The Special Libraries Association delivered its annual State-of-the-Art Institute, "Knowledge Management: A New Competitive Asset" to a sold-out audience November 6-7, 1997, in Washington, DC. The Institute, sponsored by Disclosure, Inc., focused on the emerging phenomenon of knowledge management and its application in today's changing business world. Presentations from leading experts in the field educated information professionals about the concepts, tools, and techniques of knowledge management; the skills and competencies required for practitioners; and real-life lessons from the field.

The Institute began with an insider's philosophy behind the knowledge management movement. Alison Tucker, marketing analyst for Buckman Laboratories, Memphis, TN, pointed out that in the information age, the key factor of competitive success for organizations of every size will be the ability to acquire and manage knowledge assets. As an associate of the knowledge transfer department at Buckman Labs since its inception, Tucker explained that at Buckman, knowledge management is all about "involvement, commitment, creativity, passion, and ultimately freedom to do everything we can, and use all of the knowledge we have to make sure that we have done our utmost to satisfy our customers." For this reason, corporate executives around the world are embracing "knowledge management" as a way of leveraging the organization's intellectual capital.

Nigel Oxbrow and Angela Abell of TFPL Ltd., London, U.K., explored the skills and competencies that are required in order to put a knowledge management plan in place. As managing director and principal consultant of a company that provides professional services to the information market in both Europe and North America, Oxbrow and Abell have discovered that it takes leadership, political and business understanding, team building, communication, change management, flexibility and focus, and most importantly, a vision, in order for knowledge management to successfully impact an organization's bottom line.

The Institute then turned its focus to the application of knowledge management by exploring the experiences of two well-known companies that have instituted a company-wide knowledge management plan. Patricia Foy, director of knowledge strategies for Coopers & Lybrand, Stamford, CT, discussed the lessons she learned when she moved her company to the forefront of the knowledge management arena. Foy explained the important role technology played at Coopers & Lybrand and discussed the need to get buy in from all the people in the company that are involved in knowledge sharing--information users, technology experts, the knowledge management team, and vendors. As part of their strategy, Coopers & Lybrand instituted a very successful Intranet site called "Knowledge Curve" which assists in making knowledge-sharing as simple as possible.

With the many changes taking place in today's business environment, the R.W. Johnson Pharmaceutical Research Institute, Raritan, NJ, turned to knowledge management as a way to meet these challenges and overcome them. Cynthia Scott, director of global and document management at R.W. Johnson, described how the Institute's knowledge management strategy is to integrate information into business processes; address the utilization and adoption rates of information; and identify, capture, and re-use intellectual knowledge.

Day two of the Institute took a different approach. Dr. Jay Liebowitz, School of Business and Public Management at George Washington University, Washington, DC, explored the various methodologies for implementing a successful knowledge management program. Liebowitz commented "you'll fall behind the competition if you don't take knowledge management seriously. Corporate culture needs to be conducive to promoting and sharing knowledge." He added that companies must "create thinking, learning organizations...develop knowledge repositories and have an infrastructure to maintain them."

Liebowitz then led the Institute attendees in a case study exercise which illustrated how to practically apply the methodologies he presented. The case study focused on a hypothetical company and asked attendees working in groups to propose a knowledge management strategy for the company and present that proposal to the Board of Directors, which was comprised of Institute presenters and other experts in the field. For attendees, the exercise proved valuable practice for proposing a knowledge management plan within their own organizations.

The Institute concluded with a lively presentation from Dr. Lewis Perelman, president of the Kanbrain Institute, Alexandria, VA. Adopted from the Japanese word "kanban," Kanbrain means just-in-time learning, expertise, support, experience, and collaboration. Perelman coined this phrase to embody knowledge management--the fusion of work, learning, knowledge, and know-how that is a quantum leap beyond the automation/information age. To purchase " Knowledge Management: A New Competitive Asset," call SLA's book order department at 1-202-234-4700, ext. 643. Or, order electronically through SLA's Virtual Bookstore.