Athanasia Daskalopoulou

Ngozi Eke
Christian Erler
Apurva Gade
Muntaka M. Gambo
Yahya El Katafany
1
Tata Group: Background Information
2
KM Overview and Models
3
Knowledge Management Success Factors
4
KM Strategy: Codification / Personalization
5
Evaluation of KM efforts
Founded by J. N. Tata in 1868
Has over 100 global operating companies
Operates in various different sectors
Communications and information technology,
engineering, materials, services, energy,
consumer products and chemicals
The major Tata companies are:
Tata Steel, Tata Motors, Tata Consultancy
Services (TCS), Tata Power, Tata Chemicals, Tata
Global Beverages, Tata Teleservices, Titan, Tata
Communications and Indian Hotels.
1. Background 2. Overview 3. Success 4. Strategy 5. Evaluation
The Tata Group is recognized in the 2012 Global
MAKE study for transforming enterprise knowledge
into shareholder value. The Tata Group is a six-time
Global MAKE Winner. (Teleos, 2013a)



The 2012 Asian MAKE panel has recognized Tata
Steel for transforming enterprise knowledge into
stake holder value. Tata Steel is an eight-time Asian
MAKE Winner (including 2008 Overall Asian MAKE
Winner). (Teleos, 2013b)


The 2012 Asian MAKE panel has recognized Tata
Consultancy Services for creating value from
customer knowledge, and transforming enterprise
knowledge into stakeholder value. Tata Consultancy
Services is an eight-time Asian MAKE Winner.
(Teleos, 2013b)
Tata Steel
TCS
Tata Group
1. Background 2. Overview 3. Success 4. Strategy 5. Evaluation
Tata Steel
Established in 1907 by J. N. Tata
Integrated steel producer (from iron ore to
finished steel)
In 1980 initiated a modernization program
Motivation for KM
1. Background 2. Overview 3. Success 4. Strategy 5. Evaluation
Establish intellectual
assets
Growth driver for the
company
Source of
competitve
advantage
TCS (Tata Consultancy Services)
Started in 1968 as a division of Tata Sons Ltd.
Wide range of interests in engineering,
energy, financial services etc.
Operating in 33 countries
Motivation for KM
Being among top
ten IT companies in
the world
Staying ahead of
competition
Need for proper
communication
strategy
1. Background 2. Overview 3. Success 4. Strategy 5. Evaluation
Experts
Authors
User Online Training
Internet Journals,
Vendors
Knowledge
Manager
Communities
Knowledge
Repository
Knowledge
Knowledge
Feedbacks
Problems
Knowledge
Knowledge
Adapted from www.tatasteel.com
1. Background 2. Overview 3. Success 4. Strategy 5. Evaluation
Modernisation program over several years & phases
1. Background 2. Overview 3. Success 4. Strategy 5. Evaluation
Continuous, long-term efforts to improve KM
1. Background 2. Overview 3. Success 4. Strategy 5. Evaluation
Socialisation

Knowledge Communities
Ask Experts
PROPEL
Internalisation

Training

Combination

TBEM
PAL
Ultimatix

Externalisation

CoPs
Corporate groupware
KBases
Web of Participation
T
a
c
i
t

Tacit
E
x
p
l
i
c
i
t

Explicit
F
R
O
M

TO
Adapted from Nonaka and Takeuchi (1995)
Factors for successful
Knowledge Management


- Adapted from Conley &
Zheng (2009)
Knowledge Management
Strategies: Personalization /
Codification

- Adapted from Hansen et
al. (1999)
1. Background 2. Overview 3. Success 4. Strategy 5. Evaluation
Adapted from Conley & Zheng (2009)
Organizational Factors
Top management/Leadership
support
Technology Infrastructure
Strategy Org. Culture + or -
KM Initiative Factors
+ or -
Process Measurement
KM Team Incentives
Training and Education
+ or -
1. Background 2. Overview 3. Success 4. Strategy 5. Evaluation
Organizational Factors
Top management/Leadership
support
Technology Infrastructure
Strategy Org. Culture + or -
Compulsory for all its employees
to participate actively in its KM
program
Innovations were encouraged
Viewed KM as a cultural
transformation
Hiring McKinsey consultants for
advice
Networking with retired
employees
Knowledge repository on
intranet
1. Background 2. Overview 3. Success 4. Strategy 5. Evaluation
KM Initiative Factors
+ or -
Process Measurement
KM Team Incentives
Training and Education
Employees performance was
linked to KM
Recognition of successful KM
efforts (Launched a formal rewards
and recognition system for KM)
Establishing communities of
practice
Organising seminars on KM
E-learning using KM repository and
KM communities
Online training




1. Background 2. Overview 3. Success 4. Strategy 5. Evaluation
KM Initiative Factors
+ or -
Process Measurement
KM Team Incentives
Training and Education
KM Index
Measures the performance of
the system
Tallied the points achieved by
each employee
Gave the employees a
benchmark for their participation
Employees were encouraged to
experiment with new ideas, for
which they were rewarded
Scoring system was expecting to
evolve along with the company
1. Background 2. Overview 3. Success 4. Strategy 5. Evaluation
Senior management drove the
change and encouraged
knowledge sharing
Change needed to be holistic:
people, process and technology
Changed its organizational
structure involving everyone in
order to become a distributed
and empowered organization
Appointed a CTO
Increased value of intellectual
capital by constant learning
Strong investment in human
capital and training
Organizational Factors
Top management/Leadership
support
Technology Infrastructure
Strategy Org. Culture + or -
1. Background 2. Overview 3. Success 4. Strategy 5. Evaluation
Organizational Factors
Top management/Leadership
support
Technology Infrastructure
Strategy Org. Culture + or -
Cultural values
People are most important factor
Optimal resource utilization
Self-appraisal, self-discipline and
self-initiative
Entrepreneurship, innovativeness
and open dialogue
Global outlook
Continuous change and constant
learning
Job rotation across projects,
functions and Tata companies
1. Background 2. Overview 3. Success 4. Strategy 5. Evaluation
Organizational Factors
Top management/Leadership
support
Technology Infrastructure
Strategy Org. Culture + or -
Ultimatix
Digital KM platform with aim to:
Speed up the process of
decision making
Digitize the organization
Connected all the employees
around the globe
Helped TCS become a
paperless organization
PAL & other earlier knowledge
bases became part of it
PAL: Information about
technology, processes and
case studies
KBases: Communication
network and Knowledge
repository

1. Background 2. Overview 3. Success 4. Strategy 5. Evaluation
KM Initiative Factors
+ or -
Process Measurement
KM Team Incentives
Training and Education
Communication / Collaboration
CoPs
Online platforms
Conversations between teams
across the organization
Repositories of organizational
memory
Documented best practices,
problems and solutions
Propel
Movement, consisting of
conferences and camps
Brought together employees
with similar interests
Improved the social skills of
employees
Corporate Groupware


1. Background 2. Overview 3. Success 4. Strategy 5. Evaluation
KM Initiative Factors
+ or -
Process Measurement
KM Team Incentives
Training and Education
TBEM (Tata Business Excellence Model)
Tata group initiative since 1995
Applied in many group companies
urging best practices to be shared
among them
Addresses all aspects of quality e.g.
Leadership, Strategy, KM, HR, etc.
Helped employees learn about:
Managing data
Process orientation
Motivating people
TCS was assessed by trained TBEM
people from other Tata group
companies for knowledge sharing
1. Background 2. Overview 3. Success 4. Strategy 5. Evaluation
KM Initiative Factors
+ or -
Process Measurement
KM Team Incentives
Training and Education
5iKM3 (KM Maturity Model)
Model that measures the maturity
level of KM in an enterprise
Assessed the clients readiness to
adopt KM initiatives
Benchmark to evaluate the
acceptance and maturity of KM
Helped customers formulate a KM
vision and strategy
Suggested a KM roadmap:
explaining policies and processes,
conducting awareness and training
sessions
1. Background 2. Overview 3. Success 4. Strategy 5. Evaluation
5iKM3 (KM Maturity Model)
5 stages of KM maturity:
1. Initial stage (no formal process to
use the organizational knowledge)

2. Intent stage (organization realized
benefits of employing knowledge)

3. Initiative stage (business processes
are knowledge enabled and
impacts/benefits are seen)
4. Intelligent stage (considerable
amount of knowledge collab. and
sharing, organiz. intelligence)
5. Innovation (process optimization,
securing a business edge)
Roadmap to KM results
(ODell et al. 2003)
1. Stage 1 KM is a topic of interest. A
high level rationale is in place.

2. Stage 2 A steering committee and
funding for KM pilots

3. Stage 3 Designed KM pilots.
Implementation strategies are in
place.
4. Stage 4 Expand KM pilots across
organisation

5. Stage 5 KM is part of the business
model. Knowledge sharing is the
norm. Rewards are aligned with KM
1. Background 2. Overview 3. Success 4. Strategy 5. Evaluation
Adapted from Hansen et al (1999)
In 1990s, KM started to gain strategic management relevance

2 Different KM Strategies were identified by Hansen et al. (1999):

1. Codification Strategy: Knowledge is codified & stored in
databases / repositories and made independent of the
person so that it can be easily accessed & used by anyone

2. Personalization Strategy: Knowledge is tied to the person
who developed / gained it & is shared through person-to-
person contact and build network of people.

KM is the core asset of consultancies (TCS) but strategies apply
to other companies as well
1. Background 2. Overview 3. Success 4. Strategy 5. Evaluation
Adapted from Hansen et al (1999)
CODIFICATION Categories PERSONALIZATION
Modernization program (four
phases)

COMPETITIVE STRATEGY BSC
Vision 2007(EVA positive) ECONOMIC MODEL

KM index
Performance ethic program
(PEP) (5
th
phase)
Knowledge repository
CoP(hire McKinsey for advice)
KNOWLEDGE
MANAGEMENT
STRATEGY
Knowledge piece(KP) or Query
Knowledge communities
Seminars
Plans to link E-learning with KM
repository and KM communities

INFORMATION
TECHNOLOGY
KM index HUMAN RESOURCES




1. Background 2. Overview 3. Success 4. Strategy 5. Evaluation
Based on the table we can say that Tata Steel rely more on the
codification strategy

They use personalization as a support

This is in line with the Hansens observation that effective firms
excelled by focusing on one of the strategies and use the other
one in a supporting role

Tata Steel might not have as many KM initiatives as other
companies (e.g. TCS), but in their industry they were the first to
use KM on a strategic and operational level

However, Tata Steel needs to link its KM initiatives to all
employees

1. Background 2. Overview 3. Success 4. Strategy 5. Evaluation
Adapted from Hansen et al (1999)
CODIFICATION Categories PERSONALIZATION
TBEM
EVA
Web of participation structure
COMPETITIVE STRATEGY BSC
ECONOMIC MODEL Proactive investment in multiple
technologies
KBases
CoPs
PAL
KNOWLEDGE
MANAGEMENT
STRATEGY
Team approach
Fishnet model
PROPEL
TMTC

Training & Library Automation
Ultimatix
iQMS
INFORMATION
TECHNOLOGY
multiple technologies to cross-
train people
Corporate Groupware

HUMAN RESOURCES CTO
Experts from various fields to
provide strategic & operational
solutions
Rigorous training of new recruits
1. Background 2. Overview 3. Success 4. Strategy 5. Evaluation
Based on the table we can say that TCS has a mixed approach

Balance between both strategies

This is not in line with the Hansens observation that effective
firms excelled by focusing on one of the strategies and use the
other one in a supporting role

So, without a doubt TCS is successful but focusing more on one
approach and using the other as a support can prove to be
more beneficial.

Globally, TCS always gets recognized in MAKE awards, but in
2012 the winner was Apple

Technology is a major success factor for KM implementation

1. Background 2. Overview 3. Success 4. Strategy 5. Evaluation
- Productivity
- Employee satisfaction
- Loss of intellectual capital

- Costs by not repeatedly
solving the same problem

- Redundancy of knowledge-
based activities
Adapted from Turban et al. (2011)
Increase
Reduce
1. Background 2. Overview 3. Success 4. Strategy 5. Evaluation
- Productivity
- Employee job satisfaction
- Employee
engagement/participation
- Irrelevant contributions
- Loss of intellectual capital
- R&D costs
- Costs by not repeatedly
solving the same problem
Adapted from Turban et al. (2011)
Increase
Reduce
1. Background 2. Overview 3. Success 4. Strategy 5. Evaluation
- Employee job satisfaction
- Employee engagement
- Overlapping initiatives
- Overload of information

- Employee attrition rates
- Loss of intellectual capital
- Creativity, Learning

Adapted from Turban et al. (2011)
Increase
Reduce
1. Background 2. Overview 3. Success 4. Strategy 5. Evaluation
1. Background 2. Overview 3. Success 4. Strategy 5. Evaluation
Culture of ongoing change, constant learning, personal
development and open dialogue
Web of Participation, Fishnet structure, Propel
Job rotation across projects and even companies
Supportive
Learning
Environment
Communities of Practice
TBEM
5iKM3
Extensive training for all employees
Concrete
Learning
Processes
Senior Mgmt. drives change, encourages knowledge
sharing and values intellectual capital
High investments in training and development
Leadership program
Leadership
Reinforces
Training
Adapted from Garvin, Edmondson and Gino (2008)
3 pillars of the learning organisation
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Any questions?