Skip to content

Professional services

Knowledge systems for professional services: the current answer, with its source

Your firm has already answered most of the questions your people ask, in a guidance note, a template or a past piece of work. Finding the current version takes too long, and an outdated one is worse than none. We build knowledge systems that answer from your firm's own material, use only the current version, cite where the answer came from, and show each person only what they're allowed to see.
Start a projectSee three questions ↓
asked by an associateWhich engagement letter template for a new client?Guidance G-12 v12023 templatesupersededGuidance G-12 v22024, revised fees clausesupersededGuidance G-12 v3current, March this yearUse template T-4, updated inMarch for the new scope clause.[1] Guidance G-12 v3, section 2What's our policy on fixed fees for audits?No source found: knowledge lead askedthe associate is told who will answer

Searching the drive, or asking the firm

Searching the drive

  1. 01Folders of near-identical templates
  2. 02The latest version known to a few people
  3. 03Juniors interrupt seniors with the same questions
  4. 04Outdated guidance reused by accident

Every hour spent finding something is an hour not spent on client work.

Asking the firm

  1. 01Answers from your own material, in seconds
  2. 02Only the current version, with the source
  3. 03Each person sees only what they're allowed to
  4. 04Gaps go to a named knowledge lead

Your firm's experience, available to everyone who's allowed to use it.

What every answer carries

  1. 01

    Its source

    Document, version, section

    So anyone can check it, and nobody has to take the answer on trust.

  2. 02

    Only the current version

    Superseded material set aside

    Older guidance stays on file for the record, but isn't used to answer.

  3. 03

    Only what you may see

    Checked before searching

    Restricted engagements and documents never reach someone who isn't on them.

  4. 04

    An honest “not found”

    Instead of a guess

    When the firm's material doesn't answer it, the question goes to a person who can.

Three questions, answered properly

Which engagement letter template for a new client?

  1. Permitted sources

    firm guidance and templates

    done

  2. Superseded versions

    G-12 v1 and v2

    left out

  3. Answer

    from G-12 v3, cited

    done

The associate uses the right template first time, and can see why.

A good fit if your firm keeps answering the same questions

Good fit

  • Templates and guidance exist, but finding the current one is hard.
  • Senior people answer the same questions repeatedly.
  • Some engagements must stay visible only to the people on them.

Not the right fit yet

  • Very little is written down yet. Start by capturing guidance.
  • You want answers given to clients without review.

Related

Make your firm's experience easy to find

Tell us where your guidance, templates and past work live, and who may see what. We'll show you what your people could ask.

Start a project