Day of ThanKS 2023

Knowledge Services’ company-wide appreciation event, Day of ThanKS, occurred this past week from Wednesday, November 8th to Friday, November 10th.  This 8-year tradition allows the organization to reflect on the year, recognize milestones achieved, introduce new company initiatives, and spend the week socializing in our community.

A special aspect of Day of ThanKS is having all team members gathered at the Knowledge Services (KS) headquarters, located in Fishers, IN. We flew out 39 remote workers from 17 different states.

The Kick-Off | Wednesday, November 8th

To kick off Day of ThanKS, team members gathered in the auditorium for ‘Scoops’, which featured in-depth presentations on three KS service areas. KS sees value in driving knowledge, as team members had the opportunity to gain insights from our leadership team.

Cyber

Joe Bielawski, President of Knowledge Services, spoke on the history of our partnership with StateRAMP as their founding Program Management Office (PMO). He discussed the impact StateRAMP has had on state and local governments, motivating Knowledge Services, as the active PMO, to blend our cybersecurity expertise with our dedication to consulting. This partnership allows us to deliver great value at a competitive rate and with higher volume.

“By partnering with Knowledge Services, we hope we can have an impact on many companies to maximize their investment [in cybersecurity and StateRAMP]”
– Joe Bielawski

In 2024, the RAMPxchange cybersecurity marketplace technology will be introduced to the public and private sectors alike. By taking our knowledge of Managed Service Provider (MSP) and Vendor Management System (VMS) procurements and applying it to cybersecurity, RAMPxchange will act as a competitive marketplace and procurement solution for organizations looking to improve their cyber posture.

Technology

Dave Stenger, Chief Information Officer, discussed how our technology has changed over the years. A key takeaway was that KS did not start building our technology for government, but we pivoted and developed it with government in mind. The cloud-based, proprietary technology was originally used for educational purposes geared towards technical training. As business travel was halted in 2001, competitors moved towards online education, causing a decrease in on-site classes. This is what led Knowledge Services to transition into staffing.

Reflecting on where we are today, Stenger stated, “We learned early on that our technology by itself was not sufficient to bring visibility to improvement. When adding in the MSP component, that is what makes the difference. Our service around the technology makes us standout”.

Programs

Team members joined Senior Vice President, Bill Evans, to learn about Knowledge Services’ Programs.

Managed Service Provider (MSP) | Staff Augmentation, Statement of Work (SOW), + Health and Human Services (HHS)

State government faces limited resources which prevents their ability to manage contracts effectively. Partnering with KS, the largest MSP partner in State government, relieves this administrative burden. Our technology streamlines the entire contract management process, overseeing the facilitation and management of contingent workforce and SOW services. MSP for HHS focuses on Vocational Rehabilitation for Arizona and Hawaii and extends to other service areas including the developmentally disabled population and the Development of Adult and Aging Services.

Survey Management Solutions

Evans explained the three steps of survey management: Development + Design, Administration + Collection, and Data Analysis + Report of Findings. KS partners with academic institutions, where we manage the administration and collection of surveys.

“We are trying to build strong partnerships with different academic institutions as we recognize their strong suits are developing and analyzing surveys, but they need organizations like us to manage the administration and collection.”
– Bill Evans

KS trains surveyors on the official survey requirements, incorporating interpersonal communication skills to ensure survey participants feel valued and respected throughout the process.

The Offsite Event | Thursday, November 9th

Each year, Joe and Julie Bielawski plan a surprise offsite event alongside the hospitality team to express their gratitude to the organization. Concealing the event details adds to the anticipation leading up to the event. This year, our offsite event was held at Speedway Indoor Karting (SIK). Team members reconnected with colleagues through racing go-karts, playing arcade games, bowling, and enjoying delicious food and drinks.

Knowledge Services Gives Back

A charitable race concluded the event, where a representative from each department raced against one another to represent a specific philanthropy. First place earned a $1,500 donation to the Fishers Fire Department. Second place received a $1,000 donation to Riley Hospital for Children. Lastly, third place resulted in a $500 donation to the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. This race offered an exciting opportunity for Knowledge Services to give back to our community.

The Town Hall | Friday, November 10th

To kick off town hall, our hospitality team served breakfast, followed by Joe and Julie announcing birthdays, work anniversaries, new team members, and significant life events. In honor of Veterans Day, 14 team members and 5 military spouses were honored for their service, a perfect moment to celebrate their service to our country with the entire organization present. To conclude, our new corporate culture video was premiered to all team members.

This year’s town hall theme focused on investment, expansion, and cyber awareness. KS invested in growth through department build-out, expanded partnerships, and streamlined operations with automated processes. A significant mission for 2023 was further enhancing our security posture through providing content around cybersecurity.

Vision For the Future

Team members discovered how each department makes a positive impact on Knowledge Services and gained insight from the leadership team on the vision for the future.

Bill Evans, Senior Vice President:

Discussing our programs, Bill highlighted a strategic focus on leaning heavily into business development for our Survey Management, Workforce Management, and MSP services. The commitment to enhance these services allows us to deliver even higher quality solutions to our communities, resulting in a direct positive impact.

“It is truly about ‘Serving Those Who Serve Others’ and it is so much more impactful than just having a position filled. It all comes down to those citizens, typically individuals who are vulnerable, receiving the care that they need.”

– Bill Evans

Dave Stenger, Chief Information Officer:

There is a variety of exciting service offering initiatives on the horizon. With the addition of these upcoming services, Dave is projecting investments in department build out and looks forward to providing resources to the organization for continuous education around overall security, not just cyber. Stenger recognized and applauded his team for their hard work and dedication to cybersecurity and the clients they serve.

Tony Hesch, Chief Accounting Officer:

Reflecting on his team and their personalities, Tony jokingly states, “I know the first word everyone thinks of when thinking of accounting is personality, right? However, we have such a caring, compassionate, curious team that work great together and all bond well together. Thank you for all the work that you do.”

An exciting endeavor to come is the consolidation of systems and streamlining processes through various accounting systems and software. These upcoming processes will decrease manual processing and allow information to move more efficiently.

Katie Belange, General Counsel:

Katie thanked her team for their hard work and celebrated the retirement of a team member who has supported KS in many ways over the years. In 2024, the Legal team will continue to modernize and be proactive with risk management needs. With the desire to grow revenue and extend service offerings, Katie states they will balance risk management and mitigation for a seamless process.

Meaghan Emery, Vice President of Human Resources:

This year, Knowledge Services promoted 34 team members and hired 51 new team members, 34% being referrals. Our Learning & Development (L&D) team has continued to provide team members with an abundance of educational content through Knowledge Services University (KSU). This year, KSU won the LEARNIES Award through WorkRamp for its implementation, where team members have collectively dedicated 130,000 hours to their professional development.

For 2024, Meaghan and her team envision an increase in the L&D efforts by sharing expertise amongst team members to increase leadership capabilities and develop leaders within our company. The HR department also aims to boost efficiency through new tools to better serve the organization.

Leah McGrath, VP of Public Affairs:

Leah’s leadership has driven advancements across the proposals and marketing departments. Proposals streamlined processes this year, reviewing 5 to 600 opportunities weekly. Marketing surpassed 25,000 followers on Knowledge Services’ LinkedIn, relaunched our website, published 52 blogs across our brands, and saw growth within the department.

In 2024, Leah intends for the proposals team to undergo industry training to discover best practices. The marketing team aims to further build out their team to support each of the brands, including our continuous support for the StateRAMP PMO.

Ross Emery, Director of Crosspoint Center Operations:

Ross acknowledged his team for continuously maintaining the integrity of the building. He also praised the Hospitality team for planning 150 events and booking 100+ flights and 91 hotel rooms. This team’s effort has allowed Knowledge Services to experience outstanding events throughout the year.

Ross announced that Knowledge Services’ office space will extend to the third floor of the Crosspoint Center. Construction will begin in Q2 of 2024, when 140 desk stations will be added. The announcement shows Knowledge Services’ commitment to building out their team and creating a collaborative workspace.

“To see everyone together and see the relationships you are all building with one another, means everything to us. We serve those who serve others and work hard to improve and live by our culture. It’s not just about our clients, we love to be able to serve one another. I can feel how you all care about one another in what you are doing. You are our family, and we appreciate you.”
–Julie Bielawski, CEO