Knowledge Management

1
Knowledge Management

• Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
• State Employees Retirement System

Kim Helton, HR Dennis Mahoney, Accenture John
Saponsky, Jr., OIT
2
SERS Knowledge Management April 30, 2002 Agenda
Introduction and Initial Startup Kim
Helton Phase 1, 2, 3 Dennis Mahoney Lessons
Learned and Future Dennis Mahoney Supporting
Technology John Saponsky, Jr.
3
SERS
106 Employers
46,000 Deferred
Compensation
113,000 Member
Employees
Retire
3-5,000 Year
Investment
Managers
Superannuated
Contributions
Early
Disability
Investments
89,000
Retirees
Fund
Strategic Partners
25 Billion
Beneficiaries
Payroll
Survivors
980 Million
53 Million
4
SERS Organization
5
Knowledge Management Agenda
KM Benefits
4/00
3/01
8/01
2/02
Time
Initial Startup KM Strategy KM Organization Concep
tual Plan KM Assessments
Phase 1 Internet Pocket SERS and Act 9
Phase 2 Intranet Mbr Processes Mbr
Handbook Content Admin
Phase 3 Internal Processes Customer Care Active
Forms Retirement Legislative Site
6
Knowledge Management Definition

• The concept of converting data, organizational
  insight, experience, and expertise into reusable
  and useful knowledge that in turn is distributed
  and shared with people who need it.

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Knowledge Management Strategy

• KNOWLEDGE MANAGEMENT MISSION
• To facilitate the sharing of SERS greatest
  assets, organizational knowledge and employee
  contributions and experience
• To use knowledge to support the strategic
  initiatives of SERS

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Knowledge Management Goals

• A knowledge culture and a learning organization
• A centralized repository of SERS information
• Self-service for membership
• Support Commonwealths E-government initiative

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KM Outcomes
Initial Startup

• Improve access to and consistency of information
  for SERS members, the SERS Board, and staff.
• Increase productivity and service delivery.
• Capture institutional knowledge that is being
  lost through staff departures.
• Align SERS knowledge goals with business
  objectives.

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KM Organization
Initial Start-up

• KM/Training defined 4/00
• 3 resources by 6/00
• Organization responsibilities
• Raise awareness of KM (OASIS newsletters)
• Identify KM business issues
• Plan and initiate KM projects

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KM Organization
Initial Start-up

• What do we do?
• Facilitate the sharing of SERS greatest assets.
• Use knowledge to support the strategic
  initiatives of SERS.
• Assist in the creation of a SERS Knowledge
  Management System.
• Provide training and job skill development to
  staff.

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Initial Start-up
KM Guiding Principles
SERS Intranet
Useable Information
Core Business Knowledge

• To be a productive asset, information must be
  usable and summarized at the appropriate level.

• SERS will document core business processes and
  identify gaps which will prioritize the knowledge
  elements to be added to SERS Intranet.

• Publishing existing information to SERS Intranet
  is the starting point for SERS knowledge
  management strategy.

Security
Single-Source Portal

• Published information will be secured from
  improper and unauthorized access.

• SERS Knowledge Management System should serve as
  a single source portal to all management
  information and knowledge.

SERS recognizes that the power of knowledge is
NOT in having it, but rather in SHARING it. KMS
is a tool to facilitate the accumulation,
organization, and sharing of knowledge for the
good of the Agency and its customers.
Sharing
Technology

• Managers should be incented to share, not hoard,
  knowledge. Such sharing adds value to an
  organizations business processes.

• SERS Knowledge Management System should be based
  on state-of-the-industry, web-based technology.

Indexing Retrieval
Storage

• All published information will be indexed by key
  words and concepts for easy retrieval.

• Information should be stored only once and shared
  by other systems.

• External users will gain properly controlled
  access to SERS knowledge and information through
  the Internet.

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KM Conceptual Plan
Initial Start-up
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KM Assessments
Initial Startup

• Visited all Field Offices
• Met with each Office/Bureau
• Results
• Intranet requires more relevant and useful
  information
• Job duties didnt require intranet use
• More links to external resources required
• Share area for office/bureau content requested

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Knowledge Management Agenda
KM Benefits
4/00
3/01
8/01
2/02
Time
Initial Startup KM Strategy KM Organization Concep
tual Plan KM Assessments
Phase 1 Internet Pocket SERS and Act 9
Phase 2 Intranet Mbr Processes Mbr
Handbook Content Admin
Phase 3 Internal Processes Customer Care Active
Forms Retirement Legislative Site
16
Phase 1
Content
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Phase 1
Content
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Phase 1
Pocket SERS
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Phase 1
ACT 9

• Largest retirement code change in history of SERS
• Required contacting (and getting a reply from)
  106,000 members
• Numerous other changes required actuarial and
  legal input
• Significant education for technicians and field
  personnel
• Significant increase for retirement questions and
  processing

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Phase 1
ACT 9
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Phase 1
ACT 9
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Phase 1
Content Review!
Status Working with resources below to
prioritize work efforts Legal started reviewing
this week (14 highs complete) Stats Content
Resources Amount 228 To be Drafted 35 (7
high) 1-3 days (mostly Louise, Karen,
Pat) OMS Review 62 (35 high) 10 days (Ron
full-time) Legal Review 140 (56 high) 10 days
(Cathy, Brian) Legal Updates ? 2-3
days (Karen, Pat)
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Phase 1
Launched!
PRIME Expo Award! Governor Recognized!
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Knowledge Management Agenda
KM Benefits
4/00
3/01
8/01
2/02
Time
Initial Startup KM Strategy KM Organization Concep
tual Plan KM Assessments
Phase 1 Internet Pocket SERS and Act 9
Phase 2 Intranet Mbr Processes Mbr
Handbook Content Admin
Phase 3 Internal Processes Customer Care Active
Forms Retirement Legislative Site
25
Phase 2
Intranet
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Phase 2
More Conceptual Planning
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Phase 2
Member Processes
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Phase 2
Member Handbook
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Phase 2
Member Handbook
Retirement Plan Summary New Member
Enrollment Establish Benefits Domestic
Relations Establish Disability Return to
Service Vesting Withdraw Contribution
..(through all 33 processes)
SERS Mission Statement Counseling Centers Board
Members Glossary
Content Included Process Intro Steps Step
Intros Process FAQs Content Excluded Step
Inputs Step Outputs Tasks
Modified TOC and Style of Content
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Phase 2
Publishing Capabilities
url Table
Table that manages sections of the site that we
want included in the handbook
VB Script
Automated process that reads the url table and
web site to download content into a word template
Word Extract
Final .pdf file
Manual process to confirm page breaks and save as
.pdf
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Phase 2
Future Publishing
Yearly Versions of the Handbook More Thorough
Content Included Print on Demand Automated
Newsletters Rapid Response to Benefit
Changes and ultimately the SERS Textbook
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Phase 2
Content Administration

• Roles and Responsibilities
• Content Management enabled in all
  Offices/Bureaus
• Extra Support/Training planned during rollout
• Cross Organization Community Planned

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Knowledge Management Agenda
KM Benefits
4/00
3/01
8/01
2/02
Time
Initial Startup KM Strategy KM Organization Concep
tual Plan KM Assessments
Phase 1 Internet Pocket SERS and Act 9
Phase 2 Intranet Mbr Processes Mbr
Handbook Content Admin
Phase 3 Internal Processes Customer Care Active
Forms Retirement Legislative Site
34
Phase 3
Internal Processes

• Work with every Office/Bureau to complete
  internal processes
• Integrate processes with tools and other content
• Integrate processes into everyday roles
• Enhance processes with expert advise on unique
  situations

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Phase 3
Customer Care

• Contact Management
• Standardization across Field Offices
• Continued Org/Process Re-engineering
• Increased Staff and Member Education
• and more

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Phase 3
Other

• Active Forms
• Retirement Legislation
• Communities of Practice
• Enhanced calculator with Deferred Compensation
  and SSI
• Increased Employer Support
• Imagine PA integration

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Knowledge Management Agenda
KM Benefits
So, what have we learned???
4/00
3/01
8/01
2/02
Time
Initial Startup KM Strategy KM Organization Concep
tual Plan KM Assessments
Phase 1 Internet Pocket SERS and Act 9
Phase 2 Intranet Mbr Processes Mbr
Handbook Content Admin
Phase 3 Internal Processes Customer Care Active
Forms Legislative Retirement Site
38
Lessons
KM Lessons Learned

• Secure Senior Management Support (and have
  regular status meetings)
• Communication
• Get Legal on Board Early!!!
• Set Short Targeted Timeframes
• Track Manageable Projects
• Embrace Challenging Opportunities

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Pennsylvania State Employees Retirement System

• SERS
• Supporting Technology

40
SERS Web Sites History

• Internet 1998 Outsourced
• Intranet 1999 In-House
• Documents 1999 In-House
• Executive Board Portal 2000 Outsourced
• Intranet Update 2000 Outsourced
• Quarterly Reporting 2000 In-House
• Legislative Site 2001
• DSF Launch July 2001

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Technology RelatedKM Guiding Principles

• Storage
• Single-Source Portal
• State of the Industry
• Internet, Intranet
• Security
• Searchable
• Extending the Reach

42
Portals Considered

• Oracle Portal
• Plumtree
• Dynamic Site Framework

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Dynamic Site Framework (DSF)

• Developed by PPT (based in Lancaster)
• Web application and content management framework
• Integrated with Microsoft platform
• Standard platform for Commonwealth web sites
• Serviced by eGovernment Server Farm

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DSF Features Site Management

• Numerous Site Management tools
• Role based security Allows internet, intranet,
  and customized roles
• Taxonomy of Links
• E-mail alerts
• Calendar of Events module
• News and Updates Modules
• Web Forms development

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DSF Features Content Management

• Allows non-technical people to establish and
  maintain content
• Editor similar to a word processor environment
• Content can be copied from web pages, Word, etc.
• Content Manager can route content for approvals

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Technology Lessons Learned

• Needed to utilize contractors due to broad range
  of expertise necessary
• Some of the software was not easy to implement
  and did not easily integrate
• Use of a portal tool has been a huge benefit to
  the speed of development
• Separating the content organization from the
  web development tasks was beneficial
• Leverage State Resources

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Internet Configuration
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Internet Hardware/Software

• Sun SPARC Solaris Application Server
• Oracle Internet Application Server (IAS) EE 9i
• Oracle Reports Server 6i
• Verisign 128-bit Digital Certificate
• Solaris 8
• Resides outside Commonwealth firewall
•  
• Sun SPARC Solaris Database Server
• Oracle Database Server EE 8i with Advanced
  Security Option
• Solaris 7
• Resides inside Commonwealth firewall

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Web Applications Deployed

• Retirement Calculator (Generic Custom)
• Active Member Applications
• Current Year Member Statement
• Active Account Information
• Retired Member Applications
• Current Year 1099R Information
• Retired Account Information
• Employer Applications
• Member Inquiries
• Forms

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QUESTIONS?

• Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
• State Employees Retirement System
• Office of Information Technology
• 30 N. 3rd St., Harrisburg PA 17101
• Kim Helton, HR Director
• khelton_at_state.pa.us
• [phone]
• Dennis Mahoney, Accenture
• dennis.m.mahoney_at_accenture.com
• [phone]
• John Saponsky, SERS Director of O.I.T.
• jsaponsky_at_state.pa.us
• [phone]