries such as, ‘I’ve recently acquired a horse with a prior sports career under another rider, and I also had a sports career in the distant past. How should we navigate this together?'”

Caroline: “The primary impetus was to instill consistency in our responses to member inquiries. Historically, knowledge was maintained within SharePoint through an extensive Excel file, which, over time, became outdated. The imperative for a robust knowledge base became increasingly apparent—a centralized repository where all information could be accessed and monitored. This ensures that every staff member has access to the same, up-to-date information and provides consistent responses to queries. KNHS had previously encountered criticism for offering disparate answers to similar questions.”
“We opted for Polly.Help’s knowledge base, where we have since integrated approximately 750 questions and answers. Additionally, we’ve established an internal portal, which enables colleagues to access not only questions and answers but also our procedural workflows and policy documents.”

Caroline: “Polly.Help’s team was highly cooperative and took the time to clarify aspects that required elucidation. This was especially valuable since aligning terminology and expectations can be challenging initially. In a dedicated session, we explored all configuration possibilities and addressed our questions comprehensively. Subsequently, we commenced the knowledge base implementation process. Communication with Polly.Help’s team has been consistently smooth.”
“Primarily, our department contributed to the creation of knowledge items. To enhance the knowledge base, we solicited colleagues to email queries not yet present in Polly.Help’s database, which we subsequently incorporated. This process has been successfully concluded.”
What overarching goals have you established for the deployment of knowledge management?
Caroline: “Our primary aim is to empower members to independently access answers to their queries at their convenience, all the while instilling confidence that the answers are accurate.”

Caroline: “We’ve observed that with effective knowledge management in place, new staff members can confidently handle telephone calls and respond to inquiries within a mere two weeks, as answers are readily accessible. Previously, it took substantially longer for new staff members to gain proficiency, given the vast expanse of information.”
“In Polly.Help’s knowledge base, we’ve meticulously crafted various types of answers for each knowledge article. These encompass a general response, one tailored for display on our website, and channel-specific responses for telephone, email, and WhatsApp. The content of these responses remains uniform across all channels, with variations in messaging style. This strategic approach aids KNHS staff members in swiftly providing pertinent responses.”
“Furthermore, our Service Desk frequently engages in complex conversations. It’s immensely valuable for staff members to have access to factual information at their fingertips, facilitating smoother interactions.”
Anoek: “Given the diversity of our audience, we can’t always provide the exact answer members seek. However, our aspiration is to furnish our members with comprehensive information, fostering positive and constructive interactions.”

Anoek: “I’m currently engaged in the overhaul of our website, where we are integrating it with Polly.Help’s knowledge base. I’m particularly enthusiastic about the prospect of showcasing knowledge items on webpages related to similar topics. For instance, consider the query, ‘I want to embark on competitive equestrian activities.’ On such a webpage, we provide an explanation of the necessary steps. Through the integration of our website with Polly.Help’s knowledge base, we can display related questions from the knowledge base on that webpage. These could include queries like ‘How can I become a member?’ ‘What’s the process for obtaining a start pass?’ and ‘What types of memberships are available?’ These questions naturally follow from the information featured on the webpage.”
KNHS remains dedicated to the ongoing maintenance and accessibility of knowledge items, all aimed at simplifying and rendering equestrian sports more approachable to its valued members.