Heard this really interesting anecdote from friends at Infosys.
Infosys’ Enterprise Solutions group implements ERP and other packaged software for their clients. Infosys also does ongoing maintenance for software companies on their packaged software. Sometimes ongoing maintenance involves what is called Level 3 support where a software developer needs to take the call from a user because it goes into detailed technical stuff.
So the story goes like this. Infosys ES while implementing a package for some client in the US encountered a problem with the software that they needed help with before they could proceed. They talked to the client who told them to call the software vendor’s help line. The Infosys consultant in Pune then calls the vendor’s toll-free number. He starts talking to the guy at the other end. He’s getting this echo on the phone. He walks towards the voice and lo and behold, the guy on the other end of the phone is right there in Infosys Pune on the same floor!
6 am pacific 
Hi,
This is bound to happen and Unbelievable part is “in the same floor”..
In my work place, we called the help desk of the customer from Ecity, Bangalore and we got the support guy from Sarjapur road office.
Can we say:
“The World is Flat” as of now. Indian MNCs can make it a globe by creating proper Knowledge base and sharing the best practices across the company.
thanks,
venkat
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hi
same floor is not so unusual
when i was working with HP in India in 2004 i had two separate teams working for me – one team had to call the other for L2 related issues 🙂 – initially they went through the toll free number / blt but after a couple of calls one of the guys figured out that the call is from the other team 🙂 had quite a laugh about it.
am sure it is fairly common across all large IT providers. Basab – if this is the first time that you are hearing of this – are you out of touch with your head up in the clouds :)- a point to ponder!!!
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That’s interesting!
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Doesn’t it show the iron curtains between the teams working and the lack of synergy?
Islands of Knowledge within a practice – while the world is going Ga-Ga over “social networking”.
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Very interesting. That’s probably because of the ‘loose coalition’ approach that most IT service providers have.
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I was an Exfoscion too and while I was in infy a similar thing happened. We were working for a leading telco and ISP in N.America and had to dial its toll free for L3 support regarding some tech issues. And, guess where the call was routed…..
The telco’s call centre in Bangalore and the very same place where my friend worked 🙂
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well.. this should ring alarm bells too..
the teams working so closely and they dont know what others are working on.
no synergy what so ever…
rather then putting time to go to client,delays etc and use there support agreement with vendor .. the team would have gained lot of trust and goodwill with the customer had they collaborated internally.
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