PODCAST | The Future of Knowledge Management in AEC Firms

Our Founder + CEO, Christopher Parsons, recently sat down with Evelyn Lee on the Practice Disrupted podcast to talk about the future of knowledge management in AEC firms.

There’s so much happening in the industry right now — large talent shortages, shorter project schedules, and accelerating baby boomer retirements — to name a few, and of course, the emergence of AI as a disruptive and potentially transformative force.

Christopher has been working on knowledge management in our industry for over 20 years, including at two architecture practices, and has come to believe over the last year and a half that AI has the potential to unlock an incredible amount of value for knowledge-based practices by accelerating learning, reducing the time spent searching for and recreating information, streamlining workflows, and empowering your experts to more effectively share their knowledge through the strategic use of AI.

We’re grateful to Evelyn for the opportunity to talk through all of this (and more) and hope you enjoy the episode.

Episode Overview

What is Knowledge Management in AEC Firms? (03:00)
A firm's most valuable asset is its knowledge. Knowledge is “currency” and managing knowledge should be a strategic priority.

Knowledge Management 3.0 (08:00)
Breaking down KM into three eras — documenting explicit knowledge, sharing knowledge via internal social networking, and now, AI-enhanced KM. KM has evolved in response to technological shifts. KM practices have matured and this AI era marks a game-changing opportunity.

Overcoming Cultural Hurdles to Implement AI (11:00)
Lack of transparency and resistance to change can impede AI’s potential in KM. Achieving success with AI isn’t only about the technology, but also about cultivating a firm culture that values curiosity and continuous improvement.

KM for Talent Development and Knowledge Retention (23:00)
KM combined with AI could bridge generational knowledge gaps created by the impending “retirement cliff” in AEC. Firms can help equip younger generations by sharing the insights of seasoned professionals, effectively accelerating the development of talent in an industry where expertise takes years to cultivate.

Transferring Critical Soft Skills (29:00)
The importance of using storytelling to capture and transfer the soft skills and judgment of experienced professionals. Project-based storytelling can unlock the “invisible” expertise of seasoned practitioners — insights that go beyond technical knowledge to capture valuable decision-making and communication skills.

Future of Knowledge Management with AI (36:00)
AI can “unlock” the value of an organization’s knowledge by making it searchable and accessible in real-time. It can search through years of internal documents and videos, answer questions, and even direct users to relevant parts of resources.

Adapting to Rapid Change (44:00)
The pace of change in AEC is accelerating and continuous learning is the only sustainable competitive advantage. The need for firms to stay steady and adaptable as they constantly upgrade their knowledge is like surfing a wave, especially in an industry under pressure to evolve.

KA Connect 2025 | Unlocking the Promise of Knowledge Management with AI

KA Connect 2025, our annual knowledge management conference for the AEC industry, will take place at the Sundance Mountain Resort in Sundance, Utah from August 12th to August 15th, 2025. 

Our focus will be on Unlocking the Promise of Knowledge Management with AI. We’re excited about this new era of AI-powered Knowledge Management and look forward to discussing how your firm can accelerate learning, reduce the time spent searching for and recreating information, streamline workflows, and empower your experts to more effectively share their knowledge through the strategic use of AI.

We’ll begin each morning together in a general session. In the afternoons we’ll transition to a choose your own adventure format with roundtables, hangouts, an intranet cafe, nature activities, and plenty of unstructured time to connect, reflect, and recharge.

Sundance’s location at 6,100 feet in the north fork of Provo Canyon will provide an inspiring backdrop for you to learn from and with your fellow KA Community members.

Early Registration is Now Open

We’ll announce the full conference program in the spring of 2025. In the meantime, take advantage of early registration pricing while we plan!

Synthesis AI Search for Sustainability Content

In this video, we showcase how Synthesis AI Search transforms how AEC firms find and engage with Sustainability content. You’ll see real-time examples of how our AI synthesizes information from across your intranet, including pages, posts, and even videos, to provide comprehensive, composite answers that traditional search can’t match.

Synthesis AI Search went into private beta in October and will go into public beta in December.

If you like to learn more about how Synthesis AI Search can help your firm make the best use of your knowledge, you can schedule a demo or email us at info@knowledge-architecture.com.

Synthesis AI Search for HR Content

In this video, we showcase how Synthesis AI Search transforms how AEC firms find and engage with HR content. You’ll see real-time examples of how our AI synthesizes information from across your intranet, including pages, posts, and even videos, to provide comprehensive, composite answers that traditional search can’t match.

Synthesis AI Search went into private beta this week and will go into public beta in December.

If you like to learn more about how Synthesis AI Search can help your firm make the best use of your knowledge, you can schedule a demo or email us at info@knowledge-architecture.com.

SNEAK PEEK | Synthesis AI Search for Design Technology Content

We’ll be providing live demos of our new AI Search at Autodesk University (AU) 2024 next week. We thought it would be nice to share a sneak peek at what we’ll be sharing at AU.

AI Search will go into private beta this month and into public beta in December.

If you like to learn more about how Synthesis AI Search can help your firm make the best use of your knowledge, you can schedule a demo or email us at info@knowledge-architecture.com.

NEW FEATURES: Dark Mode, Accessibility Checker, and Full Width Search Bar

We’re pleased to announce the upcoming release of Synthesis Dark Mode, Accessibility Checker, and Full Width Search Bar.

We will deploy this update after the close of business on Friday, October 18th.

Read on to learn more!

Introducing Synthesis Dark Mode  + Accessibility Checker

This onboarding video and help center article will provide you with the information you need to configure Synthesis Dark Mode, use our new Accessibility Checker, and make your intranet more accessible and inclusive to your users.

Dark Mode will be disabled for end users initially so that Global Administrators and users with Branding access will have a chance to configure logos, styles, placeholders, and custom CSS to match your company’s brand in Dark Mode. Once configuration for Dark Mode is complete, Dark Mode can be enabled for all users.

We strongly recommend taking the steps outlined in this video before enabling Dark Mode for all of your users.

Learn more about our accessibility roadmap on our website.

Full Width Search Bar? Yes, please.

Our new Full Width Search Bar brings us step closer to the Next Generation Search public beta in December.

Enjoy!

What’s on the Synthesis Roadmap?

Learn more about new Synthesis features in development, in design, and planned for the future, as well as submit product ideas on our interactive product roadmap.

KA Connect 2024 Videos Now Available!

We’re excited to announce that all of the videos from KA Connect 2024 are now available.

Enjoy!

Investing in Synthesis AI, LMS, and Expanded Integrations

I shared my vision at KA Connect 2024 for how the AI revolution, in tandem with our old friend Knowledge Management, are going to impact the AEC industry. I'm excited to share this vision with you and discuss how Knowledge Architecture is preparing for this transformative era by investing in the future of Synthesis, our next generation intranet platform for AEC firms.

The Promise of AI and Knowledge Management

While AI is evolving and promising, it's not perfect on its own. The real magic happens when we combine AI with robust Knowledge Management practices. This combination is set to revolutionize our industry, and here's why:

1. High-quality, firm-wide knowledge is crucial for AI success

2. KM practices will unlock AI's true potential in AEC

3. We're at the beginning of a transformative era for our industry

Our Investments in the Future

At Knowledge Architecture, we're actively working on integrating AI into Synthesis, as well as providing new functionality and expanded integrations to bring more high-quality firmwide content into Synthesis.

Here are some of our key investments:

• AEC-Specific Video Transcription: We released an AEC-specific video transcription model to convert videos into searchable text earlier this year. Now the high-quality content contained in videos is accessible to AI and is improving accessibility.

• AI Search: Our next-generation search will create new AI-powered search summaries that will answer questions by synthesizing the most relevant information from videos, posts, documents, and web pages across your firm's knowledge base, as well as provide citations for easy validation and deeper dives. AI Search will go into public beta in December of this year.

• Expanded Integrations: Over the last year we’ve connected Synthesis with additional leading AEC platforms like Unanet, aec360, Microsoft Dynamics, and Zendesk to complement our existing integrations with Deltek, OpenAsset, and Newforma. We're also exploring future integrations with SharePoint, Teams, and Freshworks, as well as releasing a Search Connector API to allow you to push content from other systems into Synthesis and make it all available for AI Search.

• Synthesis LMS: Our upcoming Learning Management System will be designed to enhance learning and development within your organization while also contributing a wealth of new, high-quality content to your knowledge ecosystem. This structured platform for continuous learning will feed directly into our AI Search, making all of this new content searchable on your intranet. Synthesis LMS will go into public beta in 2025.

Looking Ahead

The above investments in AI, combined with strong Knowledge Management practices, will fuel what I believe will be a golden era for Knowledge Management. While Knowledge Management has been around formally since 1995, we're now on the cusp of realizing its full potential. Our investments in Synthesis AI, Synthesis LMS, and expanded integrations are all aimed at helping you harness this potential.

As we navigate this new landscape together, I encourage you to consider how these advancements in AI and Knowledge Management might transform your current and future initiatives. How might AI-powered Knowledge Management enhance your firm's capabilities?

I'm excited about this new era and look forward to discussing how we can help your firm prepare for it. Let's explore how Synthesis can position your organization at the forefront of this AI + KM revolution.

Continue the Conversation

Want to learn how Synthesis can help your firm make the best use of its knowledge?

PODCAST | How Knowledge Management Drives Firm Excellence via Practice Disrupted

Corey Squire, long-time friend of Knowledge Architecture and Director of Sustainability at Bora Architecture + Interiors, appeared on the Practice Disrupted podcast last week to explore his approach to using knowledge management to elevate a firm’s performance and sustainability standards within the built environment.

It’s a super interesting take on how to use knowledge management to both unlock the promise of sustainable design and free up subject matter experts to shape your firm’s vision and culture.

And if you like this episode, we highly suggesting watching Corey’s Intranet Tour of Chaco, Bora’s Synthesis intranet. It’s amazing!

And if you still want more, check out Corey’s KA Connect 2024 talk Knowledge Management: The Secret to Unlocking Sustainable Design.

What do award winning AEC intranets look like?

We are pleased to announce that two members of the Knowledge Architecture community, with submissions based on Synthesis, our AEC intranet platform, are SMPS Marketing Communication Award (MCA) 2024 winners.

Congratulations Consor and Harris & Associates! We are proud to partner with you.

Consor won the Award of Excellence for the Internal Website Category as well as the People’s Choice Award

Creative Brief

In a world where connectivity and collaboration are paramount, our company's internal website stands out as a beacon of innovation and unity.

In 2022, Consor successfully unveiled a refreshed brand after acquiring and merging nine firms, thus revamping our image. However, the internal division still existed. Our leadership team shifted focus toward internal communications and our segmented intranets—some acquired firms already had an intranet, others did not. Our team sought to introduce a new platform to unify teams by consolidating content from nine firms into a single user-friendly system.

Our team, in collaboration with AEC software developer Knowledge Architecture (KA), spent months gathering content and data to develop "Beacon," Consor's company-wide intranet. With a vast repository of documents, project details, and contact information, Beacon has become the central hub for all internal communications and provides easy access and transparency to enhance engagement.

Our intranet was thoughtfully designed to:

• Cater to employee needs, creating an engaging and personalized experience. Even the name "Beacon" was chosen by employees through a vote, showing their sense of ownership.

• Act as a tool and provide employees with all necessary information at their fingertips, from HR and IT information to customized posts.

• Welcome new hires to Consor as part of onboarding and familiarize them with the firm.

Beyond its utility, Beacon embodies our commitment to innovation—through regular feedback and iterative enhancements, we ensure our platform remains agile, adaptive, and aligned with the ever-evolving needs of our staff.

Harris & Associates won a Merit Award for the Internal Website Category

Creative Brief

Our entry highlights the seamless refresh of our company intranet, HarrisLink. The previous version lacked significant updates for over eight years and required a thorough content cleanup and reorganization to reflect our firm’s growth and business needs. The new, 100% cloud-based, mobile-friendly intranet helps engage our diverse and hybrid employee population, acts as a hub for knowledge management and information sharing, and increases efficiencies through improved information architecture that allows our employee-owners to find the information they need quickly.

We customized our messaging to engage diverse audiences, highlighting the benefits of the new platform, Synthesis 6 by Knowledge Architecture, through extensive market research. Our strategy prioritized transparency, accessibility, and inclusivity, aiming to improve user experience by simplifying content creation, streamlining discovery, and cutting search time.

Our new system surpasses the previous SharePoint-based intranet in flexibility, empowering users with enhanced creativity in page design and multimedia integration. Seamless integration with VantagePoint and OpenAsset ensures easy access to Harris' information. By shifting from self-managed SharePoint servers, we've lightened the IT load and cut costs, delivering substantial savings for Harris.

We applied the "Essential Content Update" method, refining content and enhancing information architecture for improved usability. Our phased approach, encompassing content evaluation, architecture development, branding, and implementation, minimized disruptions to daily operations.

We gauge success using set metrics, such as project milestones, user feedback, and cost savings. After launch, we maintain content, provide thorough user training, and prioritize innovation, collaboration, and strategic planning to ensure sustained engagement and satisfaction with our HarrisLink intranet.

SYNTHESIS VIDEO 2 | Coming August 5th

We're pleased to announce that Synthesis Video 2 will be released into General Availability on Monday, August 5th. All of your existing videos will be transcribed in advance of this release.

Synthesis Video 2 is a major upgrade to Synthesis Native Video. Watch this video to learn all about:

• AI-Generated Captions + Transcripts

• Video Chapters

• Full Text Video Search

• Video Analytics

• Transcription Optimization

• General UI Enhancements

• Video Player Branding

Enjoy!

PODCAST | Exploring the Power of Effective Knowledge Management in AEC with e-verse

Our own Christopher Parsons appeared on the e-verse podcast last week to explore our approach to Synthesis AI, AEC knowledge management, company building, employee retention with Valentin Noves.

And if you like this episode, we highly suggesting subscribing to the AEC Trailsblazers podcast. Valentin and his team are doing a wonderful job!

🎙 Spotify
🎙️ Apple Podcasts
🎙️ YouTube

PODCAST | Exploring the Knowledge Management Evolutio

Our own Christopher Parsons sat down with Randy Wilburn of Zweig Group to share his thoughts about the evolution of knowledge management in the AEC industry with Randy Wilburn of Zweig.

Christopher covered a range of topics, but perhaps our favorite portion of the discussion was about the journey from KM 1.0 to KM 3.0 which starts at the 10:45 mark.

Here’s a sneak peak:

1. KM 1.0: Top down, static content, documents and binders, handful of editors, hard to edit, bad search.

2. KM 2.0: Network/community based sharing, anyone can contribute, tap into collective knowledge, easy to edit, solid keyword search

3. KM 3.0: AI + KM = Awesome, AI Search, Builds on KM 1.0 + 2.0

Enjoy!

🎙 Spotify
🎙️ YouTube

PUBLIC BETA | Synthesis Video 2

We're pleased to announce that Synthesis Video 2 is now in public beta.

Synthesis Video 2 is a major upgrade to Synthesis Native Video. Watch this video to learn all about:

• AI-Generated Captions + Transcripts

• Video Chapters

• Full Text Video Search

• Video Analytics

• Transcription Optimization

• General UI Enhancements

• Video Player Branding

You can sign up for the public beta by emailing us at support@knowledge-architecture.com.

Enjoy!

Is Public Beta Right for You?

Public beta allows us to release new features and versions of Synthesis while they are still being tested and developed. It is the last stage of development, a crucial time when we can still incorporate feedback and fix bugs before General Availability. If you are interested in having early access to new features and versions of Synthesis, find gratification in directly influencing the final product, and are willing to take time to share thoughtful and constructive ideas for new features and report any bugs you experience, public beta is for you.