Connecting people to technology is not a single or limited interaction. It is an ongoing process with at least four main components.

All four points are necessary for the successful maintenance of a knowledge system. If any one of the four is removed from the cycle, the system will fail to grow with the individuals it was meant to support.

1. Evaluation: the analysis of what exists. This includes the evaluation of a company or organization's internal work flow, and the evaluation of peer and competitor sites. It is in this phase that we articulate problem areas, identify needs and recognize strengths that should be continued. During the evaluation phase we also consider the abilities and needs of the humans who will be using the system when it is finished. This is a descriptive phase that describes the problem.
2. Planning: the creation of a vision and implementation plan. In this phase we match the problem described in the evaluation phase with the capabilities of technology. We describe the different kinds of people who will be using the technology and how their interactions with the system will take place. This is a prescriptive phase that describe a solution.
3. Building: the creation of a system and its training toolkit. The building phase cannot exist in isolation from the other phases. It requires constant feedback from those who will use the system; however, when establishing a new system we must realize that we will be providing solutions to the user where they might not have realized there was a problem.
4. Training: development of new, desired habits. You cannot force a human to "learn" but you can inspire them to produce the desired results. Most individuals respond best to technical training when they feel empowered to manage their own information with their new-found knowledge and skills. Emphasis is always placed on finding the "aha" moment: it is far more productive to come away with a small set of skills rather than ending a session feeling overwhelmed and discouraged.