The Satyam Learning Center(SLC) Experience 

Satyam Learning Center is one of the Strategic Support Profit Centers of Satyam Computers Services Ltd. Satyam Learning Center supports Satyam by providing high quality learning services which help Satyam Associates realize their potential within the organization, SLC also impacts Satyam’s organizational processes by providing value through learning and knowledge services.

SLC firmly believes in Blanchard’s statement "If an organization isn’t constantly learning and improving, it’s dying, and someone else is taking over its markets and customers and constantly tries out new initiatives to stay in the forefront. One such initiative is the Technology Focus Groups- Organizationally sponsored Communities of Practice aimed for delivering and facilitating world class training.

SLC thought of organizationally sponsored communities of practice to leverage on the collective expertise of the Faculty pool, to reduce costs by depending less on external vendors, to have more control on schedules and to encourage the teams which are interested in keeping abreast with the latest in technology, which would mean being proactive, taking active interest and having the required skills even before the requirements arise. 

Unlike self –organizing communities the sponsored communities of practice are called Technology Focus Groups. Technology Focus Groups are organized around the following focal points:.

• Work- related function or process – Training in this case.
• The topic being technology and innovation.

In a joint meeting of the faculty, the tutors and the coordinators the idea of having communities of practice as technology focus groups was stated by the organizational sponsor. 

The organizational sponsor identified six tracks of technology such as Microsoft, SUN, IBM, CRM/ERP etc. and individuals were given time to join the groups of their liking. The broad deliverables of each of the Technology Focus Groups was to provide Training, do Research and Development and consulting for –

• The Entry Level Training Programs
• Need Based Programs
• Individual Learning Programs
• SBU’s directly through special programs.

Associates sent in representations to the Technology Focus Group they wanted to join and lists were drawn.

Each group met and identified a group coordinator and the leader. The key roles and responsibilities identified within the Technology focus groups are: 

Coordinator- The Coordinator provides enthusiasm and energy for organizing meetings and communications. The Coordinator is the chief organizer of events, and the administrator of communications.

Members- Members interact with each other, sharing information, insights and experiences, participating in discussions and raising issues and concerns regarding common needs and requirements. Their primary responsibility is to participate actively, to learn and to share their learning.

Leader-The Leader leads the Technology Focus Group. His or her leadership is based on competence, not rank or position. Leadership in a TFG can shift as the issues and concerns of the TFG shift. Leaders emerge; they cannot be appointed.

Sponsor- The Sponsor communicates the company's support for a sponsored community. The Sponsor helps remove barriers that obstruct community progress (e. g., time, funding and other resources). The Sponsor is also instrumental in establishing the mission and expected outcomes for the community.

A list of products/services and activities were suggested to the Technology Focus Groups. Some of the suggested activities were-

• Getting Certifications,
• Preparing Course Material
• Working on Pilot projects
• Conducting Guest lectures and workshops etc.

Each group was however free to come up with their own deliverables and a plan of action to meet those deliverables.

The ideal time split of activities for a Technology Focus Group member was suggested as-

• Course Design & Teaching 30%
• R&D & Consulting (Reading, Web Browsing..) 40%
• Administrative Duties 30%

The organizational sponsor attended meetings to facilitate the initial working of the Technology Focus Groups and to give support.

Five weeks from inception the Technology Focus Groups reviewed the work done during the period. The review was meant to share the learnings and experiences across the different Technology Focus Groups, to course correct, to celebrate, to voice concerns and to see the outputs or Events Delivered since inception.

The second review was held after 3 weeks from the first review. Each of the Technology Focus Group made presentations on their performance, the goals attained, unattained etc.

Technology Focus Groups are driven by leaders of individual TFGs. These leaders are responsible for ensuring that the TFG members acquire the necessary depth and expertise in respective technology areas and that TFGs generate revenue. Revenues to be generated are to the tune of 5x. ie An investment of Rs. 5000/- in a TFG should generate revenues worth Rs. 25000/-. TFG leaders collaborate with Engagement Managers to get the necessary business. Engagement Managers scan Internal Business Environment and generate business. Revenues are generated through training or by building new products or services. Members of multiple TFGs can collaborate to offer a service. Members of the organization can also associate with a TFG of their choice for short periods.

Communities of practice do not usually require heavy institutional infrastructures, but their members do need time and space to collaborate. They do not require much management, but they can use leadership. They self-organize, but flourish when their learning fits with their organizational environment. The art is to help such communities find resources and connections without overwhelming them with organizational meddling. Satyam Learning Center has legitimized the Technology Focus Groups. Members are give the time to participate in activities; and an environment has been created in which the value communities bring is acknowledged.

Unlike self organizing Communities of Practice, the Technology Focus Groups has organizational support and the following resources for it to use-

• Access to the Internet
• E- mail (including the public folders in MS Outlook)
• Forums on the Intranet
• External Faculty for training’s
• Books
• Time to meet and share
• Opportunities to attend seminars in their area of technology.

In addition the organizational sponsor –

• provides guidance and resources when needed
• helps communities connect their agenda to business strategies
• encourages them to move forward with their agenda and remain focused on the cutting edge
• makes sure they include all the right people
• helps them create links to other communities.

The sponsor helps identify and eliminate barriers to participation in the structure or culture of the overall organization; for instance, conflicts between short-term demands on people's time and the need to participate in learning communities. 

Current Status of the Technology Focus Groups 

Organizationally sponsored Communities of Practice like the Technology Focus Groups in Satyam have clear deliverables and their effectiveness is measured against the adherence to schedules promised in the deliverables.

The Technology Focus Groups have come a long way since their inception. 4 members of a Technology Focus Group have attained certifications; members of another Technology Focus Group have taken classes and conducted seminars. Some have prepared new course material for training. Each Technology Focus Group has its own WebPages on the Intranet. See figure –2. Some Technology Focus Groups are way ahead of the others. A lot depends on the motivation of the individual Technology Focus Group members. 

Learning’s from the Technology Focus Groups Experience

One needs to determine how the Technology Focus Group can be integrated with Knowledge Management initiatives, particularly when piloting an approach as part of a KM strategy. The lessons for Communities of Practice Sponsor from the Technology Focus Group experience are -

• A CoP formed to tackle a specific business problem should have clear expectations regarding business results.

• The CoP sponsor will be someone with a strong stake in having the problem solved probably someone with organizational responsibility for the result. The sponsor should also be the "process owner" or the equivalent.

• CoP members should be recruited for their expertise relevant to the problem and for their stake in seeing it solved.

• Resources to support the CoP should be made available.

• Members of the organizational sponsored CoP members should tie to groups or units that play a role in the process and must be able to see the link between their sharing and hard business outcomes appreciated by senior management.

• Knowledge-based strategies focused on communities of practice must be linked to performance and ought to be measurable by traditional and widely understood business metrics.

• Send continuing message reinforcing the business value of CoPs.
• Provide information to others about what CoPs are, how they operate, how to support and encourage them — and how to avoid undercutting them.
• Encourage appropriate professionals to form CoPs that focus on key business issues at the unit, sector, process, function, or company level.
• Seek out and subtly promote a few exemplar CoPs. Point to solid results and value added but don't overdo it.
• Spend time with a few existing CoPs to learn first- hand how they operate.
• Provide the necessary infrastructure and support (e. g., web pages, group email lists, time, meeting space, etc.).
• Provide and allow for face- to- face interactions as well as virtual or electronic communications.
• Leverage outside events (e. g., bring attendees together afterward and de-brief the sessions attended).

Successful, organizations leverage existing practices. By leveraging what they were already doing, employees achieve competency in the areas much faster than they would have through traditional training. More generally, the knowledge that companies need usually is already present in some form, and the best place to start is to foster the formation of communities of practice that leverage the potential that already exists. CoPs help organizations cultivate new and innovative ideas in situations where process improvement or new product development is necessary to remain competitive in the market place.

Organizations have made conscious efforts to elevate communities from an informal approach to a more formal way of working. These Communities of practice have emerged as an effective way of creating, sharing, validating, and transferring tacit and explicit knowledge. Communities of practice are fast becoming a key success factor for impacting time to market, reuse of knowledge, response time, employee development, creation of knowledge-sharing relationships, organizational learning, and change implementation. Organizations that want to embed Knowledge Management should view CoPs as an essential business practice for the 21st century. In doing so they would have demonstrated that formal communities support and promote the institutionalization of KM at an enterprise level.

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References 

Wenger, E.(1998). Communities of Practice Learning as a social system. Systems Thinker, June.

Wenger, E & Snyder William.(2000). Communities of Practice: The Organizational Frontier. Harvard Business Review. January –February 2000. 

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The author wishes to thank Dr. U. Balaji, Rajul Asthana, Ravi Vadapali, Dr. Renu Khanna and the Various TFG members for help in writing this paper.

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