  Finding answers that will empower your ability to better serve a client is paramount – and especially critical when you are in the consulting business. I recently spoke to Computer Weekly's Bill Goodwin about Accenture's moves to exploit social networking technology within the business to maximize employees' collaborative potential (see Frank Modruson discusses how to exploit the power of social networking within the business).
For me, the more of Accenture’s 180,000 employees (spanning 49 countries) that I can bring together, and bring to our clients, the better Accenture’s services are. Our Groundswell story is about how we listened to employees who told us they needed better access to each other. Incredibly valuable knowledge and expertise was trapped in the brains of our employees around the world. Employees spent countless hours trying to track down intellectual capital – it took dozens of phone calls, e-mails and plenty of rabbit trails. And collaborating face-to-face? Not easily done, and not cheap ... especially if you are in Chicago and the internal subject matter expert you need is in Chennai, China or Cologne. For our diverse global workforce, we created innovative communication and collaboration technologies that have spawned a vast internal groundswell -- one of employees who now create content, communicate, collaborate and connect (with each other and our global client base). They help each other find answers faster and get those answers to our clients more quickly -- using a host of new technologies we call our Borderless Workplace. Because our Borderless Workplace increases employee productivity, improves workflow efficiency and enhances our ability to compete by communicating and collaborating better and more efficiently (both internally and with global clients), this groundswell is delivering on our corporate goals. Bringing Down Barriers, Bringing up Boomers
Having teenagers myself, I love to check out how teens get things done. If you are a parent of a teen, I bet you have become text savvy (how else can you reach a teenager?!). At Accenture, we noticed that many of our employees, especially Millennials, are accustomed to interacting – both on personal and professional levels -- on Facebook, MySpace, Bebo, LinkedIn, YouTube, Wikipedia and other Web-based social networking and collaboration sites. We knew that all generations of employees could easily adapt to texting, IM’ing, video chats and sending messages through Web-based social networking technologies. So we created collaboration tools that allow Accenture staff members and their clients to interact as though side-by-side, despite geographic boundaries and time zones. Foundation First
A little tech background for those of you so inclined: Several years ago, before we could develop and integrate the customized technologies we envisioned, our IT team made a large-scale, forward-looking move by removing the traditional barriers between voice and data teams (still at odds at many companies) and hence, transformed our network, integrating voice and data transmissions onto a single, secure, scalable, resilient and low-cost MPLS network. Accenture IT standardized, rationalized and consolidated the desktop, server, collaboration, unified communications, data networking, Voice over IP and videoconferencing technologies that now comprise the Borderless Workplace initiative. Thus, supplier management and operational tasks were simplified and total cost of ownership was reduced. We selected products to build the Borderless Workplace that offered the broadest capabilities on the market and were well-integrated within the established vendor portfolio. Consequently, they eased our integration efforts across the existing network and application infrastructure and improved productivity and communication capabilities for end users. Borderless Workplace Solutions
With the new infrastructure in place, our IT organization deployed several new technologies to improve critical workflow of global employees.  It’s Like Being There – Video Conferencing
I really like this part of the “Groundswell” definition: people getting what they need from each other. Many times, people just need an answer. Data. A document. But, other times, people need interaction with each other. Brainstorming. Clarification. Explanation.
With the tools we built at Accenture, as easily as employees can pick up the phone, they can video conference. Web cams, installed on thousands of employees’ computers, allow quick and easy peer-to-peer video conferencing to encourage virtual “face-to-face” communications among employees. In-person meetings to design and build solutions for clients have been replaced with video conferences, eliminating travel expenses and saving valuable employee time. Our telepresence solution provides high-definition video, high-quality audio conferencing in 13 locations worldwide (soon to be 35). We also have mid-tier videoconferencing in seven cities (soon to be 32) that provides a 360-degree view of the room with wideband audio and video. Other pioneering video-conferencing options include a lower cost virtual, high definition video conferencing meeting experience, and a system that also provides a 360-degree view of the conference room, wideband audio and video that tracks the flow of conversation between multiple speakers. These capabilities are available across seven cities worldwide, with plans to expand to 25 additional locations. IT integrated networking with email, enabling rapid scheduling of telepresence meetings and combined unified messaging/communications. In addition, VoIP enables call routing/mobility (i.e., an individual’s office phone number would ring on the desktop “softphone” software). Finding Experts Faster
We also created custom search and content management solutions, including: Accenture People – We took a cue from popular sites such as Facebook, LinkedIn and Bebo to create Accenture People ... an online social/professional networking site. Employees share skills, interests and activities across a global corporate network, speeding access to knowledge and expertise that helps them deliver solutions to Accenture’s global clients faster and more efficiently. At last count, 100,000 employees have updated their Accenture People profiles including adding photos of themselves, biographical information and information on their roles, time zones, primary and secondary areas of expertise, projects on which they have worked, recent contributions to the company’s knowledge repository and even personal hobbies. Over 61,000 employees use Accenture People each month. Once an employee searches employee profiles for an expert, it’s really easy to connect with that expert. Instead of sending an introductory e-mail, the employee can use our secure, standard IM within the corporate directory and see if the expert is available. Then from the PC, an employee can initiate a phone call and a whiteboard session between the two employees for immediate collaboration. Accenture Knowledge Exchange – this is our a “one-stop-shop” for assets and deliverables, whether an employee needs client credentials to help craft a proposal, information about Accenture’s diverse market offerings, sample work plans for planning a project, contact information for key experts in a subject area or other tools that will help the employee effectively do her work. Last quarter, there were 3,450 questions and 4,157 responses in Knowledge Exchange discussions. The Knowledge Exchange has more than 59,000 visitors per month. 
We hope and expect the Knowledge Exchange to become an intrinsic part of the way our employees work, leveraging it to search across internal and external knowledge repositories. Finally, Accenture Media Exchange is our “YouTube”-type of repository for corporate videos and other media and Accenture Encyclopedia is our internal “Wikipedia.” Since it was created, Accenture Encyclopedia has had 39,000 visitors, 557 new pages and 6,289 edits. Groundswelling with Clients
We’ve even improved technologies to help us better collaborate with clients. By developing highly customized Web-based client microsites, we’ve launched platforms for virtual teaming and information sharing. A number of built-in collaborative features such as forums, discussion boards, podcasts, video streams and flash animation help client teams deliver content in a variety of engaging formats. And what an improvement from the old way: delivering proposals to clients via CD or binders!
 Initially, approximately 30 client teams employed the new microsite offering. After only six months in production, the number of microsites doubled. Based on this growth, the number of client microsites is expected to reach 240 by 2010. Anyone, Anywhere, Anytime
Accenture is in the people business. Our clients hire one person, or one team, but gain access to our entire workforce. The Borderless Workplace allows us to bring the best expertise, wherever it is located, to our clients. Watch a brief video about Accenture’s internal strategy introducing powerful new collaboration tools for professionals worldwide.
Download video transcript [PDF, 41KB]
PDF HelpEnsuring Adoption, Challenges and Risks
Change management was essential to the success of this initiative and was the greatest challenge. While IT can create and deploy the finest technology, if users do not adopt it, then it is for naught. We relied on a multi-channel approach (emails, videos, internal meetings, etc.) to spread the word with a goal of getting employees to maximize the new tools in their daily processes (e.g., choosing videoconferencing over travel, updating Accenture People profiles, etc.). We created a Website devoted to collaboration technologies, which was accessed by more than 60,000 employees in the first few weeks. Through its communications campaign and getting employees to use the new technologies, reaction and adoption has been quite positive. The Borderless Workplace provides several widely-used content management tools that allow employees to create, publish and search internal documents. Because this is done in a seamless, open environment, we had to carefully think through how to best balance privacy/confidentiality issues against the resulting benefits of improving information availability. Accenture implemented corporate privacy standards and trusted employees to follow Accenture’s Core Values (our company’s code of business ethics). Results
Accenture dramatically improved employee agility and customer satisfaction. Faster access to knowledge and expertise helps employees deliver innovative solutions quickly and efficiently. For instance, using videoconferencing is more personal and effective than a traditional conference call. We made the tools so accessible that they have been embraced by many workgroups and users. The Borderless Workplace has helped foster vital connections that improve professional development, employee retention and overall satisfaction, which is critical in a people-centric business such as Accenture’s. By merging voice, data and video on to one network, we saved millions of dollars and enhanced our ability to compete by being able to supply people and expertise when and where the best talent, matched to the client’s need, is most accessible. Employees are more responsive, flexible and productive. And by leveraging technology that makes our workplace borderless, Accenture can structure our business around people rather than geography. Telepresence has returned seven times the investment by offsetting monthly travel-related costs and minimizing our carbon footprint. The microsites allow Accenture to effectively and efficiently communicate with existing and prospective clients that we hope to transform into additional Accenture work. Additionally, this technology creates an ongoing dialogue with clients and deepens existing client relationships. Employee usage of and feedback on the Borderless Workplace confirms improved workflow efficiency in creating, delivering and presenting proposals, superior response to clients and ease in architecting, designing and delivering solutions. It also helps Accenture attract and retain the best talent. The Borderless Workplace promises to bring new revenue and cost savings to the company with every use. Just as important, the company is succeeding at maximizing use of its talent across the world. Employee Testimonials Larry Solomon, chief operating officer-Human Resources, notes: “Accenture People is a great way to introduce yourself to colleagues around the world. As we grow we face the challenge of making a very large company feel like a smaller, more personal one. With Accenture People, we can connect and team in new ways, share ideas and knowledge, and increase our ability to deliver. And, I believe we can have some fun with it, too.” Martha Tuthill, Accenture’s COO, Communications and High Tech Operating Group, comments on the recent IT Steering Committee meeting conducted via telepresence: “The telepresence technology enabled a large group to meet as if face-to-face, with only a few people traveling a short distance. It keeps people more focused on the topic than a conference call and enables those “human touch” aspects of a face-to-face meeting including that ability to ask tough questions and see the person’s eyes as they respond as well as that closeness that comes from joking about the quirky behavior one team member displays.” Answers are found in minutes instead of days:
Olivier Fusil, who leads Accenture's Performance Workspace and Knowledge Management offering in Europe, stated: “Using Accenture People, it took me less than a minute to find an expert in the area of Digital Asset Management for my client. I also tapped into my ‘old’ network via a blanket e-mail, which took days to yield the same result.” As part of the company’s career management programs, employees are mentored by senior personnel – career counselors. Dave Fangrow, a member of Accenture’s IT organization, noted: “Our mentoring session via videoconference was very effective, and we saved travel time and expense. The visual element made this a much more engaging discussion. In a market where everyone is competing for talent, this clearly offers Accenture a competitive advantage.” The new tools also make life better -- for employees and clients. Cheryl Railey, a senior executive in Accenture’s application outsourcing organization, said: “Several of my team members in Frankfurt and London used videoconferencing to conduct a site visit ‘face-to-face.’ As a result, team members reduced travel costs, protected the environment and were able to get home in time to put their kids to bed, relax and watch the latest episode of ‘ER’.”  To Top
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