Evolving a Knowledge-Driven
Global eServices Model
John Fronius
Director, Knowledge Systems
Customer Support Division
May 23, 2006
So…What is EDA?
 The Electronic Design Automation (EDA)
industry provides the design software
used to create all of the world’s
electronic systems.
 It is time-critical technology used to
design the most complex system-on-chip
(SoC) semiconductors & printed circuit
boards.
 Mentor Graphics has been an EDA
industry leader for 25 years with annual
revenues over $700 million.
MGC eServices Model, May '06
2
EDA: A Market of Markets

Mentor Support:
—
3 Support Engineers
—
“Pick up the phone”
—
Paper tracking forms
—
Apollo workstations &
Aegis operating
systems
MGC eServices Model, May '06
3
About Mentor Customer Support

$250M+ in support revenue

450+ Support Professionals
Worldwide

One Unified Global Support
Tracking and KM System

14 Support Centers in 4
Global Regions
—
All SCP Certified
MGC eServices Model, May '06
4
In the Beginning…1983

Mentor Support:
—
3 Support Engineers
—
“Pick up the phone”
—
Paper tracking forms
—
Apollo workstations &
Aegis operating
systems
MGC eServices Model, May '06
5
A Decade Later…1993

Mentor Support:
—
187 Support Engineers
—
Reactive support
—
Separate systems in separate regions
—
Hardcopy Customer Support Bulletin
—
Beginning of Electronic Services:

Modem support line & initial Web access

SupportNet E-mail
MGC eServices Model, May '06
6
1993 - Electronic Access
• SupportNet - Email
– Open and review call logs
– Query TechNotes
– 3500 users
• SupportNet - Web
– Retrieve patches, SupportBulletins, Application Notes
– Transfer design data
– 497 users
MGC eServices Model, May '06
7
1993 Support Delivery
Emphasis on Timely Phone Contact
Customer requests
assistance
DirectConnectSM

Response

Resolution

Relationships
Coordinator
Customer
Support Engineer
MGC eServices Model, May '06
8
1993 – 2000
Focus on WW Operational Excellence
“The Only 5-Star Support in EDA”
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9
21st Century Business Drivers

Everything happens in “Internet Time”

Online support expectations set by B2C

Make Services a competitive differentiator

Increase mainstream revenues

Margin pressures
—

Do more with same or less headcount
Globalization of the workforce
MGC eServices Model, May '06
10
Mentor Support Business Drivers
Revenue
Adoption
Reinvest
Savings
Margin
Deflection
/Prevention
“SupportNet is the Engine
that Creates Capacity”
MGC eServices Model, May '06
11
2006: Driving SupportNet 1st
SupportNet
SupportCenter
Coordinators
Priority given to
web-opened Service
Requests
Worldwide
CAE Team
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12
Welcome to SupportNet!
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13
Search All Content Types
How-To & Tutorial
Movies
Product
Documentation
KnowledgeBase
TechNotes
MGC eServices Model, May '06
14
K n o w l e d g e
S y s t e m s
InfoHub
within Products
SupportNet: First Line of Support
Documentation
How-Tos & Tutorials
AppNotes
White Papers
Partner Content
KnowledgeBase
&
Call Tracking
Knowledge Management
Processes
MGC eServices Model, May '06
15
The Self Service Mandate
Source: Customer Contact Council Research
Build it and they
will come
Make self-service
better and
customers will
choose to use it
SupportNet
Drive customers
to self-service
MGC eServices Model, May '06
16
Mentor’s KM Timeline
Phase I
Phase II
Phase III
LEARNING
LAUNCH
LEVERAGE
High
• Initial experimentation
• Executive sponsorship
• Startup “Project KCS”
• Acquisition of tools
• Content standard defined
Maturity
• Initial publishing workflow
introduced
Level
• Internal capture & reuse
with Primus
• Incentives to create
content
• “Solve a problem once,
worldwide”
Low
’00-’01
’02-’04
MGC eServices Model, May '06
’05
17
Mentor’s KM Timeline
Phase I
Phase II
Phase III
LEARNING
LAUNCH
LEVERAGE
High
• Rollout to customers
• Initial experimentation
• Focus on quantity
• Executive sponsorship
• Maximize reuse
• Startup “Project KCS”
• Contributing Editor role
• Acquisition of tools
• Processes vary by team
and region
• Content standard defined
• Competing priorities
• Initial publishing workflow
introduced
• 5-Star Phone Support
• Internal capture & reuse
with Primus
• Call deflection  reinvest
• Incentives to create
content
• Call / KB integration
• “Solve a problem once,
worldwide”
• Google  InQuira Search
Maturity
Level
• “Try to find time for KM“
• Ad hoc customer feedback
• Kanji Knowledgebase
• “Biggest Brain” promotion
Low
• Additional content types
’00-’01
’02-’04
MGC eServices Model, May '06
’05
18
Which Way is North?
SupportNet
Tom Floodeen, VP & GM
Mentor Graphics Customer Support
Call Back
As Needed
Worldwide
CAE Team
MGC eServices Model, May '06
19
Mentor’s KM Timeline
Phase I
Phase II
Phase III
LEARNING
LAUNCH
LEVERAGE
• Rollout to customers
• 5-Star Web Support
• Initial experimentation
• Focus on quantity
• Proactive Investment
• Executive sponsorship
• Maximize reuse
• Create CAE capacity
• Startup “Project KCS”
• Contributing Editor role
• WW focus & metrics
• Acquisition of tools
• Processes vary by team
and region
• Individual  WW Team
• Content standard defined
• Competing priorities
• Managing customer
access to support
• Full-time Knowledge
Managers
• Initial publishing workflow
introduced
• 5-Star Phone Support
• Internal capture & reuse
with Primus
• Call deflection  reinvest
• Ad hoc customer feedback
• Incentives to create
content
• Diverse Docs, How-Tos,
Tutorials, AppNotes
• Call / KB integration
• Integrated KM tools
• Kanji Knowledgebase
• Multi-language support
• Google  InQuira Search
• Robust Analytics
• “Biggest Brain” promotion
• Direct customer feedback
• Additional content types
• SupportNet Redesign
• “Solve a problem once,
worldwide”
’00-’01
• “Try to find time for KM“
’02-’04
MGC eServices Model, May '06
High
Maturity
Level
• The “RIGHT” content
Accurate/Relevant/ Timely
Low
’05
20
Knowledge Sharing = Leverage

Content is used many times, 1:MANY


TechNotes, Documentation, How-Tos & Tutorials
Creates capacity for higher value, more
proactive activities

Strategic Account Support

Customer Training / Onsite Visits / CAE Learning

Proactive Product Division work

Knowledge Management
MGC eServices Model, May '06
21
KM Functional Roles
Knowledge
Managers
Knowledge
Analyst
WW
CSM
WW
CSM
WW
CSM
~ 15
Contributing
Editors
CE
CE
CE
CE
~ 25
CAE Support
Team Authors &
Reviewers
CAE Support
Team Authors &
Reviewers
CAE Support
CAE Support
Team Authors & Team Authors &
Reviewers
Reviewers
CAE Support
Team Authors &
Reviewers
~ 250
MGC eServices Model, May '06
22
Success Measures

Deflection

Traffic and usage

Content feedback

System reliability

Survey results

Annual set of key goals

Creation of bandwidth
—
Growth in revenue, flat headcount and call volume
MGC eServices Model, May '06
23
SupportNet Survey
Worldwide - Q1 2006
Reason for Visit
Troubleshoot tech problem
Download update/patch/service pack
Access user manuals/doc
Open Service Request
Other
Search product info
SupportPro newsletter link
Find Authorization Code
Review status of previous SR
Find info on MGC
Responses
337
28%
310
26%
151
13%
119
10%
81
7%
72
6%
58
5%
40
3%
35
3%
0
0%
1,203
Success Rate
64%
86%
74%
82%
64%
76%
95%
75%
71%
0%
76%
“Success” means customer stated their goal for the visit was met.
MGC eServices Model, May '06
24
WW SupportNet Usage
Sessions
SupportNet Sessions/Month
Known Users Only
30,000
Key Drivers of usage:
• release downloads
• troubleshooting
• SupportPro emails
27,000
24,000
Unique Visitors
21,000
SupportNet Unique Visitors/Month
10,000
9,500
18,000
Apr-05 May-05 Jun-05
9,000
Jul-05
Aug-05 Sep-05 Oct-05 Nov-05 Dec-05 Jan-06 Feb-06 Mar-06 Apr-06
WW Monthly Sessions 19,341 21,046 21,431 19,228 21,463 20,596 22,260 21,953 18,854 28,709 22,907 28,087 22,261
8,500
8,000
’05 Results:
>29,000 Unique Visitors
>260,000 Unique Sessions
7,500
7,000
6,500
6,000
Apr-05 May-05 Jun-05
Jul-05
Aug-05 Sep-05 Oct-05 Nov-05 Dec-05 Jan-06 Feb-06 Mar-06 Apr-06
7,850
6,831
7,555
7,472
6,978
7,248
7,288
7,524
7,682
7,001
9,017
8,061
9,159
% Growth Over Jan '05
9%
20%
19%
11%
15%
16%
20%
22%
12%
44%
28%
46%
25%
% Growth Mth/Mth
-8%
11%
-1%
-7%
4%
1%
3%
2%
-9%
29%
-11%
14%
-14%
WW Unique Visitors
MGC eServices Model, May '06
25
Service Requests Opened via SupportNet
% of SRs Opened via SupportNet
MGC eServices Model, May '06
-06
Apr
Mar
-06
6
Feb
-0
-06
Jan
-05
Dec
-05
Nov
5
Oct
-0
Sep
-05
Aug
-05
Jul05
Jun
-05
May
-05
-05
Apr
Mar
-05
5
Feb
-0
-05
Jan
-04
Dec
-04
Nov
4
Oct
-0
Sep
-04
Aug
-04
Jul04
Jun
-04
May
-04
April - 35.91%
-04
45%
40%
35%
30%
25%
20%
15%
10%
5%
0%
Apr
Percentage
GOAL = 41% Opened via SupportNet by December 2006
26
Mentor’s Investments are Iterative
SupportNet
Projects
40,000
>40,000
Registered
Users
35,000
25,000
Mass Reg. Program
20,000
15,000
KnowledgeBase
Marketing Launch:
10,000
Biggest Brain Contest
Marketing
Projects
5,000
Reg. Clean up
MGC eServices
Date Model, May '06
Apr-04
2004
Feb-04
Dec-03
Oct-03
Aug-03
2003
Jun-03
Apr-03
Feb-03
Dec-02
2002
Oct-02
Aug-02
Jun-02
Apr-02
Feb-02
2001
Dec-01
Oct-01
0
Aug-01
Registrations
30,000
…2006
27
Critical Success Factors

Executive sponsorship and alignment
—
Active change management

Focused awareness campaigns (internal & external)

Intuitive user interface, robust search (internal & external)

Integrated workflow for call tracking, capture, author, publish

Reliable infrastructure

The “Right” content: Accurate, Relevant, Timely

Success measures
—

Align goals and metrics with needed behaviors, make visible
Direct feedback to teams (surveys, content ratings, analytics)
MGC eServices Model, May '06
28
KM Current Trends

Business model: Companies are increasingly using KM
to drive margin improvement and to extend their service
"reach" to a broader set of customers

People: Companies are dedicating more full-time
resources to KM functions

Process: Companies are re-designing support models
from phone-centric  web-based

Technology: Companies are investing in more
sophisticated platforms to facilitate self-service
—
—
deeper integration across CRM (call tracking) systems and KM
platforms
online support technologies (search, knowledgebases, case
management, feature-rich portals)
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29
What’s Next @ Mentor?

Actively manage customers to SupportNet

Further shift culture to make web & phone work
together to deliver a 5-Star Support experience
—
Renewed support of Contributing Editors & WWCSMs

SSC eService standards development

Develop & launch new KM platform

SupportNet Redesign

Invest in the “right” content
—
Leverage call data, analytics, proactive planning
MGC eServices Model, May '06
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The “ART” of
Knowledge Management

ACCURATE
—


Content must be technically accurate
(best info that we have at the time)
RELEVANT
—
Content must be relevant to the
customer, in the right context
—
selective investment in highest value
TIMELY
—
Customers need to know when WE know
MGC eServices Model, May '06
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Focusing on the Right Content
SR Solutions
Proactive Knowledge
Creation
(Work across TPubs, R&D)
Data Mine
SupportNet
Usage
(InQuira Analytics,
Survey Data, Content
Ratings, etc.)
Focus on solutions where
customer re-use is most likely.
Internal re-use is a good
indicator.
Contributing
Editor
(via WW CSM)
Published Knowledge (Docs, Movies, TechNotes…)
MGC eServices Model, May '06
32
SupportNet Redesign
Product-centric
Experience
Task-based
Design
MGC eServices Model, May '06
33
Some Recommended Resources
MGC eServices Model, May '06
34
In Closing…

Our investments are working
—
People
—
Process
—
Technology

SupportNet is increasingly the 1st line of Support

We have begun to deliver 5 STAR Web Support

We are saving $, creating bandwidth, extending our reach

Results require time and persistence:
—
If you haven’t started…get busy!
—
If you are on your way…stay the course!
—
If you are getting results…share them!
MGC eServices Model, May '06
35
Questions?
John Fronius
Director, Support Knowledge Systems
john_fronius@mentor.com
503.685.7938