Volvo has formed a worldwide IT division made up of "virtual
workgroups" to support its workforce of 50,000. The vehicle
manufacturer said it has already slashed IT support costs and
created global standards.
Volvo has implemented Web-based IT support software that will
enable its 3,000 IT support staff to be grouped according to
expertise and ensure that someone is available to answer any query
around the clock.
Inge Forsberg, process owner for Volvo's IT support project, said,
"This allows us to have a 'thinner layer' of skills, with
front-line staff easily forwarding queries to experts through a
simple browser.
"More and more of our applications are moving from local to global
installation and we found we needed a common set of processes for
their support. We have wrested control of a formerly sprawling,
disparate system."
Forsberg said the flexibility of having common support tools that
are accessible from any location is crucial to the system's
effectiveness.
This enables, for example, SAP specialists to be located in one
"virtual workgroup", that is available to end-users around the
world. Specialised factory applications are provided with local
support, all using a common process on uniform software.
The system - Siebel software implemented by Princeton Consulting -
covers IT support for all of Volvo's operations from manufacturing
to sales.
Princeton developed the software to map to Volvo's business needs
after the car company had rejected standard software packages.
Forsberg said, "Readily available solutions were not suitable for
us - they were often too US-centric or didn't suit our groups'
structure."
Volvo said it is now tracking and analysing IT problems more
effectively than in the past and is able to identify trends which
help it tackle recurring technological issues. The unified nature
of the system also enables the company to pass on best practice
knowledge more effectively throughout the business.