KM 2008 - Case StudyAndy Blunden Knowledge & HR Manager McCormick Rankin Cagney

Company & History McCormick Rankin Cagney Pty Ltd

Transport Consultants South East Asia 50% owned by Australian employees and 50% by

McCormick Rankin Corporation (Canada) www.mrc.ca

Reputation for excellence in complex and unusual projects

Business Improvement Division underpins Transport Reform Agenda and Executive support

Offices Brisbane, Sydney, Melbourne, Newcastle, Auckland

Operating 7 years Grown rapidly as niche Transport implementation

partner International and National presence

www.mrcagney.com

Andy Blunden MBA (Strategic Management, IT Management),

Master Information Systems Knowledge & HR Manager 30+ years Training & Development, HR, IR,

Organisation Development experience Consulting in Strategic development, Quality &

Productivity Improvement, Business Process Re engineering

Specialising in Knowledge Management in Public and Private sectors

The Traffic Management Centre Project

Review and modernise Traffic Management Centre Nerang (Gold Coast District manages over 1000km of state controlled roads in most densely populate area of Qld)

Implement State of art Traffic Management Centre Move centre to a 24 hour shift operation Raise incident management quality & consistency in the

district Implement best practice processes and technologies Standardise on road response to incidents Improve relationships with key stakeholders (police,

ambulance, fire, towing services and public) Implement new traffic management technologies and

Motorway management systems This project driven by addition of new Tugun motorway

connecting Qld and NSW with Tunnel under Gold Coast airport runway

10 months work – 2 consultants, living and breathing Traffic Management operations

What is a Traffic Management Centre? – Background A Traffic Management Centre operates a

CCTV network and other smart incident detection systems

Responds to road incidents (Crashes, Breakdowns, Abandoned vehicles, Congestion, Road rage)

Provides Motorist information and warnings (Web, Phone Radio traffic reports, Variable Message Signs, SMS, Smart GPS – Road Angel)

Adjusts the road network to (Traffic lights, diversions)

Supports ‘on road’ Traffic Management response

Coordinates on road response (integrates Police, Traffic Response Units, Fire, Ambulance, Towing)

Level of risk significantly higher with Tunnels (i.e. Burnley incident, Mont Blanc tunnel fire)

Project Goals Review the Nerang Traffic Management Centre operations

for efficiency/effectiveness toward best practice (Business process review)

Codify operational knowledge and best practices Improve culture Raise operator performance through improved knowledge,

training and knowledge culture to meet changed operating requirements

Move to 24 hour shift operation Operate Tugan motorway (incorporating tunnel under

Coolangatta airport runway) Improve incident response, responder safety and service

visibility Integrate new traffic management technologies with work

process Provide consistent ‘look and feel’ of service as a model for

Qld Dept Main Roads across Qld Create a model approach for possible other TMC

implementations.

Project KM Challenges Recruitment of 10 new staff Rapid technical knowledge and skill acquisition to

meet Tugun timetable Existing operational knowledge fragmented,

inconsistently applied and only partially documented New information technology – complexity and number Additional risk profile associated with tunnel

management (pressure to respond safely) Outsourcing of on road (Traffic Management) response While KM is a ‘Nice’ rather than ‘Nasty’ consulting

process there is still a need for change management in dealing with Knowledge hoarders, Knowledge sellers and Knowledge agents.

KM brings into play all of the other usual cultural obstacles

Underpinning theories applied

Main Knowledge Management theories applied Davenport & Prusak - 5 modes of Knowledge

Generation Hansen, Nohria and Teirney Katzenbach & Smith - Wisdom of teams Knowles – Androgogy O'Dell &Grayson - Value Disciplines Szulanski Knowledge Stickyness Senge - Mental models & Learning

Organisation Johnson Scholes - Cultural Web Kaplan and Norton Balanced Scorecard

The KM Application Prusak - 5 modes

Acquisition of knowledge – Recruitment Fusion – Facilitation of practices and improvement Adaptation and Knowledge networking (involving

all staff in review of processes) Hansen, Nohria and Teirney

Codification of explicit processes Katzenbach & Smith - Wisdom of teams

Power of teams in improving knowledge and communication – consulting approach

Knowles – Androgogy Self directed learning, buy in, use of existing

knowledge

KM Application continued O'Dell &Grayson - Value Disciplines

Operational excellence Szulanski Knowledge Stickyness

Removal of knowledge ‘stickyness’ via learning program and ownership of the knowledge

Senge - Mental models Challenge existing values and beliefs

Senge - Learning Organisation Implementation of learning loops (debriefings) Johnson Scholes - Cultural Web

Understanding the existing culture and thinking

Kaplan and Norton Balanced Scorecard Providing tangible feedback on performance as an

anchor to new behaviours

Scope of work Structure review Recruitment of operators and team leader Process review of the Traffic Management

function Knowledge codification (policy and procedure) Intranet (Body of Knowledge) BOK development Cultural alignment Learning curriculum development and delivery

leading to knowledge transfer and capability Implementation of innovation and learning loop Mentoring, facilitation and support Balanced scorecard Post implementation audits and coaching

My aquired wisdom - Maxims While the project can be defined as a KM project, KM requires integration of well rounded project management, facilitation, process review, documentation, learning & development and change management skills

A consultant facilitates the long term behaviour changes that underpins the new process and interactions – he/she needs to be there a lot!

The cultural change comes from the way the project work is done – live it, do it, role model it (it=behaviours)

Don’t announce the project – use a low key strategy. Announcing the project is the same as wearing a target T shirt

Don’t do all the work yourself – Use the team to do it (but help them) – Make it their system and processes – not yours

Practice Triage as a key change management process Keep your word – follow through on all promises (write all

promises down)

KM Consulting Approach Build Trust and confidence (no BOHICA) Build ‘our own system’ (Not To, Not for, -

With…) No surprises – continuous communication Pygmalion free zone (Treat all with respect) Theory Y Triage Involvement (consultative but not

democratic i.e. ‘a say, not a vote’) Assign progressive responsibility – reward

the helpers Have fun

Cultural issues

Some staff threatened by hiring of new staff

Some pre - existing cultural issues (the thinking was wrong)

Several rapid changes of team leader – no continuity of leadership

Existing level of knowledge fragmented Policy disconnect Long term staff unaware of new

environmental threats, need for change or best practice

Future of the project Hopefully this project will roll on to other

Main Roads districts (model the knowledge and process) as they implement Traffic Management Centres across Qld

Having representatives from other districts on the steering committee tactically supports this outcome

Cost of implementation in other districts will fall due to Knowledge capture and lower cost of replication

There are other major service standardisation benefits likely from ‘domino’ implementation

Problem management strategies Communication matrix – Track acceptance (Triage) Steering Committee – made responsible for making it

happen Communication meetings Joint planning with the client and staff Have a single project sponsor (who has power to help

when needed) Early escalation of issues – cut ‘em off early Risk matrix – continuous re assessment of project

risks Continuous communication (one on one) Meet commitments and promises Fix things that don’t work Project web site (pull rather than push info) Problem management database (each issue

numbered)

Success management Get early wins and celebrate ‘the new way’ Have fun and don’t be too serious Promote successes – internal media Capture ‘moments of truth’ and replay them Engender pride in ‘what we achieved’ Be matter of fact and grounded - do not aim

for ‘consultant glory’ or someone will surely shoot you down

No silver bullets – just constant increments Be prepared to recognise that something

isn’t working and fix it Humour is good……

Measurement

TMC Implementation of Balanced Scorecard

within the Traffic Management Centre Project

Project % done report Budget Deliverables matrix Risk matrix

Maintaining post implementation momentum

Conduct of system audits Post implementation support Knowledge and Capability transfer

(be able to manage our system ourselves when you go)

Moments of Truth Watching them respond to self directed

learning Watching them respond to critical

incidents with confidence Seeing the system work Seeing the team grow Hearing what others are saying about

the project Being asked to do it again somewhere

else

Thank you for your attention Questions