When I was hired by a consultancy company ten years ago to implement knowledge base systems, I knew I had a challenge on my hands. What’s the point of having a tool when it’s not going to be used? Which led me to the next question: how could I implement a process along with it, making knowledge sharing a core part of the day to day work? 

So I started my search for existing practices – surely I wasn’t the only one facing these challenges. Having come up empty in my native country, The Netherlands, I expanded my search. It ultimately led me to the Consortium for Service Innovationand the discovery of Knowledge-Centered Service, or KCS* for short. It was exactly what I was looking for, the perfect fit for service & support!  

Core concepts behind KCS

The core concepts behind the KCS practices really struck a chord with me: empowering people to participate, creating a collaborative culture based on trust, focusing on creating value for the customer, coaching for success…  this is how I wanted to change business! 

A year later I was one of the first certified KCS Trainers in Europe.  

Today, the trainer network is expanding rapidly throughout Europe, thanks to a rising demand from the service & support industry. Our company grew from one to three certified KCS trainers and consultants. 

More and more organisations are discovering KCS the same way I did – looking for a process blueprint for knowledge management. And more and more vendors in the service management industry understand the value of KCS and some offer solutions which support the KCS practices out-of-the-box. We currently have three in our portfolio: 4Me, Upland-RightAnswers and BMC ComAround. 

I see KCS going the same route that ITIL did. It took about 20 years before it was finally embraced by the American IT businesses. KCS has been around since 1992 and it’s now gaining traction in Europe. Perhaps 20 is a magic number? 

The Consortium for Service Innovation, the non-profit organization who owns and nurtures KCS, has recognized the growing demand in Europe too and since 2015, they are organizing regular meetings and conferences on this side of the pond. You will always find me and my colleagues there.  

You will also find us at these upcoming conferences this year: 

There’s still a long way to go before KCS is as standard in Europe as ITIL is today. I’m excited and proud to be a part of that journey. 

*KCS is a Registered Service Mark of the Consortium for Service Innovation. 

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