Information & Knowledge Management-Strategic Tools for Success, 1997 Process & Product Quality Conference Proceedings

Global competition, pricing instability, reduced technical staffing, and growing environmental issues have created great economic uncertainty for the paper industry. To effectively compete during this period of uncertainty, the paper industry needs to maximize its internal expertise and external knowledge resources. This paper describes organizations driven by traditional information management and those implementing knowledge management practices. The values, difficulties, and transition steps in moving from a traditional information management model to a knowledge based organization are discussed. A descriptive model depicts how a pulp and paper research university is attempting to define this transition to better serve the industry. Although defining information technology requirements for knowledge management is difficult, the real obstacle is how to establish a corporate culture and reward system which clearly values the development, use, and sharing of knowledge.