Keep the know-how when a deal closes.
Knowfold keeps a written record of how an acquired team's work gets done, with notice to everyone first. We are opening a pilot for a small group of acquirers and private equity firms integrating a new company.
Know-how leaves when key people leave.
Key people leave after a deal closes.
Their knowledge of customers, systems and how decisions get made goes with them.
47% of key employees leave within a year of a transaction, and 75% leave within three years.
How a role works is rarely written down.
It sits with the person doing the job, and the gap shows only once that person has gone.
42% of institutional knowledge is unique to the person in the role.
Source: Panopto and YouGov, 2018
Integration deadlines leave little time for handovers.
Integration plans run on fixed dates that seldom allow time to write up each role by hand.
Hiring a successor costs time and money.
When someone leaves, the company has to hire and train a successor, and the work waits until that person catches up.
50% to 200% of an employee's annual salary is what it can cost to fill their role again.
Source: Gallup, 2019
The record builds as work happens.
A pilot can start on day one.
Written notice can go out the day after the deal closes, so the record starts with the integration rather than after people leave.
Handovers come from real work.
The handover at the end of a pilot draws on the work as it was done, so the next person can start from it instead of relearning the role.
Nobody stops to write it down.
The record comes from the work people already do, so no one on the acquired team is pulled off their job to write documentation.
Employees are told first and can pause.
Every pilot agreement requires notice to everyone covered before anything is installed, and each person can pause capture or keep personal apps and websites out. That makes a pilot easier for HR and counsel to approve.
Notice comes before any capture.
The acquired team is told first.
Every pilot agreement requires written notice and each person's acknowledgment before anything is installed. Each pilot includes a notice template for your counsel to adapt.
Each person installs the app.
We set up the app with you for each pilot, and nothing is captured until each person grants permission. People can see when capture is on and pause it at any time.
The pilot keeps a written record.
While capture is on, the app keeps a record of each person's work as it happens, within the limits below.
Scope and limits are agreed in writing.
Before rollout, the pilot agreement sets out which teams and work apps are covered, who can see the record, how long it is kept and when it is deleted.
Clear limits on what is captured.
What the pilot captures
- The app saves the text of the window each person is working in.
- When a window's text cannot be read directly, the app sends an image of that window to our servers, where it is converted to text.
What stays out
- Keystrokes are not logged, and video is not recorded.
- Legal, HR and finance systems stay out by default.
- Apps and websites your admins block stay out for everyone.
- Each person can keep personal apps and websites out.
- Card numbers and API keys are redacted before storage.
We agree the capture scope with you in writing before rollout.
How a pilot runs after closing.
Integration leads and private equity operating partners can start a pilot with the acquired team when the deal closes. The acquired company gives written notice on day one, and capture starts once each person has acknowledged the notice and installed the app. The pilot then keeps a record of the team's work through day 90.
Built to be fair to employees.
Our customer terms prohibit using Knowfold to evaluate performance, rank people or decide who leaves.
- Each pilot agreement requires the notice to tell people why the pilot is running, what it captures, who can see the record and when it is deleted.
- People can see when capture is on, pause it at any time and keep personal apps and websites out.
- Pilots are for US-based employees on company computers.
Security on an audited platform.
Knowfold is built and operated by Littlebird. It runs on Littlebird's platform, which is SOC 2 Type II audited by an independent firm.
- Data is encrypted at rest with AES-256 and in transit with TLS, with keys managed in AWS KMS.
- Data is hosted on AWS in the United States.
Common questions about a pilot.
What does a pilot capture?
The app saves the text of the window each person is working in. When a window's text cannot be read directly, the app sends an image of that window to our servers, where it is converted to text. Keystrokes are not logged, video is not recorded, and legal, HR and finance systems stay out by default. We agree the capture scope with you in writing before rollout.
What does a pilot involve?
Each pilot covers the teams you choose for an agreed period, such as an acquired team for the first 90 days after a deal closes. We agree the teams, the length and the price with you before the pilot starts.
Do employees know it is running?
Every pilot agreement requires written notice and each person's acknowledgment before anything is installed. People install the app themselves, can see when capture is on and can pause it at any time.
Will it be used to evaluate people or decide who leaves?
Our customer terms prohibit using Knowfold to evaluate performance, rank people or decide who leaves.
Who can see the record?
Your pilot agreement names the roles that can see the record and requires the notice to tell each person who those roles are. The agreement is signed before anything is installed.
What happens to the record when someone leaves?
Your pilot agreement sets how long the record is kept after someone leaves and when it is deleted. The agreement also requires the notice to tell each person both.
What do we get at the end of a pilot?
Each pilot ends with a written handover for the roles in scope. We agree what it covers and who receives it before the pilot starts.
How does this work with employee notice laws?
Every pilot requires notice that meets the laws where your people work. Each pilot includes a notice template for your counsel to adapt, and we do not give legal advice. Pilots are for US-based employees on company computers.
How is Knowfold secured?
Knowfold runs on a platform that is SOC 2 Type II audited by an independent firm. Data is encrypted at rest with AES-256 and in transit with TLS, and it is hosted on AWS in the United States.
Can IT install it on every laptop?
Pilots do not use installs pushed by IT. Each person installs the app on their company computer and grants permission before anything is captured.
Who builds and runs Knowfold?
Knowfold is built and operated by Littlebird.
Start with a scoped pilot.
We set up each pilot with you and agree its limits before it starts.
Request a pilot briefing