In the dynamic landscape of strata management, empowering strata communities with knowledge and tools for self service is paramount for fostering collaboration, transparency, and efficiency. Four years ago, we embarked on a transformative journey to empower strata communities through self-service tools. Our journey was guided by the belief that by providing owners, council members and even tenants with access to information and resources, we could empower them to take ownership of their communities and contribute to their success.
The cornerstone of our approach was the development of our Knowledgebase (or as we call it internally, our K.B) —a comprehensive repository of articles, guides, and resources covering a wide range of strata-related topics. This initiative was born out of our commitment to transparency and education, with the goal of empowering both staff and customers with the knowledge they need to make informed decisions.
So how did we go?
When we set out to build our Knowledgebase, we had 3 outcomes in mind:
| Reduce the number and frequency of lower level enquiries | Capture the knowledge of 35 years of strata management | Empower customers with knowledge to better manage the running of their strata company |
Reduce the number and frequency of lower level enquiries
Over the last 3 years, the number of enquiries that we consider ‘low level’ has reduced significantly. What we consider a ‘low level’ enquiry is one that does not require a response from the Strata Manager for that property. This could be simple queries such as, changing details, pet enquiries, parking queries or proxy voting.
How we did it
To eliminate low-level enquiries, we went through the following process.
- Identified which low-level enquiries were most frequent (through strata manager interviews, SEO research and industry conversations)
- Assembled responses to these queries on our knowledgebase including references to the Act, example situations and next steps
- Began referring customers to articles on next contact
By the end of 2020, we were getting over 2000 views per month on articles on our knowledgebase, had reduced our response time to enquiries and significantly improved our standard procedures. The knowledgebase was also a fantastic location for categorised knowledge, such as Covid-19 related articles, and Strata Titles Amendment Act content that impacted all of our customers.
Capture the knowledge of 35 years of strata management
Strata Law is complex, and with such a large team who have been supporting the industry for so many years, we were concerned that the knowledge within the organisation was not being captured effectively. Building the knowledgebase enabled us to capture stories from staff on unique cases and outcomes to help both customers and staff see real life strata complexities in practice.
How we did it
To capture knowledge across the company for the knowledgebase we
- Formed a dedicated Knowldegebase team who was responsible for creating and collecting articles and topics from across the company
- Embedded the knowledgebase into the culture at ESM so Strata Managers contributed to stories and ideas
- Reviewed searches from customers that were not successful and put out offers for staff to contribute
We now have over 711 articles on the knowledgebase on a wide variety of topics. There is nothing that can’t be found.
Empower customers with knowledge to better manage the running of their strata company
Empowering strata communities goes beyond just providing access to information—it’s about equipping customers with the knowledge and confidence to actively participate in the management of their properties. We’ve found that most disputes and most of our customer complaints come from there being knowledge gap around strata and strata law.
Overall, we have found a reduction in the number of disputes amongst tenants after introducing and sharing the knowledgebase with members of Strata Companies. We have also found there to be greater participation in meetings. Anecdotally we have received a lot of positive feedback on the information and examples we have been able to present to customers.
How we did it
To capture the knowledge was one thing, but to share it and have customers using it frequently was another thing,
- We directed customers to the knowledgebase as much as possible
- We ensured the knowledgebase provided more than just answers. We included stories and examples, and sometimes other media
- We promoted the knowledgebase as much as possible in council meetings and around our office to encourage customers to use it
- Our knowledgebase team consistently updates the content to reflect queries owners have
What were the results?
Since January 2020, the knowledgebase has received over 10920 Total Searches from the public with 93% of searches being successful.
We have also published 711 articles, with 129 articles specifically addressing our low-level queries.
Our top searched words have been:
- pets
- insurance
- Parking
- Meeting
- council
Our top read articles have been:
What are 10 Year Maintenance Plans?
Proxy Forms: Do I need one and how do I complete it?
Renovations, Alterations, and Additions to/within your Lot or the Common Property
Check out our knowledgebase for yourself! Visit this link.
