Ernst & Young is one of the ``big six''
professional services firms which traditionally
offered audit, tax and management consulting.
In 1993, the operational vision for the
consulting practice involved four key processes:
sales, service delivery, people and
knowledge. By 1995, the knowledge strategy
had been formalized into an approach entitled
Accelerated Solutions Environment which involved
the rapid application of knowledge,
models and approaches to client situations.
Three internal business centers evolved with
an interactive approach. The Center for
Business Innovation created new knowledge,
the Center for Business Technology structured
knowledge into methods and
automated tools and the Center for Business
Knowledge gathered and stored the firm's
acquired and external knowledge and information.
The firm created a position of chief
knowledge officer with the following responsibilities:
oversight of processes and
technologies related to knowledge. Also,
several high level committees were created to
examine the direction of knowledge management
within the firm.