To many it is an obvious statement that knowledgeconfers competitive advantage. Surely, knowinghow to do anything better provides an advantageover those who do not possess such knowledge.However, the principal problem lies in the transla-tion of such obvious statements into practical actionsand prescriptions. Just what type of knowledgeconfers competitive advantage? How do we ®nd outwhat we know, what knowledge is valuable andwhere there are critical gaps in our knowledge? Howdo we design organizations that effectively utilizeknowledge and are capable of renewing andextending knowledge? What part do present andevolving information technologies have to play increating and sustaining organizational knowledge?What knowledge is necessary for managing pro-cesses? How do organizations transform themselvesinto process-centred knowledge-based organiza-tions? The principal objective of Knowledge &Process Management is to provide innovative andpractical answers to just these questions.

One of the problems with recent work in the areaof knowledge management is that it pays far toolittle attention to previous work. For example, fartoo little thought has been given to the linkagesbetween such approaches as Business ProcessReengineering, Total Quality Management andcurrent thinking about process management. Weintend to provide just such linkages througharticles and case studies. Although the limitationsof conventional BPR and TQM have becomeincreasingly clear, there are other aspects thatrightly deserve to be retained. Moreover, we canlearn much from both the successes and failures ofBPR and TQM.

One of the key lessons of knowledge manage-ment is that, for lack of a better term, organizationsneed to become more conscious of themselves,their own abilities and the extended environmentswithin which they operate. Such consciousnessbecomes increasingly possible through the utiliza-tion of new organizational structures, new valuesystems, new perspectives and innovative uses oftechnology. This journal will provide detailed brief-ings intended to bring executives up to speed with themany ways in which they can transform theirorganizations into conscious intelligent organizations.

Although the terms sound esoteric our approachwill be down-to-earth and practical.

Organizations must seek to become both morerobust and more ¯exible. Not only must they seekto identify and capitalize on their present state ofknowledge but they must also ®nd ways tocreatively forget and generate new knowledge. Aswe will ®nd, the seeds of such abilities are to befound through an understanding both of historyand current practice. We aim to bring you some ofthe best thinking in the ®eld married with casestudies of some of the most innovative organiza-tions striving for excellence in knowledge andprocess management.

It is interesting to note that many organizationshave found that mindless downsizing has resultedin their forgetting vital knowledge and failing tocreate an environment within which new knowl-edge can be created. It is vitally important thatorganizations learn from such mistakes. Knowl-edge is not eternalÐit can be created and destroyedor, more often, allowed to gradually lose itsrelevance and value through neglect.

This introductory issue provides an indication as tothe range and quality material we intend to bring youin future issues. Both Michael Heseltine and TonyBlair highlight the value of the issues addressed in thejournal. In addition, we have included papers andcase studies that range from those consideringBusiness Process Reengineering to OrganizationalLearning and Knowledge Creation to Core Compe-tencies. These themes will continue to dominatefuture issues as will the investigation of state-of-the-art technologies and methodologies.

Inevitably the journal itself is an excercise inknowledge creation and management. We intendto make use of a variety of approaches to bring thelatest thinking to your door. In addition to theprinted journal we will be making use of theInternet and the World Wide Web to keep you intouch with the latest developments in the ®eld. Iwould also encourage you to keep in touch withme using my preferred medium, e-mail.

Anthony WensleyExecutive Editor

Knowledge & Process Management

3& 1997 by John Wiley & Sons Ltd and Cornwallis Emmanuel Ltd.

&Editorial

Knowledge and Process Management Volume 4 Number 1 pp 3 (1997)