Logistics Information Management

Re-engineering knowledge logistics

Gordon Wills Mathew Wills
Article information:
To cite this document:
Gordon Wills Mathew Wills, (1997),"Re-engineering knowledge logistics", Logistics Information Management, Vol. 10 Iss 2
pp. 80 - 91
Permanent link to this document:
http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/09576059710815743
Downloaded on: 18 March 2016, At: 13:53 (PT)
References: this document contains references to 38 other documents.
To copy this document: [email protected]
The fulltext of this document has been downloaded 834 times since 2006*
Users who downloaded this article also downloaded:
(1998),"Erratum", International Journal of Physical Distribution & Logistics Management, Vol. 28 Iss 9/10 pp. 682-697
http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/09600039810248109
Eric Sandelands, (1997),"Strategic logistics management", International Journal of Physical Distribution & Logistics
Downloaded by RMIT University At 13:53 18 March 2016 (PT)

Management, Vol. 27 Iss 2 pp. 73-142 http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/09600039710757736

Jeremy Hammant, (1995),"Information technology trends in logistics", Logistics Information Management, Vol. 8 Iss 6 pp.
32-37 http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/09576059510102235

Access to this document was granted through an Emerald subscription provided by emerald-srm:393177 []
For Authors
If you would like to write for this, or any other Emerald publication, then please use our Emerald for Authors service
information about how to choose which publication to write for and submission guidelines are available for all. Please
visit www.emeraldinsight.com/authors for more information.
About Emerald www.emeraldinsight.com
Emerald is a global publisher linking research and practice to the benefit of society. The company manages a portfolio of
more than 290 journals and over 2,350 books and book series volumes, as well as providing an extensive range of online
products and additional customer resources and services.
Emerald is both COUNTER 4 and TRANSFER compliant. The organization is a partner of the Committee on Publication
Ethics (COPE) and also works with Portico and the LOCKSS initiative for digital archive preservation.

*Related content and download information correct at time of download.

 The search for understanding what electronic
Re-engineering academic and professional publishing using
the Internet can deliver in terms of cost bene-
knowledge logistics fit is well illuminated by the discipline known
as logistics. Logistics is the science of the
movement or flow of people, materials and
information. It had its origins in the military
which was until recent times the most con-
Gordon Wills and cerned with the need to accomplish such
Mathew Wills major movements in a relatively short space of
time. Southworth (1993) and Worsford
(1995) exemplify this focus in the context of
the Gulf War and the British Army Logistics
Corps respectively.
In most human activities, the need for
rapid and effective response is not so critically
significant and as such merited only limited
The authors scientific attention until the last quarter of this
Gordon Wills is Professor of Customer Policy with century (Kearney, 1991). With the aid of
Downloaded by RMIT University At 13:53 18 March 2016 (PT)

International Management Centres and Chairman of mathematical and statistical approaches

Electronic Publishing Division, MCB University Press linked to computing capability, organizations
(e-mail: [email protected]). which expended up to 30 per cent of total cost
Mathew Wills is Vice President, ANBAR Electronic on achieving effective distribution of their
Intelligence (e-mail: [email protected]). products in the marketplace then began to
take the field most seriously.
Abstract As a science, it seeks to identify the least
Describes the key elements of total logistics systems and cost way of achieving a given level of availabil-
their cycle times for requisite service levels at least cost. ity or service to customers. Five key elements
Shows how these constructs originally emerged from have been identified as determining the effica-
military necessity but have more recently been driven for cy of such movements or flows: facilities,
commercial and manufacturing advantage. Analyses the unitization, communications, inventory and
traditional logistics cycle in academic and professional transportation.
publishing and then demonstrates how the application of It is the analysis of the trade-offs between
a total logistics system approach with the emerging each in achieving the requisite availability or
capabilities of electronics totally transforms the perfor- service that shows the way to the least cost
mance of the system, reducing cycle time by 75 per cent. solution within each cycle (Pohlen and
Significantly re-engineers the five key elements of logistics LaLonde, 1994).
systems – facilities, unitization, communications, inventory This straightforward framework can be
and transportation – and rewrites the cost/benefit equa- well illustrated in commerce:
tion of service levels. Explores the opportunities for • Many ladies’ fashions in footwear or cloth-
backward and forward integration by traditional librarians ing last for only a short season. Prepara-
and publishers respectively in the re-engineered total tions for launch normally have a sufficient-
system. ly long lead time to enable suppliers to
source the items from across the world at
the lowest cost. Least cost transportation
can be accomplished by sea container.
Inventory can be set conservatively in case
the fashion does not take off. However, if
the fashion catches hold, the supplier needs
to know as rapidly as possible both to
procure and to deliver more items to retail
stores. The additional inventory required
can seldom come by least cost transporta-
tion or it will arrive too late, nor can it be
Logistics Information Management
Volume 10 · Number 2 · 1997 · pp. 80–91 made far away by a least cost source unless
© MCB University Press · ISSN 0957-6053 a higher cost transportation mode is used –
80
 Re-engineering knowledge logistics Logistics Information Management
Gordon Wills and Mathew Wills Volume 10 · Number 2 · 1997 · 80–91

such as air freight. The speed with which more important than speed”. If a promise is
the supplier gets feedback from the infor- made, it needs to be 100 per cent certain that
mation system on sales uptake, enabling it will be kept. The customer for the service
him to forecast his need for additional can plan accordingly. The precise pattern can
inventory, determines his ability to meet be tailored to the customers’ needs (Fuller et
demand. This has seen rocketing growth in al., 1993).
marketing/point-of-sale intelligence sys- The second response, not unnaturally, is
tems which is apparent any time we shop that the speed required depends on the con-
today with barcode scanners capturing text in which the need has arisen. The item
intelligence the moment we buy linked to designations of A, B and C have been used in
our customer loyalty card demographics inventory control for many years. An A item
and replenishment cycles (Hagon, 1994). must be there at all times – oxygen in a hospi-
• Industrial components, whether at tal or an aeroplane, or engines at the right
manufacture/assembly stage or in the assembly point in the manufacture of a car.
replacement after market, are required in Other items, such as a light bulb in the home,
the right place at the right time. However, can be regarded as a B or C items. You can
to achieve that without massive inventory borrow one from another room.
holdings across the marketplace would be Third, the potential substitutability of a
impossible without instant access to the given item with an identical/satisfactory com-
Downloaded by RMIT University At 13:53 18 March 2016 (PT)

information on where a component might petitive alternative will give saliency to the
be and a willingness to use high cost trans- need for a high level of service, indeed prefer-
portation methods to deliver it. With ably 100 per cent availability. It is unlikely that
straightforward statistical analysis of inven- most customers will change their choice of a
tory demand, it is normally suitable to hold car, or aeroplane manufacturers their choice
far less inventory, thereby reducing the of engine because availability is not immedi-
risks of obsolescence, loss and damage into ate. However, a chocolate bar or beverage will
the bargain. often be substituted, as will a passenger seat
from one airline brand to another.
The managerial challenge in commerce has
been to ensure the consideration of the “total”
logistics concept, i.e. view the output of a The traditional logistics model for
logistics system as being the result of the academic and professional knowledge
trade-off between all five significant elements In Figure 1, the total logistics flow cycle in
over an appropriate cycle time (Wenkels, traditional publishing is modelled across 12
1995). Their discrete management normally months.
leads to net loss to the enterprise. Simply to Academic and professional knowledge first
minimize transport costs or communications arises in the minds of scholars and practition-
expense will normally give rise to much higher ers. It is mainly distributed in print or by word
inventory expenditures to achieve a given level of mouth as at conferences, professional
of service. workshops or discussions with colleagues.
These methods of distribution allow for
What level of logistics service is greater or lesser levels of interaction/proactivi-
ty. In a discussion, one can readily proact and
requisite?
evolve a line of analysis and thought; with a
The notion of a scientific approach seeking to book, TV programme or an article, the
achieve a least cost solution to deliver a requi- knowledge is not so readily negotiable. It takes
site level of service or availability begs the much longer to take up a question and get a
question: what level of service is requisite? response from an author or TV programme
Not surprisingly, much analysis has addressed contributor than it does to raise a point at a
this question (Lambert, 1992) – which has an conference or discussion.
exact equivalent in the currently popular
query as to what “quality” a product ought to Facilities
embody. The retail facilities used to store knowledge
The paramount response is, in almost are most typically a library or bookstore –
every circumstance, that “reliability/ although journals will often go directly
consistency of the level of service offered is through the post to readers most particularly
81
 Downloaded by RMIT University At 13:53 18 March 2016 (PT)

Figure 1

Traditional publishing

Review/Referee
panel
Bookstore
(11a) (12)
(2)

Authors' own (1)

Gordon Wills and Mathew Wills

manuscript and Direct

Re-engineering knowledge logistics

(3) Publishers' (5) (9) Delivery mode (11b) Reader/

office/study editorial Printer
for knowledge (4) post/freight browser
desk
creation
(7) (11c) (12)
(6)

82
(13)
Proofs (8)
Library
(10)
Warehouse Photocopy
Agent
consolidation

12 months
Logistics Information Management
Volume 10 · Number 2 · 1997 · 80–91

Exhibit 1: The logistics of knowledge flows in traditional publishing

 Re-engineering knowledge logistics Logistics Information Management
Gordon Wills and Mathew Wills Volume 10 · Number 2 · 1997 · 80–91

in the professions. Publishers use warehouses where they have reached in transit (Sheom-
extensively in the distribution channel and bar, 1992).
library agents frequently offer consolidation For knowledge today, we can ascertain the
services. existence of a book-in-print if we know its
Conference workshop and discussion title/author, of a journal if we know its title,
facilities typically are provided either by hote- and of an article if we know who wrote it and
liers or by enterprises themselves in countless in what journal. But as to the precise location
seminar/meeting rooms around the globe. where we will find it once it has left its
Many individuals also create their own publisher, whether it is out on loan or out of
libraries, often more an archival stack of stock, and if so how long before we can gain
previously read or browsed material, in their access – such intelligence is not normally
own homes or offices. readily available.
Each of these facilities has its own aura, its
own charisma. A library and a bookstore Inventory
share a quietude not always to be found or The great majority of libraries will be able to
even sought at a conference or a workshop, identify whether a book or journal has been
because they are not offering an interactive acquired and whether it is currently out on
knowledge consumption process. loan. So too will many bookshops, albeit on a
more reactive basis. Some will know the rate
Downloaded by RMIT University At 13:53 18 March 2016 (PT)

Unitization of usage of the knowledge and the average

The unit of knowledge ranges from the well waiting period experienced by customers for
maligned “sound byte” to the impressive availability when it is temporarily out of stock.
Knowledge of inventory held elsewhere other
tome. In other words, we may seek to acquire
than in the particular location will be scant
access either by simply hearing or seeing a few
unless a regional information exchange has
short sentences, or by necessarily acquiring a
been established.
book. To gain access via a library, there may
The inventory of conferences and work-
be a membership fee and even a fine for taking
shops on offer is far less well documented.
too long to read/return a particular book.
There is no global equivalent of books or
Journals and professional magazines are
journals in print with allocated ISBNs and
frequently sold by annual subscription or at
ISSNs. The inventory is almost totally frag-
least by the issue. Most conferences expect
mented and most academics and professionals
you to attend the whole at a comprehensive
rely on personal networks and mailed informa-
fee or to purchase the printed proceedings
tion to access them. They are, however, fre-
afterwards for a far lower fee.
quently translated into book/journal format
So, while the unit of knowledge is the later and then become more accessible.
“byte”, its sale and availability are normally in Finally, the inventory of authors unfinished
multiple bytes, as a printed volume, an annual and/or unsubmitted articles is virtually inac-
subscription to several instalments or an cessible except by word of mouth.
entire conference. A scholarly meeting, to be
truly effective, normally requires all its main Transportation
contributors to be in one place at the same The physical transportation of knowledge is
time. usually accomplished ultimately by the reader
going to the library or bookshop to collect or
Communications by delivery via the post or fax. In the case of
In logistics this word is used essentially to conferences and workshops, the transporta-
describe the awareness available to all poten- tion is by participants transferring themselves
tial users of what units of knowledge exist and to a faraway, albeit sometimes exotic place.
are available in what facilities or, if they are en The considerably higher expense involved in
route, precisely where they are at any given the latter mode is regularly justified by the
moment. To do this in commerce, large and trade-off with access to:
extremely costly intelligence systems have • the most recent knowledge not yet available
been developed. Each one of us can ascertain in books or journals;
from a bank’s autoteller machine what our • the opportunity to interact and proact and
balances are, and a manufacturer can similar- thereby heighten the value of the knowl-
ly pinpoint stock locations and levels and edge transfer; and
83
 Re-engineering knowledge logistics Logistics Information Management
Gordon Wills and Mathew Wills Volume 10 · Number 2 · 1997 · 80–91

• the opportunity to build networks that can remainder is delay or misconnections in the
of themselves become very efficient media channel of supply.
for future learning and knowledge flows. The author’s work in early draft format will
be circulated for comments. When finalized, it
Requisite service at least cost will go to a reviewer/refereeing panel whose
The literature of librarianship has frequently comments will be fed back for incorporation
reported the application of service levels to in the manuscript – or, if a rejection, to re-
the availability of books and journal articles, commence the sequence again. Once accept-
e.g. by carrying multiple copies or by offering ed for publication, the article or book will go
fax or postal delivery services at differential through a production process often requiring
prices. No studies have been located that consolidation into an issue with eight/ten
attempt the total logistics systems analysis other articles, or await a seasonal catalogue or
with trade-offs costed, mainly because the launch event. These stages, together with
cost/benefit of academic and professional repeated proof checking and graphic design
information and knowledge is grossly under- contributions, are what take up the 12
developed. Whereas a commercial product months.
not available can normally lead to substitution The supply side, least cost approach deliv-
of another, this will not usually be the case for ering these service levels is, of course, not
knowledge. It is likely to be possible for text- consistent, not speedy and alas not readily
books but most unlikely for state-of-the-art
Downloaded by RMIT University At 13:53 18 March 2016 (PT)

open to substitution of another medium of

articles. And the potential value of the missing production. But there is much good news to
knowledge must be assessed before any con- be heard…
clusion can be reached as to whether it should The purpose of this paper is to share just
in future be provided because it justifies the how great the opportunity is to re-engineer
cost involved.
both the supply and the demand side of
It is not infrequent to wait for a book from
knowledge flows, of knowledge logistics
a publisher for a month or more; and to await
(Ayers, 1995; Badarecco, 1991). In particu-
an article by interlibrary lending for 14-48
lar, “time to market” as a key contemporary
days. In such circumstances, it is not surpris-
logistics issue is addressed.
ing that much of the lag time in completing or
even preparing a serious draft paper is occa-
sioned by delays in gaining access to particu- Re-engineering supply side knowledge
lar known items. logistics
This of itself begs the question as to how
As has been suggested, supply side flows
the potential beneficiary is made aware of its
begin when an author seeks to present
existence, or has a cost-effective way of
searching to find all that might be deemed research or philosophical outcomes to appro-
cost beneficial (cp. Vinze, 1991). priate academics or professionals. To achieve
It must generally be concluded that users that task to the necessary quality level
of knowledge are conditioned to accepting inevitably will be an iterative process of for-
that it takes a long time to find something, mulation, feedback commentary and refine-
that the lag time will be inconsistent and that, ment. It will normally also include a vitally
if it cannot be substituted, the overall output important prior necessity which is to be aware
will have to be delayed. of and in command of what other knowledge
exists on the issue concerned – of which more
Supply side logistics later when we discuss demand side knowledge
I have left until last discussion of the ways in logistics.
which articles or manuscripts are traditionally If, however, we commence with the draft
procured – whether for books or journals or as article, or preprint, we can explore (see Figure
conference papers. First, it must be observed 2) the transformations available from emerg-
that it is an especially lengthy process, ratio- ing electronic publishing approaches:
nalized as ensuring high quality but more Step 1: The author’s preprint is created on a
often than not mainly reflecting inefficiencies. PC which can connect to the Internet.
An article or book is normally expected to Step 2: The author submits to a “virtual
take 12 months but can take as long as 18 to academy” of like-minded academics/
appear in print. During that time, the actual professionals for constructive critique
working time is perhaps four weeks; the and feedback.
84
 Downloaded by RMIT University At 13:53 18 March 2016 (PT)

Figure 2

PeerNet domain

Virtual
academy
database
Gordon Wills and Mathew Wills

Authors' own (2) Publishers' Internet Reader/

Re-engineering knowledge logistics

PC and Preprint (1) server and online (7) View profiled

office/study editing access browser (8) Print on
for knowledge Preprint (3) facility (5) E-mail demand
creation as
electronic file (6)
(4)

85
Review/
referee
panel

3 months
Logistics Information Management
Volume 10 · Number 2 · 1997 · 80–91

Exhibit 2: The logistics of knowledge flows in electronic publishing

 Re-engineering knowledge logistics Logistics Information Management
Gordon Wills and Mathew Wills Volume 10 · Number 2 · 1997 · 80–91

Step 3: Comments are digested and the final the post to arrive – by e-mail notification to
version prepared. all concerned about publication.
Step 4: The author re-submits for final • The interested reader can proact with the
review and acceptance in a houses- author to follow up on a line of argument
tyle/ template that conforms to the or analysis.
publisher’s specification for Internet • The references to the works of others cited
publication. in any article or book can be traced and
Step 5: The editor alerts the refereeing panel accessed speedily using the newly arriving
by e-mail to the article’s presence on PII references which are unique indicators
the journal-protected database and for each article.
asks for “credit scores” plus com-
ments. Verdict
Step 6: The scores and final comments are This process will be more consistent in the
fed back to the author for incorpora- service levels and the quality judgements
tion. experienced. It will be faster. It will be very
Step 7: The refereed finalized article or book much cheaper to accomplish once all parties
is published on the Internet. have access to the required technologies. It
Step 8: All interested parties are notified by will, however, almost certainly increase the
e-mail of the event and invited to view substitutability of one journal or publisher for
and/or download.
Downloaded by RMIT University At 13:53 18 March 2016 (PT)

another. It will be easier for an author to

“shop around” and less time-consuming and
Clearly links to the earlier critique of tradi-
expensive for that process too.
tional knowledge logistics. Accordingly it is
The prize accordingly goes to the publisher
not surprising to find such a sequence, known
with the most helpful and supportive supply
as Project PeerNet, currently under develop-
side process, the best virtual academy
ment with MCB University Press for all its
resource and the best accreditation of the
journals. It goes further, however, than reduc-
publication by branding of the collection or
ing up to 75 per cent of the lag time in getting
list within which it appears. Finally, the best
articles or books into print. These are some of
publisher will have the maximum outreach to
the major improvements to the very publish-
the author’s intended listeners (cp. Brown and
ing process itself:
Watts, 1992). This gives a whole new mean-
• The virtual academy allows a much wider
ing to the concept of database marketing and
audience to see and comment on a
marketing intelligence/loyalty systems. In
preprint. MCB University Press’ Literati electronic terms, the more intended listeners
Club of 15,000+ authors across the world one can alert by e-mail to the publication of
is keyworded to achieve this broader can- the article, the stronger the desire of authors
vass. to commit their knowledge to that particular
• The preprints in process are assembled in publisher.
an electronically available “citation/list/
register” – thereby enabling others to be
aware sooner of what is on the way and at Re-engineering demand side knowledge
the same time to protect the author against logistics
plagiarism. The author is, of course, just one example of a
• The online credit scoring in the refereeing user of knowledge. The great majority of users
process can be expected to produce more are not involved with knowledge in order to
consistent and reliable results. benchmark their own nascent contribution.
• There is no need to wait for a full issue or a They are there either:
seasonal catalogue to be assembled. Each • to take it on board for an educational or
article can be published as it is accepted. professional purpose – a course to follow
• The article’s abstract can be added imme- with an examination to pass or a known
diately to the global abstracting and cita- professional need to learn or implement a
tion sources rather than awaiting consoli- strategy; or
dation. • to browse to stay abreast with no specific
• The author and publisher can proact with goal or expectation, which can be satisfied
interested readers rather than await a visit both by finding nothing exceptional and by
to a library, a bookshop, a conference or serendipitiously learning, e.g. database
86
 Re-engineering knowledge logistics Logistics Information Management
Gordon Wills and Mathew Wills Volume 10 · Number 2 · 1997 · 80–91

mining approaches (Computing, 1992 and with full text retrieval on demand are being
Grupe and Owrang, 1995). delivered. Complaints that this is tomorrow’s
junk mail are as well founded, but no more so,
The ultimate requirements of the author, of
than the complaint against postal messages in
the tasked student or professional and of the
the mailbox today. We are always at liberty to
serendipitious learner will be the full text of
ignore such messages or to have a separate file
the article or book concerned, but all will find
structure/ pending tray for them that does not
it more than helpful to be able to scan/search
interfere with the routine of important mes-
all the literature available in a designated field
saging – just as we may have an ex-directory
speedily and appropriately. The premium
phone line or a PA/secretary to intercept calls
here accordingly is on the design of user-
and messages on our behalf.
friendly, user-conscious search engines of the
Knowledge logistics is clearly poised on the
burgeoning archive of knowledge.
threshold of artificial intelligence/expert
With the benefit of standard general mark-
systems/neural networks for academics and
up language (SGML) tagging of electronic professionals. The leveraging of the contribu-
text, searching by keywords can readily be tion of knowledge workers (Lewis, 1992; Li,
accomplished, together with textual men- 1994; Mockler 1990; Mykstyn et al., 1994;
tions. This requires sympathetic thesaurus Osyk and Vijayaraman, 1995; Quinn, 1992,
development within subject fields. Further 1993; Ryman-Tubb, 1993; Venugopal and
search criteria can differentiate the recent
Downloaded by RMIT University At 13:53 18 March 2016 (PT)

Boets, 1995) has been examined extensively

from the less so, take one to all the contribu- elsewhere in services, manufacturing industry
tions of a given author, select by country of and the professions but not directly for the
origin or reference to industry or corporation, field of electronic publishing.
theoretical vs. practical case study as opposed
to literature review, and most recently and Verdict
boldly to the allocation of quality criteria This process will be both more comprehen-
within several key categories. sive in its ability to trace and retrieve knowl-
One can readily see the advantage to being edge and will do so almost instantaneously.
able to select the most recent literature review The data overload which will inevitably arise
in a chosen field from a total of 2,000 or more can be attended to by use of search engines for
articles on offer. However, even more so, one keywords and abstracts which do not militate
can readily see the advantage for any profes- against serendipitous browsing or searching
sional or educator presenting to an audience but do not necessarily require it.
to be absolutely up to date with the field The benefits of the outreach in distribution
concerned so speedily. Before electronic first by alerting interested parties in profiled
publishing, such a realization was simply areas but also by immediate availability in the
impracticable. global databases will be of great value to
The revolution dawning is even greater for authors both to publicize their work and to
the process of updating course materials as in elicit interaction.
distance learning institutions. On average, the
materials they despatch were last updated
two-and-a-half years ago. Using automated How key elements in knowledge
electronic searching links they can be supple- logistics flows are changing
mented with the latest literature as it appears. In Figures 1 and 2, the two logistics flows are
All that is required is to allocate keywords to modelled. Thirteen discrete phases have been
each course module and make hyperlinks to replaced by eight. That presages a major cycle
the database concerned. This approach is now time transformation, but it becomes clear just
in operation on a prototype basis. It is no how wide the re-engineering required truly is
dream; it is a reality and its contribution is when we examine the five key elements of
awesome. logistics (Persson, 1995).
Similar keyworded or behaviour derived/
modelled (Tafti and Nikbatht, 1993) profiling Facilities
of individual managers can be automated At a minimum, the printing house, the ware-
wholly to deliver current awareness. By link- house and the library/bookstore (Schneider,
ing agreed personal key areas of interest to the 1994) are either substantially or totally elimi-
knowledge database, e-mail alert routines nated or metamorphosed as the move grows
87
 Re-engineering knowledge logistics Logistics Information Management
Gordon Wills and Mathew Wills Volume 10 · Number 2 · 1997 · 80–91

apace for electronic publishing. However, no Communications

progress can be accomplished until: Perhaps the most significant change in the
• publishers establish the host server for the communications element of logistics is the
incoming preprints and their proactive immediate, categorized access to the total body
discussion with the virtual academy and of knowledge for searching and retrieval. This
referee panel; and does, of course, include quality guarantees of
• authors and readers have PC and printer the knowledge offered. These latter aspects will
facilities at their disposal for the beginning surely see a transformation from one being
and end of the process. driven solely by the editorial review/refereeing
procedures to one driven also by the
It is a classic chicken and egg argument of
keyword/abstracting services. Many readers or
course. Who moves first? The expense for a
browsers will be unaware of the status of many
publishing house in creating a host server that
suppliers of knowledge. The strength of the
most of the readers currently do not know
“retailer branding” via the abstract providers
how/are not inclined/are unable to use is will readily overcome that dilemma (cp.
daunting. But the prizes are paradigmatic if ANBAR Management Intelligence).
the patient investment can be made. The The major challenge still to be overcome,
threatened facilities are slow to respond albeit with PIIs emerging as the equivalent of
because they are largely sunk costs and barcodes, is how to have a universal referenc-
accordingly seem to have only a marginal
Downloaded by RMIT University At 13:53 18 March 2016 (PT)

ing system for all units of knowledge for

incremental cost in comparison with a total retrieval and within the search engine a uni-
investment/payback model for the incoming form thesaurus. These are not unfamiliar
publishing investments. Furthermore, extant problems in the world of knowledge and have
budgetary procedures in libraries, for been resolved for books (ISBN) and journals/
instance, give the funding to the facility and serials (ISSN). As the appropriate unitization
inventory manager not to the reader/browser changes, however, the new order has to be
– to whom knowledge often seems to be a free addressed. There are, in a range of disciplines
good – if only you can find it and wait until it such as management/human studies, refer-
arrives. The electronic publishing paradigm encing systems that have been pioneered by
requires the reader/browser to have the discre- the major abstracting services for paper-
tion to buy (within a budget) as appropriate. driven retrieval systems. But these will need to
Institutional inertia and power structures will give way to a universally accepted article
certainly delay not alleviate change in such referencing system and keywording thesaurus.
circumstances (Smith and Saint-Onge, 1996; Once these are in place, the residual role
Woodside, 1996). for document supply services, such as are to
be found in the British Library and other
Unitization major archival centres, will surely disappear.
The unit of knowledge for the commence- Only the archival role will continue to provide
ment of searching and retrieval in electronic for historical research and to act as a backup
publishing is the keyword not the journal issue for lost electronic knowledge. Some electronic
or book title. Keywords lead to abstracts and publishers are now simply depositing a “gold-
abstracts to full text, with paper wastage en copy” with these national archives to this
eliminated at each stage (Wu and Dunn, end.
1995). Ultimately, only the articles that can- This new scenario compares with a helpful
not be digested on screen will be printed, and librarian who assists a reader/browser to
only the areas profiled will be drawn to any- undertake a search beginning with the knowl-
one’s attention in the first instance if the edge in stock in the library concerned, or the
service offered is proactive. bookstore, and then moving to bibliographies
The need to publish batches of articles for and abstracting services one by one – either
effective traditional publishing and distribu- paper or CD-ROM-based… and then await-
tion is gone. So is the constraint on how many ing paper delivery from afar after a time lapse
articles can be published or acquired in any of greater or lesser proportions.
given time period. The remaining challenge
which is to quality assure the knowledge Inventory
offered is not accomplished by a journal per se The only physical inventory remaining in the
but the quality procedures its editors employ. electronic publishing paradigm is the printout
88
 Re-engineering knowledge logistics Logistics Information Management
Gordon Wills and Mathew Wills Volume 10 · Number 2 · 1997 · 80–91

on demand created by the professed interest- on their part and competence with the various
ed party; and the “golden copy” in the nation- connectivities.
al archive and backup for electronic memory. However, there will be a combination, as
The startling conclusion for all concerned has been shown of socio-economic and psy-
is that all the warehousing and retailing inven- cho-technological blockages to the re-engi-
tory necessitated by the printed form will neering process. Where a single unifying
eventually be eliminated. entity is able to redesign a substantial part of
In this context, CD-ROM clearly can be the total system, using a balanced approach
seen as a transitory form of distributed elec- across all fields, progress will be greatest
tronic storage/supply because the transporta- (Kaplan and Norton, 1992; 1996). Any new
tion and connectivities of the total system are age logistics system that can build critical
not yet in balance. In comparison with only mass for the PeerNet construct identified in
calling on what you need as opposed to the Figure 2 is in a very strong position to exploit
whole inventory on a CD-ROM and a price to the trade-offs (Wills, 1995; Wills and Wiles,
match it, it is clear that the future belongs to 1996; Wills and Wills, 1996). A number of
online access provided that the reader/brows- extant publishers with very strong links both
er facilities are well able to access it which is with supply side authors and demand side
closely intertwined with the fifth and final key library and reader markets are now attempt-
element in logistics. ing this.
Downloaded by RMIT University At 13:53 18 March 2016 (PT)

Their six key strategies are to:

Transportation (1) put in place the interactive server routines
The use of air and surface postal services to for author preprint manuscript review
deliver knowledge, increasingly supplemented that attract the best quality knowledge in
in the past 30 years first by photocopiers and the first instance;
then by faxes, is destined to be transformed (2) develop Internet sites that have a critical
further by server to PC interchange either mass to attract readers and browsers;
using the telephone providers or cable net- (3) build virtual academies-cum-professions
works. Cable provision, linked with television as well-classified, benefit-oriented data-
programming, is gaining rapidly on telephone bases – that have their own life in Confer-
services most especially where telephoning is encing, ListServers and NewsGroups;
an expensive access mode. Those centres such (4) drive hard for e-mail/Internet connectivi-
as Singapore and Hong Kong with no or ties with their end-users via awareness
almost no charges for local phone calls have and assistance – cybercafes online and
shown just how the absence of the cost hurdle on-site;
can accelerate adoption. (5) create search engines of the highest qual-
In every scenario presented, the expense ity with customer-user-focused search
of interconnection between PCs and criteria backed by full text delivery online;
publishers’ services using data compression (6) empower customers/users to exploit the
techniques will be well below that of current benefits of the knowledge at their disposal
post or fax services. In many circumstances, via educational and self-development
dedicated telephone lines and fixed annual guidance and support.
access fees are already sufficient to stabilize
the transformation cost of knowledge to make A total systems perspective such as this,
it manageable. encompassing strategy (6) above, questions
the dividing line between knowledge logistics
for publishing and knowledge for education
The “total” systems challenge and learning. The new age total knowledge
The rapidity with which the re-engineering of logistics model must expect to see the back-
the total logistics system of knowledge takes ward integration of the librarian into knowl-
place will be determined by push and pull edge distillation and capture rather than
factors. warehousing and stock control – a higher
Authors will push for more rapid publica- order, higher value-added cognitive task in any
tion with guaranteed quality assurance. Read- event. And it must expect to see the publisher
ers and browsers will pull because of the reaching forwards into alliances and joint
efficiencies and effectiveness of the new ventures with educational institutions offering
approaches, although requiring involvement the constant updating of knowledge against
89
 Re-engineering knowledge logistics Logistics Information Management
Gordon Wills and Mathew Wills Volume 10 · Number 2 · 1997 · 80–91

given curricula. This can be most clearly Badarecco, J.L. (1991), “Alliances speed knowledge
achieved in the realm of distance learning transfer”, Planning Review, Vol. 19 No. 2,
where the infrastructure inertia will be least. March/April.
The high value-added role of the tutor of the Barclay, I., Holroyd, P. and Potton, J. (1994), “A sphenomor-
phic model for the management of innovation in a
future will be to design the curriculum and to
complex environment“, Leadership and Organiza-
facilitate the learning processes in an interper- tion Development Journal, Vol. 15 No. 7.
sonal, interactive way. The delivery of mass
Birkett, W. (1995), “Knowledge management“, Chartered
lectures to students, along with vain attempts Accountants Journal of New Zealand, Vol. 74 No. 1,
to provide adequate levels of tutorial support, February.
will be replaced with tutoring as a caring Brown, J.H. and Watts, J. (1992), “Enterprise engineering:
profession. Staff will be freed up from myriad building 21st century organisations“, Journal of
domestic tasks by the electronic publishing Strategic Information Systems, Vol. 1 No. 5,
phenomenon. December.
Those educational enquiries taking place Computing (1992), “Nuggets of information: data
around the globe to see how education and mining“, 22 October.
learning can be cost-effectively achieved for Fuller, J.B., O’Connor, J. and Rawlinson, R. (1993),
“Tailored logistics: the next advantage“, Harvard
the future, as more and more people have
Business Review, Vol. 71 No. 3, May/June.
higher and higher expectations and needs,
Grupe, F.H. and Owrang, M.M. (1995), “Database mining:
have an agenda item they can now address
Downloaded by RMIT University At 13:53 18 March 2016 (PT)

discovering new knowledge and competitive

and can take the bold leap forward. They can advantage“, Information Systems Management,
disaggregate the budget for acquiring infor- Vol. 12 No. 4, Autumn.
mation from its central focus and share it Hagon, A. (1994), “Electronic trading: the logistics manag-
among the customers and users at their PCs. er’s strategic tool“, Logistics Focus, Vol. 2 No. 5,
They can follow that through by transforming June.
library buildings into tutorial centres. And, Kaplan, R.S. and Norton, D.P. (1992), “The balanced
finally, they can agree on limited hard copy scorecard – measures that drive performance“,
national archiving strategies, i.e. get rid of the Harvard Business Review, Vol. 70 No. 1,
January/February.
obsolete stockholdings or inventory in educa-
Kaplan, R.S. and Norton, D.P. (1996), “Using the balanced
tional institutions in favour of downloading
scorecard as a strategic management system“,
on demand. To make progress, however, Harvard Business Review, Vol. 74 No. 1,
requires high level managerial skills (Barclay January/February.
et al., 1994). Kearney Lecture, (1991), “Reflections on a lifetime in
The other breakthrough opportunity can logistics“, Focus on Physical Distribution and
be expected among those who have not yet Logistics Management, Vol. 10 No. 7,
invested in the massive infrastructure of the August/September.
traditional logistics systems who can go Lambert, D. (1992), “Developing a customer focused
directly to the new paradigms. This will cer- logistics strategy“, International Journal of Physical
Distribution & Logistics Management, Vol. 22
tainly include all major new universities being
No. 6.
developed in the Asian region over the next
Lewis, J. (1992), “Brain gain – artificial intelligence“,
two decades as well as in Latin America and
Computing, 18 June.
India – which together encompass nearly half
Li, E.Y. (1994), “Artificial neural networks and their
the world’s population. And it will equally business applications“, Information Management,
apply to Russia and its own Commonwealth Vol. 27 No. 5, November.
partners as they begin to access the full gamut Mockler, R.J. (1990), “ Non-technical manager’s modelling
of Western knowledge. of management decision situations“, Journal of
Systems Management, Vol. 41 No. 5, May.
Mykstyn, P.B., Mykstyn, K. and Raja, M.K. (1994), “Knowl-
References
edge acquisition skills and traits“, Information
ANBAR Management Intelligence, @ http://www.anbar. Management, Vol. 26 No. 2, February.
co.uk/home.htm – which abstracts the world’s top Osyk, B.A. and Vijayaraman, B.S. (1995), “Integrating
400 management journals monthly and ascribes expert systems and neural networks“, Information
quality ratings to them on diverse dimensions. Systems Management, Vol. 12 No. 2, Spring.
Ayers, J.B. (1995), “What smokestack industries can tell us Persson, G. (1995), “Logistics process redesign: some
about re-engineering”, Information Strategy, Vol. 11 useful insights“, International Journal of Logistics
No. 2, Winter. Management, Vol. 6 No. 1.
90
 Re-engineering knowledge logistics Logistics Information Management
Gordon Wills and Mathew Wills Volume 10 · Number 2 · 1997 · 80–91

Pohlen, T.L. and LaLonde, B.J. (1994), “ Implementing Venugopal, V. and Boets, W. (1995), “Intelligent systems
activity based costing in logistics“, Journal of for organizational learning”, The Learning Organiza-
Business Logistics, Vol. 15 No. 2. tion, Vol. 2 No. 3.
Quinn, J.B. (1992), “The intelligent enterprise: a new Vinze, A.S. (1991), “Performance of a knowledge based
paradigm“, Academy of Management Executive, system“, Information and Management, Vol. 21
Vol. 6 No. 4, November. No. 4, November.
Quinn, J.B. (1993), “Managing the intelligent enterprise: Wenkels, H.-M. (1995), “Re-engineering logistics
knowledge and service based strategies“, Planning processes“, European Supply Chain Decisions,
Review, Vol. 21 No. 5, September/October. Spring.
Ryman-Tubb, N. (1993), “How Thomas Cook uses neural Wills, G. (1995), “Embracing electronic publishing“, The
networks“, Direct Response, Vol. 12 No. 9, Learning Organization, Vol. 2 No. 4.
September.
Wills, G. and Wiles, C. (1996), “Author authority in the
Schneider, F. (1994), “Virtual retailing”, International
ascendant“, Innovation and Learning in Education,
Trends in Retailing, Vol. 11 No. 1, July.
Vol. 2 No. 1.
Sheombar, H.S. (1992), “EDI-induced redesign of co-
Wills, M. and Wills, G. (1996), “The ins and outs of elec-
ordination in logistics“, International Journal of
Physical Distribution & Logistics Management, tronic publishing“, Journal of Business and Industri-
Vol. 22 No. 8. al Marketing, Vol. 11 No. 1.
Smith, P.A.C. and Saint-Onge, H. (1996), “The evolutionary Woodside, A.G. (1996), “Theory of rejecting superior, new
organization: avoiding a Titanic fate“, The Learning technologies“, Journal of Business and Industrial
Organization, Vol. 3 No. 4. Marketing, Vol. 11 No. 3/4.
Downloaded by RMIT University At 13:53 18 March 2016 (PT)

Southworth, M.S. (1993), “When war wouldn’t wait“, Worsford, R. (1995), “Royal Logistics Corps in a changing
Focus on Logistics and Distribution, Vol. 12 No. 3, world“, Logistics Focus, Vol. 3 No. 4, May.
April. Wu, H.J. and Dunn, S.C. (1995), “Environmentally respon-
Tafti, M.H.A. and Nikbakht, E. (1993), “Neural networks sible logistics systems“, International Journal of
and expert systems“, Information Management and Physical Distribution and Logistics Management,
Computer Security, Vol. 1 No. 1. Vol. 52 No. 2.

91
 This article has been cited by:

1. Raafat George Saadé. 2014. Exploring the e-Supply Chain of Information Products. International Journal of Information
Systems and Supply Chain Management 5:10.4018/IJISSCM.20121001, 46-64. [CrossRef]
2. Raafat George Saadé, Ali Ahmed. 2013. Process Analysis of Knowledge Production. International Journal of Applied Logistics
2:10.4018/jal.20110701, 49-66. [CrossRef]
3. Raafat George Saadé, Ali AhmedProcess Analysis of Knowledge Production 51-69. [CrossRef]
Downloaded by RMIT University At 13:53 18 March 2016 (PT)