Using Communities of Practice to Realise
Value from Collaboration
Greg Marsh
BAE Systems Australia
KM Australia 2008
Shawn Callahan
Anecdote
1
Using Communities of Practice to Realise Value
1. Introductions
2. Communities of Practice
– What are they?
– Some other BAE Systems Models
3. What we did differently in this case
4. Measuring the value
2
The Company
BAE Systems
– BAE Systems is an international company engaged in development, delivery
and support of advanced defence and aerospace systems
– 4th largest defence company in the world
– No 1 European defence company
BAE Systems Australia
–
Recent acquisition of Tenix Defence has created the largest Australian defence
company
–
5,500 employees
–
Over 50 locations around Australia
–
Expected sales over $1.2 billion per annum
Strategic Vision:
To be the leading through-life capability partner to the Australian Defence Force
4
BAE Systems in Australia 1953 - 2006
English Electric &
Bristol Aircraft
commenced
trading
BAe
Australia
formed
Thorn
EMI
EMI
AWADI
Fairey
Siemens
Plessey
Plessey
TEI
HUNTER
GEC
Telecoms
GEC
Telecoms ,
Defence
Note: Civil Flight Training
divested 2005
Australian
Flight
Training
School
Australian
Aviation
College
HUNTER
Aerospace
BAE Systems
Australia
GEC-Marconi
Systems
British
Aerospace
& Ansett
Australian
Aviation
Academy
British
Aerospace
Flight
Training
5
Matrix Organisation – Project Driven
Managing Director
BAE SYSTEMS Australia
Director
Business unit 1
Director
Business Unit 2
Director
Business Unit 3
Director
Business Unit 4
Project 1…..Project n
Project 1…..Project n
Project 1…..Project n
Project 1…..Project n
Director
Engineering
Director
Finance
Director
Commercial
& Procurement
Director
Human Resources
Director
Marketing
6
Collaboration in BAE Systems
Challenges
– Defence culture
– Security and fear of disclosure
– Need to change from “Need to Know” to “Need to Share”
– History and Geography
– Different Tribes and separated locations
– Apply Social and Technology tools to support collaboration
– Project focus
– There is no “spare” effort. Projects are always short of time and people
– Get Management (and individuals’) support to divert some effort in the short
term for greater long term gain
Communities of Practice
Comparison with other Groups
Source: Wenger & Snyder, 2000, “ Communities of Practice: The organisational Frontier”, Harvard Business Review
9
Some other BAE experience with CoP
– BAE Systems Australia
– Install Collaboration Technology  CoPs will follow
– SharePoint is a good collaboration tool
– Many CoP sites exist, but little evidence of collaboration
– There must be more to it !
– BAE Systems overseas models
10
BAE Systems North America CoP Process
–
–
–
CoP
CoP
Members
Members
–
Identify the business need for a Community of Practice.
Validate that a CoP is the best solution to the identified business requirement via
completion of the CoP Guiding Questions.
Identify key elements and artifacts, e.g., key roles, goal(s), activities, milestones,
success criteria, technology, etc.
Community of Practice Operations Process
Shakedown with CoP
Inquiry
Design
Pilot
Launch
Sustainment
core members (1 month).
Expand roll-out to
all participants; run
at full operational
capability.
Perform health and
maintenance
checks.
Assess the course
and value of the
CoP: continue,
evolve, restructure,
retire?
Sponsor(s)/Lead
Sponsor(s)/Lead
–
–
4
Shakedown
w/CoP core
members
Retirement
5
Roll-Out
CoP
Run CoP
1
ID need
2
Validate
that a CoP
is the best
solution
Retire
3
Need
Health
Check?
Define key
elements &
artifacts
No
Yes
6
KMCoP
CoPSpecialist
Specialist
KM
–
Perform
health
check
7
Continue or
Restructure
Assessment?
Retire
Evolve
Advise, consult, assist
11
What was our approach ?
Think in a different part of the Cynefin Model
Cause and Effect might not be related in the way we are used to
Shawn will explain
Cynefin Model
13
14
15
16
Vital behaviours
Meeting regularly
Core team meets regularly
A question never goes unanswered
Recognise your members’ efforts
17
Linking communities with projects
18
Value
Don’t try to fabricate an ROI
Maximise the effect of success stories
–
–
–
–
–
Large Assembly Problem
Transition of personnel into Echidna Project
Rivets
Second face to face meeting (Flat patterns)
Runaway takeup of the corporate wiki
19
Second face to face - Flat Patterns
Summary
Started in a different place in the Cynefin model
– Identified a likely community
– Gained management support (some $ and a promise not to be tempted to
see the CoP as a free resource)
– Applied experience in nurturing the promising patterns
– Spread the success stories
Its early days – but it’s going well
26
Questions?
Greg Marsh
[email protected]
Shawn Callahan
[email protected]
27