Knowledge Management at Accenture
CASE III
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Shane C & Abby M
Organization –
Organization – Information – IT/IS impact – Alternatives – Pros/Cons – Solutions – Messages
Problem
Aspect
Accenture- History
• Once the administrative services division of
Author Anderson (1953 – 1989)
• Split from Arthur Andersen in 1989 but kept the
Anderson Trademark (Anderson Consulting).
• In 2000, changed its name to accenture after a
contract dispute with Arthur Andersen
Organization –
Organization – Information – IT/IS impact – Alternatives – Pros/Cons – Solutions – Messages
Problem
Aspect
Organization
• Accenture is a global company, working with 96
of the top 100 Fortune Global companies.
• 3 main revenue streams consulting, technology
services and outsourcing
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▫
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100,000 people in 2005
“today” 181,000 in 120 countries
13.67 billion in Revenue in 2004
“today” over 25 billion in Revenue
Organization –
Organization – Information – IT/IS impact – Alternatives – Pros/Cons – Solutions – Messages
Problem
Aspect
Accenture – Structure (2005)
Operating Groups
Financial
Services
Resources
Products
Government
Commun /
High
Technology
Capability Groups
Strategy and
Bus
Architecture
Supply Chain
Mgt
Customer
Relation
Management
Human
Performance
Finance/
Controller
Facilities MGT
Corporate
Communications
Technology
Organization –
Organization – Information – IT/IS impact – Alternatives – Pros/Cons – Solutions – Messages
Problem
Aspect
Organization
– Organization – Information – IT/IS impact – Alternatives – Pros/Cons – Solutions – Messages
Problem
Aspect
“High Performance Delivered”
• Low Employee Efficiency
▫ Highly Fragmented Organizational Structure
▫ Access to the right expertise and information to
sell and deliver against their clients
▫ 30% of employees are new
• Shareholder Loss of Value
▫ Pressures to maintain competitive edge
▫ Operational Budget pressures
Organization – Organization –
Problem
Information – IT/IS impact – Alternatives – Pros/Cons – Solutions – Messages
Aspect
Current State – (2005)
• Average of 4,500 employees access to information
on-line PER DAY with on average 500 new users
each day.
• Currently running more than 40 lotus notes servers,
knowledge exchange fragmented by decentralized
web based portals
• Knowledge exchange management team recently
downsized.
• Unclear who is to manage the content and how the
governance structure should be mandated
Organization – Organization –
Problem
Information – IT/IS impact – Alternatives – Pros/Cons – Solutions – Messages
Aspect
Silo Data
Bases Duplication
of
Information
Ineffective
Search and
Retrieval of
Information
Information
Collaboration
Efficiency
Information
Inconsistency
Nonintuitive
End User
Experience
Unmanaged
Content
Organization – Organization – Information –
Problem
Aspect
IT/IS impact
Multiple
Data Bases
– Alternatives – Pros/Cons – Solutions – Messages
Multiple
Servers
Silo Data
Bases Duplication
of
Information
Ineffective
Search and
Retrieval of
Information
Nonintuitive
End User
Experience
Multiple
web based
portals
Lotus
Notes
Information
Inconsistency
Unmanaged
Content
Lack of centralized
search technology
Organization – Organization – Information – IT/IS impact –
Problem
Aspect
Alternatives – Pros/Cons – Solutions – Messages
Knowledge Management Systems
• Knowledge Management is the collection of processes that
govern the creation, dissemination, and utilization of
knowledge. ("An Open Discussion of Knowledge
Management", Brian (Bo)Newman, 1991.)
• Range of practices used in an organization to identify, create,
represent, distribute and enable adoption of insights and
experiences. ("Knowledge Management", Wikipedia).
Organization – Organization – Information – IT/IS impact –
Problem
Aspect
Alternatives – Pros/Cons – Solutions – Messages
Knowledge Management Systems
• KM involves the ability to categorize and retrieve information
that other people have written. To be able to share the
collective knowledge of the organization is what can give you a
competitive advantage. (IBM Website)
• Knowledge is unstructured and Messy. A successful
KM program transforms data into intelligence and wisdom.
Organizational Objectives of KM
•
•
•
•
•
Improved Performance
Competitive Advantage
Innovation
Sharing of lessons learned
Continuous Improvement
Technologies Employed in KM
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Knowledge Bases (Searchable, Categorized Knowledge)
Knowledge Repositories (Repository of Media)
Groupware (Email, Calendaring, etc)
Expert Systems (Use of Artificial Intelligence to assist
decisions)
Group Decision Support Systems (Electronic Meeting
Systems)
Blogs
Wikis
Rss Enablement
Social Networking
Gartner Magic Quadrant
• Knowledge Systems
Organization – Organization – Information – IT/IS impact –
Problem
Aspect
Alternatives – Pros/Cons – Solutions – Messages
1) Sharepoint
Allows organizations to consolidate and centralize
their content, data, documents, processes,
application and people
▫ Easier knowledge retrieval
▫ Efficient knowledge asset management
▫ Reduction in servers to 10
▫ Cost savings (estimated to be one million dollars)
Organization – Organization – Information – IT/IS impact –
Problem
Aspect
Alternatives – Pros/Cons – Solutions – Messages
2) Upgrade existing system
Lotus Notes currently house documents,
processes, knowledge articles in centralized
repository
• Add ins for specific knowledge transfers
• Enhanced search and retrieval abilities
• Centralized data
Organization – Organization – Information – IT/IS impact – Alternatives –
Problem
Aspect
Pros/Cons – Solutions – Messages
1) SharePoint
Pros
Cons
• Change leader in place
• Industry standard
▫ Popular for medium to large
size businesses
• Strong development toolsets
• Availability of Developers
• New Users comfortable with
user interface
▫ Similar to other Microsoft
products
▫ Tighter integration with
existing Microsoft products
• Change
• Could be seen as conflict of
interest
• New product not allot KM
tools available and experience
Organization – Organization – Information – IT/IS impact – Alternatives –
Problem
Aspect
Pros/Cons – Solutions – Messages
2) Upgrade existing
Pros
Cons
• Existing staff familiar with
system
• Easier migration
• More mature KM
tool/modules
• Customizable
• Availability of programmers
• User profiles and security
levels not integrated with
active directory
▫ Single source of
authorization
/authentication
Organization – Organization – Information – IT/IS impact – Alternatives – Pros/Cons
Problem
Aspect
– Solutions
– Messages
Why not upgrade?
• Why not improve what is working?
▫ Evolution vs revolution
▫ Culture needed a KM revolution
• Build on it rather than start fresh
▫ Efficiencies may not have been gained by working
within existing architecture and concepts
• 70% of users are familiar
▫ New future users and/or 30% are not and Lotus
Notes is more complex
Organization – Organization – Information – IT/IS impact – Alternatives – Pros/Cons
Problem
Aspect
– Solutions
– Messages
Compelling reason to Change
• Gains through process of newly designed knowledge
exchange architecture
• In house champion
• Shareholder value
▫ More marketable solution for their consulting and
even possible IT services group
• EFFICENCY side, equal in terms of options as
the benefit in the process of re-architecture of
design and human process.
Organization – Organization – Information – IT/IS impact – Alternatives – Pros/Cons
Problem
Aspect
– Solutions
– Messages
Project Goals
•
•
•
•
•
1) Fostering and Sustaining a Knowledge Sharing Culture
2) Improving the time to Competency for New Hires
3) Enabling and Enhancing Accenture's’ Sales Capability
4) Ensuring and Improving the ROI for KM
5) Improve Margin on Key Engagements
SWOT Analysis showed for each of these goals showed that
elements of Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and
Strengths had hardly anything to do with technology, and
everything to do with Process and People.
What happened at Accenture
• Legacy system was retained for 90 days
• Increased usage, 170,000 downloads per month
to more than 400,000
• Increase in Employee Satisfaction surveys and a
7-10 point increase in access to information and
ability to locate
• Increased Cost savings, ability to reduce the
number of servers
Organization – Organization – Information – IT/IS impact – Alternatives – Pros/Cons – Solutions – Messages
Problem
Aspect
Messages for Modern Leader
• Not Just Information Technology
• Culture of Continuous Improvement
• Foundation of Governance (Policies and
Procedures)
• Motivating Staff
• Training Staff on what KM is and why?
• Building a KM team, empowered/enabled