How Washington State DRS Modernized Knowledge at Scale

The Washington State Department of Retirement Systems (DRS) serves over 950,000 public employees and retirees statewide. With a major pension system overhaul on the horizon, the agency faced an urgent need to modernize how knowledge was shared across departments.

Previously, essential information was scattered across SharePoint, OneNote, and even physical binders—leading to inconsistent communication, delayed onboarding, and increased operational risk.

To support their 2027 transformation and deliver a better experience for employees and members alike, DRS partnered with Bloomfire to build a centralized, secure, and scalable knowledge hub.

Key Takeaways

• A single source of truth replaced fragmented tools and outdated binders
• AI-powered search surfaces fast, accurate answers across departments
• Bloomfire’s governance and security meet the needs of a public agency
• Cultural shift: knowledge sharing became a daily, scalable habit

The Challenge

With the launch of a new enterprise pension system on the horizon, DRS needed a reliable way to equip teams with consistent, up-to-date knowledge. But instead, they faced growing obstacles:

• Fragmented Knowledge Across Systems: Critical information lived in SharePoint, OneNote, and physical binders—slowing updates, creating confusion, and adding risk during high-stakes change.
• Operational Risk During Major System Change: Without a unified knowledge base, DRS risked inconsistent communication, potential errors, and negative member experiences during the rollout of their new system.
• Limited Ability to Measure and Improve: Legacy tools lacked analytics, making it difficult to monitor usage, identify gaps, or measure success against KPIs.
• Inefficient Knowledge Maintenance: Employees cannot offer suggested improvements to existing knowledge sources electronically or directly, resulting in longer update cycles, inconsistent information, and lower knowledge accuracy.

“This isn’t just a tool upgrade—it’s a culture shift. By centralizing our knowledge, we’re empowering every team member to serve with confidence, consistency, and speed.”

The Solution

After evaluating multiple options, Washington State DRS selected Bloomfire over two competing platforms. The decision came down to three key factors:

1. Security First: As a public agency serving nearly a million members, DRS required robust safeguards. Bloomfire’s security framework and role-based access controls delivered peace of mind.
2. Ease of Use: With AI-powered search and a clean, intuitive design, employees could find what they needed fast—without relying on IT or chasing down the right document.
3. Administrative Efficiency: Bloomfire’s transparent, all-in pricing avoided the hidden costs and complexity of other platforms. It also gave the Organizational Change Management team full control over the content lifecycle and compliance.

For Amy McMahan and her team, Bloomfire wasn’t just a better tool—it was a true strategic partner, helping drive change at scale.

The Impact

Since implementing Bloomfire, DRS built a knowledge strategy that supports both immediate needs and long-term growth. DRS is hard at work building out the new solution and will deploy this tool across the legacy system replacement. We expect the tool to:

• Time to Proficiency Cut by 3 Months: New hires will ramp up faster thanks to clear, accessible knowledge from day one.
• Accurate Answers, Instantly: AI search will help employees self-serve with confidence—reducing frustration and reliance on tribal knowledge.
• Reduced Risk and Greater Consistency: A single source of truth will ensure consistent service and communication across the agency.
• Ongoing Insight and Optimization: Built-in analytics will surface usage patterns and gaps, enabling DRS to improve continuously.

Looking Ahead: Setting a New Standard for Public Sector Knowledge

Under Amy’s leadership, DRS is replacing outdated systems and building a modern knowledge infrastructure designed for public service at scale. With Bloomfire, they’re reducing operational risk, accelerating proficiency, and empowering every team to deliver trusted, consistent support.

The result? A stronger foundation for transformation—and a new standard for how public agencies can activate knowledge to serve with confidence and clarity.