Koch Industries - Best Collaboration/Social Networking Solution

Company: Koch Industries
Company Description: Koch Industries is one of the largest private companies in America. Based in Wichita, Kansas, Koch creates and innovates a wide spectrum of products, technologies and services that make life better.
Nomination Category: Product & Service Categories - Business Technology Solutions
Nomination Sub Category: Collaboration/Social Networking Solution

Nomination Title: EverLearn at Koch: Sharing Knowledge to Create Greater Value

If this is a brand-new product, state the date on which it was released. If this is a new version of an existing product, state the date on which the update was released:

EverLearn launched in January 2020 and is available to all 122,000 Koch company employeesworldwide.

From paper products to refining to electronics to software, Koch Industries encompass a wide range of companies and capabilities. Across a global workforce of more than 120,000 people, including 62,000 in the United States, the scale and range of specialized knowledge is just as vast. But it is only as valuable as it is searchable and actionable. And during a pandemic that has separated much of the office workforce from one another, it has never been more essential.

To harness the power of knowledge and promote a culture of collaboration, Koch developed EverLearn, an enterprise-wide intelligent search engine supported by the Koch Global Services team.

Koch employees already use collaborative tools such as SharePoint, Yammer, and Teams, but EverLearn supercharges these and other internal-facing tools into a one-stop shop. Not only can employees find relevant documents and contacts, but they can also search and sort for global colleagues with relevant expertise and experience.

EverLearn helps employees unlock useful information that was once trapped in documents that were spread across multiple teams. At Koch company Georgia-Pacific’s Neenah Technical Center in Wisconsin, which develops and tests various consumer items like tissues, towel products, and Dixie brand items, EverLearn has improved employees’ ability to find knowledge in tens of thousands of technical reports by drastically reducing search time and providing more relevant results, making the testing process more efficient and effective.

Information shared by employees across the enterprise via EverLearn enabled Nathan, a software architect with Koch Global Services, to set up an internal community on Microsoft Yammer full of subject matter experts working together to answer questions and learn more about various emerging software solutions.

For Natalie, a director at Koch Disruptive Technologies (KDT), which originates and invests in promising new businesses, using EverLearn meant being able to accelerate decision-making about a particular investment from months into hours. ThroughEverLearn, KDT is now able to leverage the skills and knowledge of people across Koch companies to vet more opportunities and capture greater value for the business and potential partners.

EverLearn scales at all levels – from individuals to businesses across the Koch enterprise; from a new employee seeking out a mentor to high-level decision-making on enterprise-wide investments. Employees can share their knowledge areas and skills as well as the vendors or applications in which they have developed expertise.

Koch’s ongoing success with EverLearn comes from its internal adoption across various industries and geographies. At this time, the technology is exclusive to Koch companies. However, at least one company in which Koch has invested has inquired about implementing EverLearn for their businesses as well, opening another potential growth opportunity.

In its first year since launch, more than 10,000 employees have created a Knowledge Profile, adding over 144,000 knowledge areas to the network – everything from languages spoken to vendor relationships to past projects, and more, depending on their specific areas of expertise.

There have been over 760,000 total searches to date, helping employees make connections that might not have occurred otherwise (or making them faster), and increasing access to information, collaboration, and productivity. In May, there were 150,000 searches from 7,300 employees across Koch companies, enhancing cross-company collaboration around the world. EverLearn recently helped the business development team at INVISTA connect with subject matter experts Georgia-Pacific on a R&D project. It also helped a KGS employee locate a Molex engineer for help on Python packaging, which not only resulted in that employee getting answers but also led to the KGS employee introducing the engineer to a useful cloud software tool – a double win.

With EverLearn, employees from across Koch companies (including Koch Investments Group) can quickly connect and share knowledge that helps the business make quicker, faster, and better investment decisions.

Recent activity from the group includes a Koch Strategic Platforms investment in the electric vehicle charging solutions company EVBox as well asa partnershipbetween Koch Real Estate and Fontainebleau Development to acquire the title of a to-be completed resort in Las Vegas.

EverLearn is making it easier for people searching for knowledge that will help them make the next value-creating discovery for their respective businesses. Resources are available on the website to help users search more effectively and drill down into the information and people they are seeking.

EverLearn has also empowered our legal team to share knowledge more seamlessly to enhance the effectiveness of our pro bono efforts. Koch Industries has been testing a model in which our businesses’ legal capability is put into service for more than 140 organizations making a difference in their communities— for free. These organizations receive pro bono legal services, including help with trademark licensing, employment and labor, building permits, and more. Koch’s support includes drafting and filing motions, appearing in court, case screening, training, and counsel for those seeking assistance in navigating the legal system.