Knowledge Management and Collaboration at
Tata Consulting Services
Analyze the knowledge management efforts at TCS using the knowledge value chain model.
Which tools or activities were used for managing tacit knowledge and which ones
are used for explicit knowledge?
The knowledge
management efforts at TCS can be divided as below:
a)
Acknowledge 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 client across the globe including GE Insurance, GE Health,
Hewlett Packard, Prudential, Standard Chartered Bank and so on.
-
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 IEEE and go in for certificates.
b)
Knowledge Storage
-
TCS had developed various repositories and
databases for knowledge storage such as Kbases, Process Asset Libraries,
KnowMax and Ultimatix.
c)
Knowledge Dissemination
-
Knowledge was disseminated using a variety of
techniques such as:
·
Ultimatix : A web based electronic knowledge
management portal
·
Propel session : Brought together employees with
similar interests
·
Live Meeting and Knowledge Transition sessions
at the project level
·
“Tip of the Day” email comprising technical,
conceptual or human skills tips were share within the organization daily
d)
Knowledge Application
-
Employees could access the knowledge repository
that raised on the corporate and branch servers through the intranet.
-
Students or anybody 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.
Tools or
activities were used for managing tacit knowledge:
-
Kbases
-
Process Asset Libraries
-
KnowMax
-
Ultimax
Tools or
activities were used for managing explicit knowledge:
-
Redesign of development centers
-
Propel sessions
-
Knowledge Transition Sessions
-
Communities of practice
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 of technology and projects.
The next step
was to create Process Asset Libraries (PALs) which contained information
related to technology, processes, and case studies for project leaders which
were made available to all development centers through the intranet.
The same was
done through the web-based electronic knowledge management portal called
Ultimax, which PAL was the precursor. The PAL library and Kbases, which were
hosted on the intranet, merged with Ultimax, which had sub-portals for quality
management system, software productivity improvement, training materials and
tools information.
TCS developed Knowmax,
a knowledge management system using Microsoft share point 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
Ultimax to all TCS associates. Any associate could contribute to the K-Bank and
Knowledge officers were made responsible for maintaining the quality of
content.
Describe the collaboration tools used at
TCS? What benefits did TCS reap from these tools?
Collaboration
tools used by TCS:
-
Infinity that includes instant messaging, IP
telephony and video conferencing
-
Blogs and wikis
-
IdeaStorm, TIP
-
Mysite
Benefits that
TCS reap from these tools:
i)
Collaboration overseas and local offices
improved as instant messaging got rid of cultural and pronunciation differences
that could occur on the phone.
ii)
Corporate communications are able to run a
24-hour internal news broadcast to all TCS offices in the world.
iii)
Travel and telecommunications costs were reduced
by 40% and 6% respectively.
iv)
The other tools improved collaboration,
communication and knowledge sharing among the employees.
How did Web 2.0 tools help TCS to manage
knowledge and collaboration among its employees?
Web 2.0 tools
help TCS to manage knowledge and collaboration among its employees as below:
a)
Wikis
-
Collaborating on materials related to project.
-
Supporting brainstorming sessions
-
Developing presentations
b)
Blogs
-
Used as to gather inputs on problems that they
faced on a project.
c)
Just Ask System
-
Allowed employees to post a question and get
answers from colleagues, sometimes leading to a detailed discussion.
-
If someone often answered questions on a
particular domain, the relevant specialist group invites that person into the
domain group and gave the visibility to talent within the company.
d)
The Ideastorm
-
Used by management, helped in generation of
ideas on topics posted by corporate team.
e)
TIP
-
Used as a portal for product innovation and new
ideas.
-
Helped the management to garner ideas related to
product or service innovation and helped in solving problems.
f)
Social Net Working Mysite
-
To help employees communicate better with each
other.
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?
System
development and implementation activities are more likely to be done by TCS in
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. 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. 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 and
project or approaching a client. Knowledge in these databases allows TCS
consultants to quickly gather intelligent about the client or similar projects
and thus align themselves better with what the client might want. This has led
to higher success rate in bidding and in project execution.
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