B. Murali Manohar

Critical success factors in gaining user customer satisfaction in outsourced IT services

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to identify the critical success factors in gaining user customer satisfaction in IT outsourced services and find how it helps in the competitive advantage and customer retention for the service provider. Improving the service quality and customer satisfaction of outsourced IT service is the main rationale behind pursuing this research.Design/methodology/approach – Three firms were selected for studying primarily because a large part of their IT support work is outsourced to multiple vendors and support work is carried out, both on site and offshore. A structured, open‐ended interview was conducted because of the exploratory nature of this case study. The primary data were collected through face‐to‐face interviews, with 12 senior managers. Extensive secondary data were provided by the interviewees.Findings – The paper provides evidence that by following critical success factors there are few expected outcomes to client and service provider organizations, like user sa...

Knowledge retention in the IT service industry

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to develop and evaluate an effective employee retention plan for information technology (IT) service organizations as part of a knowledge management (KM) strategy.Design/methodology/approach – The employee retention plan is evaluated at three IT multi‐national companies which are providing global IT services with successful knowledge management systems (KMS) in place. Semi‐structured telephone interviews were conducted with senior managers and team leaders of three companies. The data collected is used for studying attrition and retention and its impact on KM.Findings – The paper provides evidence of various strategic, technological, and local issues influencing the success of retention and its benefit to KM programs in global IT service companies. Organizations adapt attrition control measures for long‐term benefit. These measures help in effective KM, serving the client at lower cost with consistent service levels.Research limitations/implications – Interviews are ...

A comparison of lean and CMMI for services (CMMI‐SVC v1.2) best practices

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to investigate the elements of lean concept and identify those principles which are applicable to service organizations, also, to compare the lean best practices with CMMI‐SVC v1.2 model goals and practices and find out the compatibility.Design/methodology/approach – The capability maturity model integration (CMMI) for services (CMMI‐SVC v1.2) model, developed by Software Engineering Institute is a collection of best practices applicable to service operations. Lean concepts, on the other hand, originated from manufacturing but of late lean principles and best practices have been implemented in some services organizations. As lean concepts originated from manufacturing and CMMI‐SVC v1.2 from software industry, there could be some overlapping content and some differences and each may offer some distinct advantages. This paper is based on the review of the contemporary literature on lean concepts and CMMI‐SVC v1.2 model, including books, journal articles and handbooks. ...

A study of integrated KM in IT support services companies

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to develop and evaluate a good knowledge management (KM) framework for IT services companies to provide an integrated approach to IT services for efficient knowledge management.Design/methodology/approach – The framework is evaluated at three Indian IT organizations providing global IT services with successful KM programs dedicated to services. Expert interviews were conducted with senior management involved in the KM programs. Information collected was used for studying the KM framework implemented by each organization for services and then content analyzed and evaluated.Findings – The paper provides evidence of various strategic, technological critical factors influencing the success of KM programs in IT services companies. Organizations with successful KM programs typically adapt attrition control measures, rewards and recognitions. Application of key enabler tools of KM help in robust knowledge management, reducing cost to client, helping companies to excel bette...

Knowledge acquisition by outsourced service providers from aging workforce of oil and gas industry

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to provide an understanding of the major critical success factors involved in knowledge acquisition from an aging oil and gas workforce by outsourced service providers and find the outcome. In addition, the authors are also interested in finding out the outcome for the client and the service provider by following these critical success factors.Design/methodology/approach – The authors shortlisted two outsourced firms for studying, primarily because they deliver lots of service support work to oil and gas firms. For the exploratory nature of this case study, a structured, open‐ended interview was conducted. Through face‐to‐face interviews with 12 senior managers, primary data were collected. Upon content analysis of data collected, the framework was evaluated.Findings – The results of this study indicate that both client and service providers can benefit by following major critical success factors for knowledge acquisition. From the open‐ended interview with the two c...

IT support service: identification and categorisation of wastes

The purpose of this paper is to provide an insight into the various types of wastes in IT service system from the perspective of lean management. A study of 12 IT support service lines was carried out with an objective to identify and categorise waste/non-value added activities in IT services. The waste activities have been classified into 13 groups: defects, re-invention, unnecessary motion, waiting, over processing, inventory, resource inefficiencies, hand-offs, external quality enforcement, processing inefficiencies, lack of system discipline, ineffective communication and recurring incident. It is quite possible that some of the identified wastes may have inter-relationship or dependency within them. However, such relationship among the wastes was not covered in this study. The paper presents a methodology for identification and classification of wastes in IT support service system. This categorisation would be useful while applying lean principles to IT support service systems.

A unified model for implementing lean and CMMI for Services (CMMI‐SVC v1.3) best practices

Purpose – The purpose of this article is to present a unified model by combining lean and CMMI‐SVC best practices. The model would be very useful for CMMI‐SVC organizations that plan to implement lean best practices.Design/methodology/approach – The paper is based on the review of the contemporary literature on lean concepts and the CMMI‐SVC v1.3 model, including books, journal articles and handbooks. A group of practitioners and experts with theoretical and practical expertise on the CMMI framework, software process improvements as well as lean principles and services were involved to find out which lean principles are applicable to service organization and also the compatibility of lean and CMMI‐SVC v1.3 practices.Findings – The authors have presented a unified model by combining CMMI‐SVC v1.3 and lean best practices which can be applied to service organizations. In the future they would like to implement their unified model within IT service organizations to check its feasibility and effectiveness in r...

Implementing TPM programme as a TQM tool in Indian manufacturing industries

Purpose – Total productive maintenance (TPM) is a very powerful program of equipment maintenance in manufacturing industries and is a direct part of total quality management (TQM). In the manufacturing industry, TPM is a very effective tool for improving product quality as well as productivity. A good number of manufacturing industries have so far adopted a TPM program in countries like Japan, as a part of their quality drive. However, in many manufacturing industries in India it has not been successfully implemented. For successful and effective implementation of TPM in manufacturing industries in India, understanding and awareness of the various possible causes behind its failure is essential. This paper aims to address this issue.Design/methodology/approach – In this general review paper, after reviewing literature the authors consolidate, highlight and classify the probable reasons responsible for the failures of TPM in many Indian manufacturing industries.Findings – In this paper, the various causes ...

Incident Management Process Capability: A Simulation Study

Business today depends heavily on the quality of IT support services. IT support organizations are required to restore normal service operation after a service disruption which is termed as an incident. Incident Management is the process through which IT support organizations manage to restore normal service operation after a service disruption.

How to make Quality Circle a success in manufacturing industries

Purpose – Quality Circle is a very effective program and low‐cost tool for implementing total quality management (TQM) in industry. A good number of manufacturing industries have so far adopted the Quality Circle program successfully, however the Quality Circle concept has failed in many other cases. To make successful use of the Quality Circle tool in manufacturing industries, knowledge and awareness of the probable reasons behind the failures of the Quality Circle is essential.Design/methodology/approach – In this general review paper, after thoroughly reviewing literatures, the authors consolidate and highlight the probable reasons behind the failures of the Quality Circle, especially in manufacturing industries.Findings – This study reveals that organizational Issues at the background stage; circle‐formation Issues at the implementation stage; and operational Issues at the operating/running stage of Quality Circle implementation, are the three main key areas of the problems which generally limit the s...