In this article, we’ll explore various use cases and best practices for how companies can use AI-based knowledge management to process customer support tickets faster, increase the first-time fix rate in field service, and generally make their knowledge more productive. An AI-based platform enables centralizeddata access, the systematic digitization of expertise, and optimal support for business-critical processes.
Knowledge Management in Customer Support & After-Sales
Customer service is the face of every organization. And it’s under pressure: rising ticket volumes, more complex products, higher customer expectations—all while staff resources are limited.
Intelligent, digital knowledge management resolves this contradiction. Instead of leaving knowledge locked in the minds of individual experts, it is centralized, processed with AI support, and made available to every employee in a context-relevant manner. Tickets can be processed up to 30 percent faster— not because more staff has been hired, but because every employee can immediately find the right information. At the same time, an intelligent self-service portal can reduce the load on inbound support. Customers can find answers around the clock without having to contact the hotline.
Knowledge Management in Field Service
No Wi-Fi in the production hall. A replacement part that wasn’t delivered because the wrong diagnosis was made. A wasted trip that upsets the customer. This is everyday life in technical field service—when no intelligent knowledge management is in place.
Empolis’ field service solution provides service technicians everywhere with their organization’s complete expert knowledge— both online and offline. Guided diagnostics, best practices, spare part data, and checklists are available on mobile devices. For complex problems, the right experts can be identified directly via chat. Newly developed solution knowledge is saved directly in the field as a knowledge article.
Knowledge Management in Production & on the Shop Floor: Less Downtime, More Productivity
Every unplanned interruption means lost production—and if the right expert isn’t available at that moment, it leads to unnecessarily long wait times. Added to this is the challenge of shift changes: knowledge gained during the morning shift must be available to the evening shift. However, up to 70 percent of unplanned machine downtime could be prevented through knowledge management.
Empolis connects shop floor employees directly to all relevant information: from assembly instructions to guided troubleshooting and proven solutions derived from historical failure analyses. Smart checklists standardize processes, comprehensively document shift handoffs, and support even new employees with tasks performed infrequently. Repair notes can be recorded as knowledge articles directly from day-to-day work—automatically structured and immediately available to everyone.
Knowledge Management in Engineering & Design: Experiential Knowledge as an Innovation Accelerator
In engineering, knowledge determines time-to-market. When design engineers have to start from scratch with every new requirement—without access to solved problems from previous projects or field data from the service department—unnecessary duplication of work occurs, known errors are repeated, and innovation cycles are prolonged.
Empolis makes experiential knowledge from design drawings, failure analyses, service feedback, and quality reports accessible in a structured way. The technological foundation is provided by knowledge graphs: interconnected data models in which products, components, failure patterns, standards, and safety guidelines are semantically linked. Instead of managing documents in silos, a dynamic knowledge network is created that answers complex queries fully automatically.
Knowledge Management in Quality and Complaint Management: Learning Systematically from Errors
Complaints are expensive—but they are also one of the most valuable sources of knowledge a company has. The problem: In most organizations, this knowledge lies dormant in 8D reports, test protocols, and email threads that no one refers to when a similar case arises. The result: recurring errors, unnecessary rework, and rising external costs due to errors.
Empolis makes quality knowledge actionable. The next time a complaint arises, all relevant information from previous similar cases is available in context: root cause analyses, immediate corrective actions, test reports, and lessons learned. With AI support, structured 8D reports can be made available to various internal stakeholders—thanks to role-based views. Recommended actions are automatically communicated across departmental boundaries to all affected employees—before the next error occurs.
Knowledge Management in Technical Sales & Project Planning: Knowledge as a Competitive Advantage in the Quotation Process
In the technical sales of complex industrial products, time is a critical competitive factor. Customers expect fast, precise quotes—and sales representatives who understand their specific requirements. Without systematic knowledge management, this means lengthy research, consultations with experts, and the risk of miscalculations.
Empolis provides sales teams with structured access to project-relevant experiential knowledge from past customer inquiries, custom solutions, and proven configurations. Reusable, verified templates ensure quality and consistency. The result: shorter proposal processes, higher close rates, and significantly less reliance on individual knowledge holders within the team.
Conclusion: Knowledge as a Productive Resource
Knowledge is generated daily through service tickets, field feedback, quality reports, and customer conversations. AI-based knowledge management systems like Empolis Industrial Knowledge provide the necessary knowledge in a context- and role-based manner. This helps accelerate processes, prevent errors, and reduce costs. Furthermore, the Knowledge Hub serves as the ideal foundation for self-service portals for customers and partners.
The results are measurable:
- Up to 30 percent faster ticket processing in customer support
- Up to 55 percent higher first-time fix rate in field service
Note: Knowledge management is not an IT project. It is a strategic decision about how a company will learn, work, and grow in the future—and how it can stop fearing demographic change and the shortage of skilled workers because its knowledge is no longer tied to individual people .
