Assignment 18 : Tata Consulting Services
Knowledge Management and Collaboration
at TaTa Consulting Services
1) Analyze the knowledge management efforts at Tata
Consulting Services (TCS) using the knowledge management value chain model.
Which tools or activities were used for managing tacit knowledge and which ones
are used for explicit knowledge?
Using the value chain model,
the knowledge management efforts at TCS can be divided into the following
activities:
·
Knowledge Acquisition: Over the years, TCS had acquired a vast
body of knowledge and experience in several fields through on-shore and
off-shore projects for its clients across the globe including GE Insurance, GE
Health, Hewlett Packard, Prudential, Standard Chartered Bank etc. In addition,
TCS regularly rotated people across various functions and within other Tata
Group companies to gain cross-industry experience. Employees were also
encouraged to be part of outside bodies like the IEEE, and go in for
certifications.
·
Knowledge Storage: TCS had developed various repositories and
databases for knowledge storage such as KBases, Process Asset Libraries,
KnowMax, and Ultimatix.
·
Knowledge Dissemination: Knowledge was disseminated using a
variety of techniques such as Ultimatix – a web based electronic knowledge
management portal; propel sessions that brought together employees with similar
interests; Live Meeting and Knowledge Transition sessions at the project level;
and “Tip of the Day” email comprising technical, conceptual or human
skills tips were shared within the organization daily.
·
Knowledge Application: Students should visit the TCS website to
explore the new capabilities developed by TCS and how it relates to the
knowledge they have accumulated over the years about the customers, markets,
systems development, and technologies.
·
To manage explicit knowledge, TCS had used KBases, Process Asset
Libraries, KnowMax, and Ultimatix.
·
Tacit knowledge was managed through redesign of development
centers, Propel sessions, Knowledge Transition Sessions, and communities of
practice.
2) Describe the growth of knowledge management systems at
TCS? How have these systems helped TCS in its business?
The concept of knowledge
management (KM) was introduced in TCS in 1995 and a dedicated KM team called
“Corporate Groupware” was formed in 1998. This group launched the KM-pilot in
mid-1999. At that time, KM in TCS covered nearly every function, from quality
assurance to HR management. The employees could access the knowledge repository
that resided on the corporate and branch servers through the intranet, with a
browser front-end or a Notes client. The knowledge repository, also called
KBases, contained a wide range of information about processes, line of
business, line of technology, and projects.
The next step was to create
Process Asset Libraries (PALs) which contained information related to
technology, processes, case studies for project leaders which were made
available to all development centers through the intranet. The same thing was
done through the web-based electronic knowledge management portal called
Ultimatix, of which PAL was the precursor. The PAL library and KBases, which
were hosted on the intranet, were merged with Ultimatix, which had sub-portals
for quality management system, software productivity improvement, training
materials, and tools information. In 2007, TCS developed Knowmax, a knowledge
management system, using Microsoft sharepoint portal server that gave TCS
consultants access to nearly 40 years of experience and best practices arranged
by type of engagement, the technology in use, and customer requirements. It
supported more than 60 knowledge assets and was accessible via Ultimatix to all
TCS associates. Any associate could contribute to the K-Bank and Knowledge
officers were made responsible for maintaining the quality of content.
3) Describe the collaboration tools used at TCS? What
benefits did TCS reap from these tools?
·
TCS used a variety of collaboration tools – Infinity that
includes instant messaging, IP telephony, and video conferencing; blogs and
wikis; IdeaStorm, TIP, and Mysite.
·
As a result of adopting Infinity, collaboration of
overseas and local offices improved as instant messaging (IM) got rid of
cultural and pronunciation differences that could occur on the phone.
Furthermore, corporate communications was able to run a 24-hour internal news
broadcast to all TCS offices in the world. In addition, travel and
telecommunications costs were reduced by 40 percent and 6 percent respectively.
·
The other tools improved collaboration, communication, and
knowledge sharing among the employees.
4) How did Web 2.0 tools help TCS manage knowledge and
collaboration among its employees?
Blogs, wikis, and other tools
were used to boost communication and productivity among the
employees. Wikis were used for collaborating on materials related to
project, supporting brainstorming sessions, and developing presentations.
Employees used blogs as a means to gather inputs on problems that they faced on
a project. JustAsk System allowed employees to pose a question and in turn get
answers from other colleagues, sometimes leading to a detailed discussion. If
someone often answered questions on a particular domain, the relevant
specialist group invited that person into the domain group and thus gave the
visibility to talent within the company. The IdeaStorm, used by the management,
helped in generation of ideas on topics posted by the corporate team. TIP was
used as a portal for product innovation and new ideas. It helped the management
to garner ideas related to product/service innovation and helped in solving
problems. TCS also used social networking like MySite to help employees
communicate better with each other.
5) How do you think KM tools have changed some key
operational processes at TCS, such as bidding for new projects, project
development and implementation, customer service, and so on?
TCS aims to move up the value
chain and to continue to bid for higher-level projects, beyond those of
maintenance and development. By accumulating knowledge, it has built
capabilities to understand how to service clients through consulting and in
other strategic areas. So KM has enabled TCS to continue to move higher-up and
to bid for more strategic projects. KM repositories that capture best
practices in the projects it has undertaken make the company more efficient in
servicing clients. This means it can execute better. Thus, systems development
and implementation activities are more likely to be done by TCS in a manner
that is timely, effective, and cost efficient. The same for customer
service – by knowing customer requirements and also taking ideas from other
industries that are stored in the KM databases, the company can provide new and
innovative solutions to resolve customer queries.
Overall, KM tools have become
a key strategic resource at the company and all hires are required to learn
them as a part of their orientation. These tools are also the first go-to
before starting any project or approaching a client. Knowledge in these
databases allows TCS consultants to quickly gather intelligence about the
client or similar projects and thus align themselves better with what the
client might want. This has led to a higher success rate in bidding and in
project execution.
