Automating Repository Management and Knowledge Sharing: Practices in BPO Support Services for Research and Development

Abstract

This qualitative case study analyzes the use of automation in knowledge-sharing and repository management within the IT Support Services (ITSS) department of a business process outsourcing (BPO) company for research and development. It focuses on the effects of three automation tools: Chatbot Automation, Technology Resource and Support Automation, and Remote Work Access Automation, examining how they affect job performance and information-sharing practices. The study rests on ethnomethodology, which focuses on how social practices are organized, and applies thematic analysis to derive patterns across the automation processes. The findings indicate that automation transcends a purely technical solution, functioning instead as a process shaped by users' social interactions and contextual modifications.

Chatbot Automation enhances self-service and provides responsive support, allowing users to choose assistance options based on their specific needs and familiarity with the system. Technology Resource and Support Automation promotes peer-led, collaborative knowledge building, where employees contribute insights, workarounds, and feedback that shape the evolving repository. Remote Work Access Automation enables users to engage with repositories across devices and locations, supporting knowledge sharing in flexible and distributed work environments. Together, these automation practices reflect the organization’s underlying values of autonomy, responsiveness, and co-development. They promote continuity, adaptability, and user-centered knowledge sharing. This study contributes to the growing body of literature on practice-based automation by highlighting the essential role of support services in sustaining R&D-related knowledge infrastructures in S&T-driven settings.