Setting Clear Goals and Measuring Success in Community Building with Kate McMillan

The Lucent Perspective

In this episode of The Lucent Perspective, I was joined by Kate McMillan, the head of service technology at Fortinet. Kate shares her experiences in building a community platform for Fortinet users and the impact it has had on their business. With different support options scattered across various platforms, Kate explains how the need for a centralized hub became apparent. As Fortinet grew through acquisitions, the company required a more scalable solution to meet the evolving demands of their customers.

Episode Highlights:

[00:00:41] Building a community platform.

[00:04:03] Customer self-service and cost-effectiveness.

[00:09:48] Getting team members on board.

[00:12:51] Understanding customer needs and feedback.

[00:16:51] Additional insights on customers.

[00:21:48] AI and communities evolving.

[00:23:11] Tips for setting up a community.

[00:28:14] Scale of support operations.

[00:31:39] Repetitive queries and self-serve model.

Tech Communities: Evolving Customer Support

Customers demand enhanced online experiences and efficient tech interactions, pushing communities to evolve. Staying relevant means adapting to tech advancements, meeting higher expectations, and responding to changing preferences like AI use. Creating videos or documents for repetitive info sharing is a valuable practice, saving time and resources, especially for startups. This scalable approach efficiently disseminates knowledge, reducing the need for extensive support.
Communities, acting as centralized platforms, serve as one-stop shops for showcasing products and providing resources. Customers access videos, webinars, knowledge articles, and engage in forum discussions within these platforms. This consolidation makes it convenient for customers to access and utilize resources related to a product or service. Leveraging communities for self-serve support is highlighted as more efficient and scalable than traditional phone-based support, particularly advantageous for businesses in rapid growth stages. Offering various resources and support options in one place enhances product adoption and provides a valuable platform for customers to access the information they need.

About Kate McMillan

Kate McMillan is an experienced business leader and process improvement specialist with over 10 years of experience. She has held various leadership roles at companies like Fortinet, ZoneFox, and Akamai focused on improving customer experience through business analysis, training, and process optimization.

• Kate McMillan on LinkedIn

Rebecca Hastings, Founder and Director at The Lucent Group
Connect on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hastingsrebecca/

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Rebecca has extensive talent and executive search experience supporting digital and technology businesses through complex changes and fast-paced scale-up periods. She works with businesses advising on C-level, technical, sales and commercial appointments, workforce planning, strategic talent management, recruitment processes and associated technology and employer brand development.