Parker Hannifin is launching an innovation program and has selected Orbital RPM as their consulting partner to help with the strategy and tools that will enable ideas to become value. 

This globally dispersed organization is aiming to leverage the collective intelligence of its workforce around the world and is working with Orbital RPM to develop and implement a collaboration strategy.

Elements of this strategy include social network analysis, collaboration software review and configuration, roadmap development and more.

This $5 billion Fortune 500 mining company has operations scattered around the globe; and each location relies on an extended network of constructors, consultants, communities and governments in order to explore, build, mine and reclaim the land.  The challenge was that each location was acting on its own – conducting similar activities in parallel but without any awareness of each others issues, ideas or insights.

This results in mechanics struggling with a tricky diagnosis that had already been unlocked elsewhere, a geologist being puzzled by a core sample that had been identified by a colleague on another continent or a Supervisor that heard a vendor for another region had a critical fix for his haul trucks but didn’t know who it was, how to get ahold of him or time to try.  They were wasting time, money and opportunities for innovation while increasing frustration.

Solution:

Orbital RPM conducted an Organizational Network Analysis [ONA] to determine the professional fabric of the organization and a Value Network Analysis [VNA] to determine how work from headquarters was affecting regional sites.  The results revealed virtually no interaction between sites and teams in headquarters that were not supporting their colleagues in the field despite their best efforts to do so.

This information will be used to build global collaboration networks so that operations run more efficiently and more ideas for Innovation are produced.  A global collaboration platform will be utilized to enable the exchange of knowledge and capture of ideas.

The Regional Field Sales Teams at General Motors are responsible for selling and delivering wholesale automobiles to GM’s network of franchise dealerships across North America.  Regions are further divided into zones and Zone Managers are charged with overseeing their zone team of sales, marketing, service, accessory parts and many other functions.  Geographic dispersion combined with high pressure and a fast pace resulted in local teams solving issues on their own and working fairly isolated from peers that were performing very similar duties.  Rework was high and the ability to innovate was low.

Solution:

Orbital RPM conducted a Social Network Analysis in order to determine how information was being exchanged amongst the Zone Managers across the country.  That information was used to illustrate gaps where knowledge flow could be improved, individuals to be used as part of the core team and a strategy for beginning the transition from local silos to a knowledge network of Zone Managers.

Once the strategy was engaged and Zone Managers were shown the power and potential of collaborating with their peers to help with everyday items as well as innovative ideas a technology solution was implemented from Orbital RPM’s Social Software service.

Outcome:

“We were looking for a new way to approach the learning and development of our field leadership.  Orbital RPM helped us by acknowledging that most of our workforce’s learning occurs informally.  To that end, they designed strategies around social networking to support that.”

-Tom Burch, General Motors Training Manager

Solution: 
Orbital RPM worked directly with the firm’s principals and field consultants to design and implement a scalable peer-to-peer collaboration solution for all levels of the consulting firm. 
Given the geographic dispersion of consultants as well as the need to collaborate, preserve version control and get others up to speed quickly, an on-line solution was chosen that included elements of social software and knowledge management.   
Social software is a powerful way for people to collaborate and it was the perfect fit for traveling consultants to work together on client as well as internal projects.  All of the firm’s consulting processes and procedures were uploaded into the system and consultants were then able to contribute to and access the most up-to-date versions of any aspect of a project.  In addition, elements were added to allow consultants to communicate comments through the system and upload client-specific documents for future reference.  Select individuals at the firm’s headquarters and field offices were also given access so that they could add to or retrieve from the system, knowing that what was posted was always the most recent version.  It serves as an effective knowledge management system that is integrated into daily workflow.
No system is successful if the culture is not there to support it.  Orbital RPM took great measure to involve consultants  through the design phase and spent a bulk of the project time working with consultants on how to integrate the system into their daily lives. 

Outcome: 
Consultants quickly adopted use of the new methods into their daily work.  Learning, efficiency and accuracy on internal and external projects was greatly increased while reducing email traffic and IT requirements.