The Linc Group runs a far-flung network of 115 independent and company-owned franchises whose employees maintain the mechanical systems in hundreds of commercial buildings and airports nationwide.

Working on the front lines in 43 states are The Linc Group's 1,400 highly skilled mechanics, engineers, and electrical technicians, who, on a typical day, might fix a balky airport-baggage system, cure an air conditioner that's running hot, or fix a water treatment system. The Linc Group trains its technicians and mechanics on its proprietary system for maintaining and repairing complex building systems. But those front-line workers constantly come across new problems, many of which aren't even documented by the company that manufactured the malfunctioning equipment. Linc's technicians often devise effective on-the-spot solutions based on their experience and know-how.

So The Linc Group had a challenge. How to take the field knowledge gained by a technician in Los Angeles, and put it in the hands of someone in Atlanta who might come across the same problem? Technicians and mechanics were usually happy to share their fix-it insights, but such exchanges were largely limited to casual, face-to-face meetings over lunch or coffee.

That approach wouldn't work when more than 1,000 employees scattered across most of the United States needed the same know-how. Moreover, Linc managers worried that employees leaving the company might take useful knowledge with them—not maliciously, but simply because they hadn't been able to record it for the company.

Working with Iteration2 and Microsoft's Gold Certified Partner program, The Linc Group developed what it calls QuickTips—a mobile fix-it guide for its technicians. Now all of The Linc Group's field technicians and mechanics—as well as those working in fixed locations such as Hartsfield International Airport in Atlanta—have as part of their toolkit a Pocket PC loaded with the latest tips and repair advice from their peers. On a work site, a technician uses a search engine on the Pocket PC and keys in terms to find fixes to a problem. "Let's say he's working on a compressor that's slugging," says Greg Lush, The Linc Group's chief information officer, referring to a condition in which hot gas and refrigerant mix in a cooling-system line. "He punches in 'compressor slugging' and he'll see a whole list of fixes submitted by guys from all across the United States. It's pretty cool!"

While still in the field, a technician can edit or add a tip. The new information is available immediately to other Linc employees through a wireless network. The Pocket PCs—Linc uses devices made by Audiovox and Hewlett-Packard—can also be synced each day by plugging them into a wired cradle or infrared connection. At that time the Pocket PCs upload any new or changed tips, and download notes made that day in the field.

Linc's QuickTips are part of what knowledge managers call a community of practice, an affiliation of peers with similar jobs who band together across geographic or corporate lines. It's a way managers encourage proud, skilled workers to share their knowledge for the benefit of a company and its customers.

"We chose to develop for Windows Mobile because of the flexibility of the .NET-connected environment," says Lush. "For us, Windows Mobile software was the clear choice." Linc's field technicians and mechanics find its interface familiar and easy to use, which has helped improve its acceptance with Linc employees.

Still, Lush says, a surprising phenomenon took place once Linc's technicians and mechanics had QuickTips and Pocket PCs in their hands. It was the company's most senior workers—those 55 and older—who most readily adopted the new technology. "These guys are just constantly pounding in QuickTips," says Lush. "For them, it's a chance to be 'memorialised' by leaving a legacy of information." All tips entered into QuickTips carry the name of the contributor, creating a nice bit of positive feedback.

For Linc, QuickTips has made employees more productive—they find fixes to problems faster than before. It also reduces training time because now technicians and mechanics are constantly engaged in real-life scenarios, learning fixes at the time they are needed instead of in a classroom that may lack important context. "Our most experienced employees now train each other," says Lush. "What could be better than that?"

December 2005