Managing Enterprise Technology In A Global Organization

1
Managing Enterprise TechnologyIn A Global
Organization
An overview of the A.T.Kearney Information
Technology Organization.
John Laughhunn Chief Technology
Officer KnowledgeNet
2
Presentation Goals

• An overview of our technology responsibilities at
  A.T.Kearney
• How we support A.T.Kearneys business processes
  with technology
• Primary challenges in achieving our goals (both
  IT related and non-IT related)
• Centralization vs. Decentralization delivering
  localized technology with global compatibility.
• Selecting the team who do we look for?
• Sage advice from an old guy
• Real examples of success using our formulas

3
An Introduction to A.T.Kearney

• A.T.Kearney is an innovative, corporate-focused
  management consulting firm known for high
  quality, tangible results and its
  working-partner style.
• The firm was established in 1926 to provide
  management advice concerning issues on the CEOs
  agenda.
• Today, we serve the largest global clients in all
  major industries.
• A.T.Kearneys offices are located in major
  business centers in 34 countries.

4
An Introduction to KnowledgeNet
Delivering world-class service technology
worldwide.

• Global IT team, focused on delivering the highest
  possible services and technology with the lowest
  possible investment
• Lean organizational team, using technology to
  leverage
• Executive Management team
• Global Architecture Team
• Global Administrative team
• Global Systems Management Maintenance Teams
  (IMT GSAC)
• Global responsibility, global employees, shared
  responsibilities, follow-the-sun
• Global HelpDesk
• Regional IT Management
• Local Technology Assistants
• Global technology standards tools
• SMART, SiteScope, Custom Automated Tools, Web
  Interfaces for most common user requests

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The A.T.Kearney CTO

• Responsibility and accountability for all
  enterprise technology standards.
• Computing, Applications, Networking, Telephony,
  Information Management
• Responsible for definition and continual
  refinement of Firms technology strategies
• Keeping abreast of new, emerging and legacy
  technologies
• Remain in step with Firms business goals
• Understanding of Firms priorities and needs
• Oversight and enforcement of Firms technology
• Pro-active oversight and approval of technology
  projects within other departments practices
• Management of Global Architecture Team
• Key technology management operations staff
• An important member of the KNet Executive
  Management Team
• Team leadership
• Technology communications

6
Supporting A.T.Kearneys Business Processes

• Direct link to Global Management Team
• Regional Management Leadership
• Bottom Up Communications Path
• Local Technology Updates / Feedback Sessions
• Ongoing User Requirements Definitions, etc.
• Regular Customer Satisfaction Surveys
• Daily Support Satisfaction Surveys

7
Primary Challenges in Achieving Goals

• People
• Cultural differences
• Technically elite users
• Technology
• Dynamic, rapid changes constantly promotes just
  wait a bit more for the next release syndrome
• Dont apply a bleeding edge approach to
  technology, unless the business requirements
  demand
• Organization
• All organizations in general are resistant to
  change, keep this in mind at all times
• Fiscal responsibility is paramount to your
  underlying requirements
• Consider ROI always
• Always understand expectations before proceeding
• Manage them during the project and life of
  technology

8
Centralization vs. Decentralization

• Centralization vs. Decentralization delivering
  localized technology with global compatibility.
• Approach depends largely upon your companys
  design
• Important for IT organization to remain sensitive
  to companys operational design models
• Regardless of companys operational model,
  centralization of core infrastructure and
  standards control drives costs down, improves
  infrastructure reliability and manageability.
• Shared technology resources best hosted centrally
• Core network designs must provide globally
  manageable and efficient design
• Consolidated hosts reduce management costs,
  increase upgrade and management flexibility
• Delivers equal access to all users, regardless
  of user location
• Centralization is almost never popular with
  regional technology leadership
• Demonstrate benefits, communicate plans, reassure
  and deliver
• Communicate
• Equal technology access and resources for
  everyone
• Remain sensitive to local and regional
  requirements and demands
• Deliver tangible results regularly and frequently

9
Selecting the team what we look for.

• I look for 7 key traits within all staff
  potential and existing.
• Core technology knowledge
• History of advancement, eagerness to improve
  expand
• Self-Motivation with respect for corporate goals
  and management guidance
• Curiosity with skepticism
• Interpersonal skills within the organization
  and the enterprise
• Superior communication skills
• Co-worker respect

10
Working within the global IT organization

• Remain humble
• Never trick yourself into believing you know
  everything about any subject
• Always prepare to be wrong and admit it!
• Question anything you read
• The press is great at communicating new trends,
  ideas and lots of marketing hype
• See it before you believe it
• Measure twice, cut once
• Always respond
• Regardless of subject, regardless of tone, always
  respond to your management and users
  professionally, courteously and knowledgeably.
• Reinvent constantly
• Resist complacency
• Everything can be improved, everything can be
  done better
• Evaluate yourself
• Are you pleased with your performance, your
  image, your demeanor, your approach to co-workers
• Would you want to work for you?

11
Demonstrating Our Success

• In 2004, we have continued to deliver innovative,
  industry-leading technologies to address the
  rapidly changing demands of our global business.
• Virtual servers technologies introduced
• Significant email infrastructure upgrades and
  enhancements
• Implementation of hot off-site disaster
  recovery location
• Global deployment of MS Active Directory
• Global upgrade of core Oracle based data
  repositories
• Active involvement and guidance in several key
  enterprise application initiatives
• Payroll, Knowledge Management, Vital Corporate
  Records, HRIS, Expense Reporting
• Deployment of globally secure, globally
  standardized, wireless infrastructure
• Initial deployment of VoIP services
• Continued to control and reduce costs
• 04 running under budget plan
• Server consolidation returned significant amount
  to budget
• Costs per employee at near bottom of industry,
  well below global enterprise averages

12
Managing Enterprise TechnologyIn A Global
Organization
An overview of the A.T.Kearney Information
Technology Organization.
John Laughhunn Chief Technology
Officer KnowledgeNet