CASE STUDY - XEROX

Article 1

Xerox's Eureka: A 20-Year-Old Knowledge Management Platform That Still Performs

By Kerry Doyle, Jan. 22, 2016

Remember the office Xerox machine that seemed to constantly need repair? Or sat broken for

days, waiting for a technician to arrive and service it? Those wait times have dwindled thanks, at

least in part, to Xerox's knowledge management platform, Eureka. The platform was a

breakthrough when it launched in the early 1990s, allowing technicians to share tips for solving

tricky or uncommon equipment problems via laptops in the field.

But much has changed since the early days of field service mobility, and now the 20-year-old

platform continues to be relied on across the smaller, faster mobile devices today's Xerox

technicians carry.

The Origins of a Novel Idea

Eureka represents an early example of a knowledge management system's ability to improve field

service efficiency and to prove the value of an information repository accessible in the field.

Effective platforms are the result of several factors, including: An organizational culture that widely promotes and shares knowledge. Easily accessible links and tools that make information accessible. Adequate staffing to ensure data is relevant and timely. Done well, knowledge management boosts productivity by providing the exact steps for

resolution and eliminating the need to research a problem when it re-occurs. Faster first

time fix rates, for example, are often the result of knowledge bases that offer field

technicians a way to capitalize on the experiences of other technicians.

Throughout its existence, Eureka has certainly met that criteria. The tool was first deployed in

North America in 1996 and is now available globally to Xerox's technicians through the Xerox

database and web platform. Xerox estimates that since its implementation, Eureka has saved the

company more than $100 million in service costs.

Keeping Eureka Relevant with Increased Mobility

Working with current mobile handsets and tablets, Xerox's customer service engineers can

document and clear service calls, search for parts, retrieve optimized routing and perform other

tasks. Used in tandem with mobile devices, the Eureka tool provides a searchable database for

quick problem-specific results at the point of need.

Though mobility may be constantly evolving, one of Eureka's biggest benefits remains unchanged:

It offers help with issues for which no standard solution seems to apply. One crucial factor in

establishing trust for Eureka information was having expert technicians vet all tips submitted to

the community knowledge base.

Updates and details regarding product fixes have since been included from all over the globe,

translated into English, and made accessible to every technician's device. Used in combination

with the mobile platform and the overall Xerox KM system, Eureka enables technicians to know

immediately how to resolve issues on 80 percent of calls.

The next step in the evolution of knowledge management will be the incorporation of videos and

sound files to help techs solve problems quickly the first time.

Eureka's longevity proves that effective knowledge management never grows old. But to be

effective, companies must ensure their technicians can share and access information and the

latest mobile tools in use in the field.

Produce a report where you analyse the following aspects of the Xerox's knowledge

management practices. You will be required to apply the theory from your textbook and

conduct further additional research into the company's knowledge management

endeavours. The following should be included in your report:

Factors driving knowledge management at Xerox;(5)

The different types of knowledge and expertise found at Xerox; (10)

The locations of knowledge in artefacts at Xerox; (5)

Xerox's organisational culture - one of the KM infrastructure components; (10)

Examples of knowledge management mechanisms and technologies employed

at Xerox; (5)

The knowledge management process of knowledge discovery at Xerox; (7)

The organisational impact of KM on Xerox, specifically the impact on employee

learning through communities of practice; (8)

Identify and describe the type of knowledge sharing system Xerox's Eureka

system falls under. (10)