Featured Guests

Tony Balistreri, Knowledge Manager, GRAEF
Shelly VandeWege, Marketing, GMB
Stephanie Eiler, Marketing, GMB

Webinar Summary

This Office Hours features short case studies from GRAEF and GMB, two firms that participated in our Essential Content Review (ECR) Beta program.

Keeping intranet content accurate and current can feel like a daunting task. Following a short introduction of the ECR process by Knowledge Architecture, you will hear how GRAEF’s Knowledge Manager, Tony Balistreri, and GMB’s Intranet Champions, Shelly VandeWege & Stephanie Eiler, adapted this process to meet their needs and create value for their organizations.

In this webinar, you’ll learn how each firm:

Tactically implemented a regular cadence of ECRs
Adjusted Knowledge Architecture’s ECR process to meet their firm’s needs
Identified gaps and launched intranet improvement projects to meet those gaps

If you only have a few minutes, we recommend jumping to three highlights:

ECRs Then and Now (18:00)
Discipline Wiki Pages (30:28)
Q: Do you have any advice for other firms to get started? (46:20)

Webinar Timeline

Announcements
00:58 Synthesis Workshop: Chicago
01:31 KA Connect 2019 Talks Now Available
02:00 KA Connect 2020 Registration Open
02:41 Spring 2019 Product Update
02:55 Idea Lab for Synthesis 6 Pages
03:52 Synthesis Workshop Chicago: Synthesis 6 Demo Day 2

Introduction to ECR Process
04:42 Definition and Importance of Essential Content
06:14 Talk: A Sustainable Approach to Technical Content Management
07:01 Article: Planning for Essential Content Maintenance
07:20 The Five Step Process
08:00 Beta Testing the ECR Process
08:37 Introduction: Tony Balistreri, Shelly VandeWege, and Stephanie Eiler

ECRs @ GRAEF
09:50 About GRAEF
11:12 Launching “The Vine”
11:47 Initial Challenges
13:45 Areas for Improvement
14:25 The (Too) Big Improvement Project
14:58 Roadblocks to Improvement
15:56 ECR Process Reboot
18:00 ECRs Then and Now
19:06 Emerging Communities
19:49 Current ECR Status
20:34 Outcomes
21:00 Q: What are some examples of smaller “bite-size” milestones?

ECRs @ GMB
22:40 About GMB
23:04 Launching “DORP”
23:56 Site Layout & Communities
24:12 Culture ECR
25:04 Practice ECR: Managing a Complex Community
27:30 Discipline-Specific Documents and Links
28:35 Shifting to User Centered Design
30:28 Discipline Wiki Pages
30:44 Example: Electrical Engineering Wiki Page
32:21 Tailoring the ECR Process
33:28 Tracking the ECR Process
34:18 What’s Next?

Q+A
34:58 Q: How were community managers selected?
37:08 Q: Do you feel like there’s a finish line?
38:07 Q: How do you use analytics in your meetings?
42:10 Q: How do you manage your time and energy with ECRs?
45:13 Q: How do you keep track of the process?
46:20 Q: Do you have any advice for other firms to get started?
48:32 Q: Do you provide guidance for content managers to help gather the initial content, if so how do they mine for their teams information?
51:30 Added Benefit of ECRs: Learning about your firm through immersion in the essential content.

About Office Hours

Office Hours is 60 minutes of news, stories, and Q+A with Susan, Sarah, Chris, Zucu, and special guests from the KA Advance community. You can watch recordings of past Office Hours webinars here.

More Office Hours Webinars

Featured

August 21, 2026

WEBINAR | Product Update: The Future of Synthesis

August 21, 2026

Featured Guests

Christopher Parsons, Founder and CEO, Knowledge Architecture

Webinar Summary

Over the last two years, Synthesis has evolved from a social intranet into an integrated knowledge, learning, and AI platform for AEC firms.

In this webinar, I shared the next phase of that evolution and demonstrated how new Synthesis LMS, AI, and integration capabilities are coming together to help firms put their knowledge to work.

We explored:

How the Search Connector API enables firms and technology partners to build custom connectors and bring more firmwide knowledge into Synthesis
How firms are using Synthesis Knowledge Agents across informational, creation-based, and process-based use cases
How the Synthesis MCP Server connects Claude, ChatGPT, Copilot, and other compatible AI platforms to a firm’s knowledge and learning foundation in Synthesis
How Assignments, Recommendations, and Notifications in Synthesis LMS will help firms deliver the right learning to the right people at the right time
How SCORM support in Synthesis LMS will allow firms to centralize access to courses from learning-content partners and the course-authoring platforms they choose
The emerging vision for the Synthesis Knowledge Marketplace, which will bring trusted industry expertise into a firm’s knowledge, learning, and AI ecosystem

This session is useful for current Synthesis clients, firms evaluating Synthesis, and AEC leaders responsible for knowledge management, learning and development, technology, AI, and digital transformation.

Enjoy!

August 21, 2026

July 30, 2026

WEBINAR | Launching Synthesis @ SMRT

July 30, 2026

Featured Guests

Nicole Rogers, Senior Principal and Director of Architecture
Graham Parker, Knowledge Manager

Webinar Summary

What changed when SMRT Architects & Engineers implemented Synthesis wasn't just the platform. It was the mindset.

After four intranet iterations spanning nearly two decades — from hand-coded HTML to ThoughtFarmer to SharePoint — SMRT, a 130-person integrated architecture and engineering firm based in Portland, Maine, made a different kind of commitment. They decided that internal work is real work, that their firm is a worthy client, and then treated their Synthesis implementation accordingly.

Nicole Rogers served not just as executive sponsor, but as principal in charge. Graham Parker, who had already proven the ROI of data-driven process improvement on the accounting side of the business, moved into a dedicated knowledge management role. A project number was created in Deltek. Hours were tracked on timesheets. The implementation got the same rigor and attention SMRT gives its external clients and the results showed.

That investment didn't end at go-live. Nicole has continued to drive adoption at the senior leadership level because SMRT understands that launching Synthesis is just the beginning, not the finish line. Meanwhile, Graham has expanded his work into AI, helping build the digital knowledge foundation that makes tools like Synthesis Knowledge Agents and AI Search valuable.

Knowledge management can't be the ninth thing on somebody's to-do list in the AI era. SMRT's story is a case study in what happens when it isn't.

In this webinar, Nicole Rogers, Senior Principal and Director of Architecture, and Graham Parker, Knowledge Manager, share their firm's story — from the organizational shifts that unlocked knowledge management to a live look at where they're headed with AI and learning management.

We explore:

How treating the Synthesis implementation like a real client project changed the outcome
The change management and internal marketing work that drove adoption before, during, and after launch
How Nicole's continued executive sponsorship keeps the platform alive and growing past go-live
How and why Graham moved from the finance team to a dedicated knowledge management role
What it takes to build the digital knowledge foundation that enables AI agents to actually deliver value
A live tour of CALVIN, SMRT's Synthesis platform, and a look at their early work with Synthesis Knowledge Agents and LMS

If your firm has struggled to give its knowledge management program real momentum, SMRT's story offers an honest, hard-won perspective on what it actually takes: the right investments in mindset, people, process, and culture — alongside the right technology.

Enjoy!

July 30, 2026

June 25, 2026

WEBINAR | Synthesis Knowledge Agents: Live Demo + Insights from the Private Beta

June 25, 2026

Featured Guests

Christopher Parsons, Founder and CEO, Knowledge Architecture

Webinar Summary

Knowledge agents are emerging as one of the most promising applications of AI for AEC firms—helping teams accelerate learning, scale expertise, and streamline workflows.

In this webinar, Christopher Parsons, Founder and CEO of Knowledge Architecture, will provide a live demonstration of Synthesis Knowledge Agents, showing how agents are created, refined, and deployed to solve real business problems.

Along the way, Christopher will share what we're learning from firms participating in the Synthesis Knowledge Agents private beta, highlighting the patterns and strategic insights emerging from early adoption.

We'll explore:

A live demonstration of Synthesis Knowledge Agents, including how to create and refine agents from scratch
Real-world examples spanning informational, creation-based, and process-based use cases
The progression from informational AI assistants to workflow-transforming knowledge agents
The common characteristics shared by firms making the fastest progress with knowledge agents
How firms are capturing and structuring knowledge to power more capable agents
Where knowledge agents are headed and what that means for AEC firms

This session offers a practical look at how knowledge agents are evolving and what early adopters are teaching us about the future of AI-enabled work in AEC firms.

Enjoy!

June 25, 2026

May 22, 2026

WEBINAR | Designing Modern Learning Experiences at Lionakis and Fuscoe

May 22, 2026

Featured Guests

Kristina Williams, Design Technology Director at Lionakis
Brandon Norton, Senior Multi-Media Manager at Fuscoe Engineering

Webinar Summary

As AEC firms rethink how knowledge and expertise are shared internally, learning is beginning to move beyond traditional training formats. Instead of relying solely on live sessions or long recordings, firms are increasingly designing learning experiences that are shorter, more flexible, on-demand or hybrid, and accessible in the flow of work.

This shift is being accelerated in the Knowledge Architecture community by Synthesis, a platform built for Modern Learning Organizations, that combines intranet knowledge, learning management systems, AI-powered search, and knowledge agents to enable employees to discover and apply expertise exactly when they need it.

In this webinar, Kristina Williams, Director of Design Technology at Lionakis, and Brandon Norton, Senior Multi-Media Manager at Fuscoe Engineering, shared how their firms are designing modern learning experiences that take advantage of this new paradigm.

Each presented a case study of a high-priority learning experience their firm is building or modernizing—experiences designed not only for formal learning, but also to support self-directed exploration, knowledge reuse, recall, and AI-powered discovery through Synthesis.

We explored:

How firms are identifying high-value opportunities to modernize learning experiences
How learning content is being structured for both human learning and AI-powered retrieval
How on-demand courses and hybrid learning experiences are designed to support self-directed learning
What early feedback firms are receiving from staff using these new formats
Lessons learned from the first generation of modern learning experiments
What these efforts may mean for the future of knowledge management, learning, and firmwide expertise development

Each speaker shared a 20-minute case study, followed by discussion and open Q&A.

This session offered a practical look at how firms are beginning to redesign learning experiences for a new era—one where knowledge, learning, AI search, and knowledge agents work together to help employees access the right expertise at the right time.

Enjoy!

May 22, 2026

April 20, 2026

WEBINAR | Unlocking Collective Intelligence with AI Search and Knowledge Management @ MBH Architects

April 20, 2026

Featured Guests

Hillary Thompson, Principal

Webinar Summary

As AI-powered search and learning tools become more capable, their effectiveness depends on something far more fundamental: the quality, structure, and completeness of a firm’s knowledge foundation.

Over the past year, MBH Architects has advanced a series of focused initiatives to strengthen how knowledge is captured, structured, and maintained across the firm. What began as a small proof of concept quickly expanded into a broader effort spanning marketing, studio-level practice knowledge, structured project data, and now firmwide learning.

In this webinar, Hillary Thompson, Principal at MBH Architects, shares how MBH is deliberately investing in its knowledge foundation to enable better AI outcomes, improve access to expertise, and create a continuous pipeline connecting project experience, institutional knowledge, and learning.

We explore:

How MBH scoped and executed targeted knowledge capture initiatives to demonstrate early, measurable value
How capturing practice knowledge, studio standards, and best practices is becoming essential groundwork for smarter retrieval and collaboration
The role of structured project data in unlocking new possibilities for search, storytelling, and institutional insight
How MBH is beginning to translate project experience and expertise into scalable learning through Synthesis LMS
Practical strategies for communicating value, building momentum, and sustaining long-term knowledge management initiatives

This session offers a practical, behind-the-scenes look at how one firm is strengthening its knowledge infrastructure to ensure the right knowledge reaches the right person at the right time—and how that foundation is enabling the next generation of AI-powered knowledge and learning.

Enjoy!

April 20, 2026

November 6, 2025

WEBINAR | Real-World AI for AEC: How 5 Firms Are Creating Business Value through Knowledge Management

November 6, 2025

Featured Guests

Christopher Parsons, Founder and CEO, Knowledge Architecture

Webinar Summary

Are you taking advantage of the data gold mine your AEC firm is sitting on? Is the institutional knowledge of your firm’s most valuable professionals available to others? Christopher Parsons of Knowledge Architecture shares 5 “We Gotta Try That!” examples of AEC firms applying an Intranet + AI Search solution to unlock the full value of their in-house knowledge:

BWBR created a healthcare upskilling series with 18 learning modules, best practice guides, and expert-curated content. AI search makes it all accessible to new hires so they can quickly get answers to their questions.
Turner Fleischer combined structured standards, #TechTalk videos, a searchable eTutor library, and an internal learning academy to build a robust KM foundation. AI search delivers just-in-time answers that support technology adoption at scale.
Boulder Associates uses expert interviews to capture knowledge, such as seismic compliance strategies and Bluebeam project workflows. AI search then surfaces this expertise so project teams can get answers and connect directly with in-house experts.
Bora Architecture & Interiors built a digital twin of their sustainability lead, Corey Squire, by integrating his best practices, project reflections, and even his book into their intranet. AI search (aka “Robo Corey”) now helps employees find standards, strategies, and subject matter experts for sustainable design decisions.
Shepley Bulfinch created a comprehensive onboarding knowledge ecosystem, answering questions such as “How do I get staffed on projects?” or “Who knows Affinity Photo in Houston?” in the flow of work. AI search allows access to answers long after orientation.

Enjoy!

November 6, 2025

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