2. Introduction
In 2001, Knowledge Management in Bharti Airtel was identified as
a means of facilitating consistency in customer experience across all
locations
KM at Bharti is primarily a tool to achieve strategic business
objectives through an integrated set of initiatives, systems and
behavioral interventions
3. Linking KM to Business Objectives
AIM: Reduction in performance variation across regions, to be
achieved quickly by replicating best practices
Capturing, sharing and replicating also ensured the
institutionalization of best practices
Individual knowledge was converted into organizational knowledge,
which could be re-used at a later date. This also reduced the firm’s
dependence on particular individuals, but was definitely not seen as
a means for the firm to replace any employees
This is also a critical distinction given the high level of employee
turnover that most businesses must contend with these days
5. Knowledge Management Cycle at
Bharti Airtel
Informal knowledge-sharing culture at Bharti; it’s a part of the
firm’s DNA.
KM process at Bharti was designed, in several iterations, with the
following key considerations:
• Simple, quick, user-friendly processes for sharing knowledge
• Standard templates to maximise replication value
• Powerful, yet easy-to-use search and retrieval functionality
• Virtual collaboration, team rooms and threaded discussions
• ‘Ask an expert’ facilities
• Knowledge-sharing sessions
6. • Started with the ‘K-Map’, which reflected the repository structure.
Knowledge repositories are based on a business-processes map,
which ensures all KM initiatives remain relevant to the business.
The aim was to keep all the relevant knowledge that was stored and
not to create the biggest electronic library
• Encouraged employees to submit whatever they wished. Anyone
could upload content, and there was only a minimal review
procedure in place
• Each repository has a ‘knowledge champion’ and a number of
subject-matter experts, who are responsible for encouraging
knowledge sharing and replication in their domains
• Using Non-Financial Parameters Dashboard, the monthly
performance of all regions/business units is tracked, and all units are
ranked based on predetermined metrics
7. Knowledge Management –
a culture at Bharti Airtel
• Top management at Bharti has identified KM as one of the top ten
strategies on the organization’s strategy matrix
• Various rewards and recognition schemes are being used at Bharti:
▫ ‘knowledge dollar’ (K$) scheme
▫ The president and CEO’s Knowledge Management Awards, which
were created in 2002
These awards are designed so that anyone who has ever contributed
or replicated knowledge is eligible to receive an award.
8. Technology – a Knowledge Process
Enabler
• The internal knowledge portal, is a common platform across Bharti.
It contains knowledge repositories around customer-impacting
processes and support processes, as well as external knowledge that
is relevant to the business
• There are standard templates documenting internal best practices,
external knowledge and best-practice replications. The portal
provides classification and taxonomy schemes to organize content,
and has powerful search and retrieval capabilities
Also, Airtel has outsourced much of its work for e.g IT related to
IBM, phone services related to NOKIA.
11. Measuring Progress
• Due to various measures such as :
▫ The level of engagement among employees
▫ The amount of knowledge sharing that takes place
▫ The number of knowledge replications with successful results
▫ Unique visitors to the portal
▫ Total hits on the portal
▫ The number of knowledge dollars awarded.
Bharti has made enormous progress in implementing KM. Given the
dynamism of the telecoms industry and the evolution of KM
techniques, however, the role of the KM programme is likely to
develop further. The overall objective of the initiative will remain
same: achieving faster business through the sharing and
replication of good practices.