Knowledge Management: From Brain to Business (PDF 5.5 - Asian ...

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Connecting Strategy and
Operations through
Knowledge Management
– The Tata Group
Experience
T.S. Rangarajan
Head, RFID Solutions
Tata Consultancy Services, India
I thank the Asian Productivity Organization and the Thailand Productivity Institute for giving
me this opportunity to speak before you. I come from one of the largest industrial houses of
India, the Tata Group, which is more than 150 years old.
We heard Professor Nonaka speak about knowledge management as almost a philosophy.
We heard Ms. Martha Seng speak about the importance of the people part of knowledge
management. This is perhaps the most difficult aspect. I have chosen the easier path of
talking about knowledge management in a way that is more down to earth, and which most
of you will relate to easily. It is much closer to heart for us because I come from an
information technology (IT) organization.
I am going to talk to you about how knowledge management, as it is being spoken and
practiced today, has been largely enabled by IT. It is IT which is helping us to talk about
these things effectively today. And coming from an IT organization, I will show you some
demonstrations of how IT tools or processes are designed as well as how they are used in
our company and the rest of the Tata Group. It is our belief that these tools are very
essential. We cannot be sitting in this hotel, talking to each other, without the use of these
tools. I do not pretend to be a philosopher or thinker; I am a very hands-on guy. I will be
very happy to answer questions later on how did we did this and how are we trying to do
that.
Knowledge management has not only been a
very important tool for our company but we
have also created a practice out of it. A lot of
this information we will share freely with you.
We will follow the presentation printed in the
bound handout but more than that, I want to
show you how these portals work. As
"Knowledge management is proving to be a
risk sharing platform. I get comfort in
knowing that I have more people I can go to
if I have a problem. I am not alone; I am
sharing my risk."
consultants, we sell the practice of knowledge management. I am unabashedly telling you
that I am a salesman for TCS on knowledge management.
Here is some basic information about the Tata Group:
• India’s largest conglomerate: 93 operating companies across 7 industry sectors
• Represents excellence and integrity
• Trusteeship concept
• Pioneering spirit
• Leaders in multiple businesses
• Group turnover in 2005-06 of $21.9 billion (Rs.967,229 million,) the equivalent of
about 2.7 percent of India’s GDP
• Over 215,000 employees and 2.3 million shareholders