Previous issues of Knowledge Management (KM) have highlighted a macro transition from Globally Competitive Communities  of the 1990s to Electronically Networked Communities and Electronically Networked Intelligent Enterprises with Virtual Communities Of Practice.  And, KM contained “content” about major shifts via technology: B2B and B2C, demand chains, and outsourcing plus biometric, card, voice, and wireless technologies. Convergence in the digital era is much more complex then in the industrial era and will become more so in the years ahead.

          Blacksburg Electronic Village (BEV) began as a collaborative community and university project in the early 1990s  http://www.bev.net/   Analysis of the Web site yields activities such as Free Adult Education/GED Classes in Montgomery County and more for community developed. 

          Additional e-networked initiatives spread in the 1990s.  The World Teleport Association emerged to promote Business & Economic Growth in the Information Age.  WTA benchmark research and projects like the Intelligent Communities Forum provide insight about policies and programs being used at local, regional, state, national, and multi-national levels.  The Intelligent Community Conference and Awards 2004 program will be held in New York City, June 10-11.

              http://www.worldteleport.org/         http://www.intelligentcommunity.org

Mine the January 2003 issue of KM, p. 1, and May 2003, p. 6, for Taipei, “The Taiwan Miracle.”

          A conference on Knowledge Management and Organizational Learning by the Conference Board will be in Chicago on June 9-10  http://www.conference-board.org

Sessions include:
(a) Building Your Knowledge Strategy for Business Performance, (b) Practical Applications of KM: A Comparison of Strategies (c) Optimizing Alliances: Using KM for Knowledge Sharing,  (d) Collaboration: Meeting the Needs of Communities of Practice, and many other topics.  The Conference Board is the world’s leading business membership organization.

What major strategies are being used in design and deployment of globally competitive ENIEs  - (a) by private sector enterprises, (b) by public sector establishments, and (c) by partnerships? 

What business level strategy “content,” like B2B B2C, is essential to compete with global ENIEs? 

What content “delivery formats” are used for diverse bodies of information via e-Newsletters? 

How are Virtual Communities Of Practice (VCOPs) developed and sustained with what results? 

What leadership competencies and skills are essential to create next generation ENIEs w/VCOPs? 

What career development Human Resources Development (HRD) programs must be developed?

          Business “content” is advancing at a rapid rate for all economy sectors.  Analysis of content maturation both in terms of research and development and applications, often in diverse economy sectors, is essential to a company “growing” to the next stage of development.  Analysis of 100+ E-commerce software packages by Electronic Commerce World in the mid 1990s was essential to decide if a company should begin converting from paper-based formats to e-formats, what part of a company could begin a conversion, determine the software packages that should be critiqued to become more aware and better understand strengths and weaknesses through inquiries of users of software packages.  Content convergence and processes are becoming more complex each year. 

          Although awareness about advances in research and development are a foundation leading to understanding, most medium and small businesses do not have the resources to stay abreast of R&D for a single technology or converging multiple technologies.  Application of biometric, card, voice, wireless and other technologies are an essential example mentioned in a few issues of KM.  Radio frequency identification (RFID) is a contemporary technology that will impact all economy sectors and especially a full range of suppliers.  Demand/supply chains, logistics and multi-modal distribution, outsourcing, and security are “mainstream” issues.  An outstanding March issue on “Supply Chain Technology” contains content ideas for a broad range of consumers.  Articles are:
(a) On the Rebound: New Interest in Where Supply Chain Technology Can Take Companies,
(b) For Ford Motor Company., the Aftermarket Is No Longer an Afterthought,
(c) Contract Management Helps Ensure That Negotiated Savings Reach Bottom Line,
(d) Seeking Excellence Within The Four Walls of the Warehouse, and
(e) Globalization Logistics Synchronization: The Advantage in Global Manufacturing.
 Global Logistics & Supply Chain Strategies
Access and mine: http://www.glscs.com and subscribe at: http://www.e-circ.net/gsl/gslsub/asp

          Fraud curtailment, identity theft prevention, and offshore security are major concerns.
Article in the March 15 issue of InformationWeek focus on these topics.  A must read article:
Prove It’s Secure and The Need for Identity Management.  http://www.informationweek.com
Also, “Computer viruses cost at least $82 billion worldwide last year and disrupted millions of lives.”  Parade (March 14, 2004) p. 10.  http://www.parade.com and click on “Intelligence.” 

          The Human Touch is the cover story of the March 20 issue of intelligent enterprise.
“Automation will likely increase the frequency with which humans interact with business processes.  How can you make it efficient and effective.”  Other excellent articles include (a)
Development Tools Are Reorienting and (b) A Primer on Metrics, Part Two.
 http://www.intelligententerprise.com

What bodies of content are essential to analyze regularly for advances in applications by economy sector and share with medium and small business that create the largest percentage of jobs? 

What framework can be used for awareness raising of alternative scenarios and the implications for organizational development and human resources development?  (See KM, April 2003, p. 7). 

          Conversion from paper-based formats to electronic formats is accelerating the flow of previously mentioned bodies of content.  A few publications began to produce Buyers Guides.   A few Buyers Guides are a part of an issue of a publication and others are published separately (a) a month or two prior to a conference or (b) at a regular time of the year such as December.  More Buyers Guides are available in e-format and are being updated regularly. 

          Communications News (March 2004) contains a Buyers Guide on Testing & Monitoring.
“The first portion of this Enterprise Network Testing Buyers Guide, the Product Guide, lists the various products in this category, and the companies that make those products.  The second section, the Company Guide, provides phone and fax numbers, and Web addresses of those companies.”  Check the Communications News Web site at    http://www.comnews.com

          A few e-newsletters are like an “early edition” of a magazine that will be followed with a paper edition while others are the only way information is transmitted.  E-newsletters vary in focus including (a) business level strategies like demand/supply chains or knowledge management, (b) economy sector, (c) community and economic development, or (d) business degree programs.  E-newsletters are throughout KM newsletters.  A few examples are described below. 

          InformationWeek’s e-newsletter mentioned Harley-Davidson; an article appeared in March:  Sullivan, Laurie (March 8, 2004).  Ready To Roll. InformationWeek, Issue 979, 45-48.  Access at Collaboration Test Center: http://www.informationweek.com/TC/sw/bizappa/collaboration

          Supply & Demand Chain Executive newsletter contains “Intelligence for the Sourcing, Procurement, Operations, and Demand Management Leader.”    http://www.sdcexec.com
A Friday, March 19 e-newsletter contained items such as (a) Pharmaceutical RFID Technologies and (b) a lead to a white paper entitled Improve Your Bottom Line Line Through High-Impact Supply Chain and Procurement Capability Assessments.

          Wall Street & Technology distributes a Compliance Pipeline eNewsletter weekly with the latest regulatory and privacy compliance news, trends, explanations, and insights including IT for HIPPA, Sarbanes-Oxley, etc.  http://www.mcb3.com/click.asp?x=12780.2D3E.1931002.

         VCOPs vary considerably.  DCI created four VCOPs on Customer Relations Management (CRM); eBusiness, eProcurement, Content Management, Supply Chain Management, and Real Time Enterprise; Portals; plus Enterprise Architecture (EA)  free for all qualified professionals.  Access KM, May 2003, p. 5, and link directly to the Web sites.  E-newsletters can be forwarded to members of VCOPs such as chambers of commerce, or individual members of many chambers, and a cohort of students in a course or several courses and a various levels.  And, e-newsletters could be forwarded to instructional development teams for corporate training and to schools in either campus-based or virtual format for developmentally appropriate learning experiences.  Dr. James Barger, while integrating e-commerce into marketing education for the secondary level,  sent e-newsletters to Dr. Young Gi Kim at Inchon National University of Education (K-8) and to distribute to the Korean Association of Information Education (See KM, September 2002, p. 8) 

          Business development begins by critique of “domestic” economy strengths focused on agriculture, manufacturing, or services along with analysis of opportunities.  Categories for business development opportunities could be labeled as (a) agricultural, (b) construction-related, (c) defense-related, (d) procurement, (e) security-related, and (f) transportation-related.  Ideas are presented along with a Framework for Strategic Thinking.  GM and GE/GEMS are highlighted.

Agricultural
           “Bread basket” regions emerged to feed essentially immigrants employed in coal mines and factories in the early and mature stages of the industrial revolution.  Research and development in agriculture and animal production were demonstrated on farms of land grant universities and then applied throughout regions and states.  Continuing development is through agriculture extension agents and outreach programs.   Assisting developing nations feed their populations is a recent commitment by Dupont and Monsanto. And, a commitment for development of education and healthcare are essential to improving Quality Of Life (QOL).  (See KM, August 2002, p. 1). 

Construction-related
          A broad range of business development construction-related opportunities are available.  Design of smart homes began in the mid 1980s.  Architects and contractors often would use contemporary technology to create one or more smart homes for a convention with an exhibit.  Broadband is being deployed and consumer electronic could be used for awareness raising in communities and for creating business plan via distribution of specifications electronically.

          Construction of smart homes could lead to other applications like digital educational settings in campus and virtual formats, digital healthcare setting ranging from clinics through tertiary contexts, as well as applications for intelligent highways and transportation projects. 

Defense-related
          Department of Defense (DoD) contracting and subcontracting opportunities are plentiful.  Awareness could begin with The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) the central research and development organization, manages the concept and technology development phases, and then a branch of the military handles systems integration, production, fielding, and sustainment.  An example is the Army’s Future Combat Systems (FCS).  The Defense Logistics Agency (DLA) is a $26bn enterprise that would rank near the middle of the Fortune 100 if it were a private business. Awareness about basic macro shifts are part of a foundation of an economic development plan. Analysis of corporations contracting on major military projects is also basic. 
   http://www.darpa.mil/     http://www.darpa.mil/fcs    http://www.dla.mil/ 

Procurement
          Agencies buy goods and services via Requests For Proposals (RFPs).  Guidelines and procedures are available.  Meetings are often held in several locations to add clarity to eligibility requirements, focus of the RFT, and application and review process.  Staff can be contacted.  Although e-government is evolving at all levels, imagine the goods, like paper and supplies, that are used during this dual era of paper-based and e-format transition. http://www.govtech.com

Security-related   (To be continued in the May issue of KM)
          Contractors, primes and subs, bid on all governmental projects such as a broad range of security technologies and communication and information technologies to support initiatives. 

Transportation-related   (To be continued in the May issue of KM)
          Air, land, and sea transportation are necessary for domestic and international commerce.
All three require maintenance and periodically need additions, modernization, or replacements. 

Business Development                2004         2005         2006         2007         2008         2009
Agriculture – Alliances with Dupont and Monsanto to assist impoverished nations?

Construction-related  – Collaboration to build physical infrastructure including healthcare, etc?

Defense-related

Procurement

Security-related

Transportation-related

          Economic Development officers and planners must include corporate leaders already established domestically and globally in processes on strategical thinking. 

          General Motors Corporation (GM) is the world’s largest company.  GM had a gross national product (GNP) greater than all but 23 nations in 1998 (Ball, 2002, pp. 15-17).  GM maintains operations in 73 countries.  GM cars and trucks are sold in more than 200 countries with more than 260 major subsidiaries, joint ventures, and affiliates  http://www.gm.com  GM is converting to hybrid cars and beginning to convert from 12 to 42 volt electrical systems.  GM joint ventures in China more than tripled to $437 million last year (Annual Report). 

          General Electric (GE) is the world’s largest transnational company (TNC) measured in terms of foreign assets (Ball, 2002, p. 14).  For 125 years, GE has been thinking big and making things happen in a broad range of products and services in jet engines, power generators, plastics, television, appliances, medical imaging and financial services.  GE has been named “World’s Most Respected Company” for the past five years by PriceWaterhouseCooper http://www.ge.com  GM Medical Systems is a leader in digital healthcare development in multiple nations.
______________
Ball, D.A.; McCulloch, W.H.; Frantz, P.L.; Geringer, J.M.; and Minor, M.S. (2002).  International business: The challenge of global competition.  Boston: McGraw-Hill Irwin.

         According to U.S. Census Bureau figures, America’s diversity will become greater by 2050.  An Asian population is expected to increase by 213%, a Hispanic population by 188%, an African American population by 71%, and the white population by 7% – a plus 49% overall.  American diversity represents all cultures of the world, critical for effective communication and commerce. 

          But, Diversity Pipeline Alliance research indicates gaps between minority enrollment and that of whites in business and other programs essential to compete.  Strategies must be created and implemented to increase minority student awareness and preparation for business and other programs beginning with middle school to the MBA and beyond. http://www.diversitypipeline.org

Leadership in Deployment of Electronically Networked Intelligent Enterprises with Virtual Communities Of Practice for improving Quality Of Life (QOL)

          Numerous issues will be important in the years ahead.  No issue will be more important, however, than Human Resources Development (HRD) for Electronically Networked Intelligent Communities (ENICs) via Virtual Communities Of Practice (VCOPs).  Knowledge Management (KM) has contained information about ENICs via VCOPs (Jan, 2003, p. 1; Aug 2003, p. 1)

          Critical Thinking Competencies (CTCs) and Problem Solving Skills are basic essentials for all post-secondary students.  Business students need to analyze “foundation” information such as (a) history of the company, (b) mission and vision, (c) products and services, and (d) domestic and global reach.  At least equally important, analysis of (a) economic, (b) governmental, and (c) technological variables are essential.  Analysis of both categories of variables is an essential first set of CTCs to begin to critique business level strategies.  Categories of business level strategies could be (a) market analysis; (b) customer relations management; (c) diversity – acquisitions, employment, product line and services, etc; (d) e-commerce – B2B, B2C and mobile e-commerce;  (e) e-demand or e-supply chain management; (f) e-logistics multi-modal distribution; (g) fraud and identity theft prevention; (h) human resources development; (i) communication and information technologies; and all facilitation related subsystems such as databases, networks, and portals.

          CTCs can be enhanced via Study Groups (SGs).  A dedicated group of 3 to 5 learners can
analyze above-mentioned categories of foundation information, external variables that help shape
globalization scenarios, and business level strategies.  Corporations can be different or similar,
perhaps in the same economy sector of Census Bureau establishments.  Irrefutable research exists to support SG learning and significant Student Learning Outcomes can be achieved virtually.  A combinations of strategies can be deployed.  Developmentally appropriate e-newsletters could be included early in business programs at all levels.  At a masters level, e-newsletters and VCOPs could be included in the first course so that in an HRD course mid way through a program, SGs could effectively use content focused on an economy sector for a business level strategy, CRM.  A requirement could go beyond critiquing CRM content in one or more e-newsletters in SGs to application to a workplace context and then comparing feedback in SGs and among a few SGs.  A display making use of Study Groups and Virtual Communities Of Practice is on p. 7 with events for inclusion like the G8 Conference and Africa-U.S. Business Development Conference.

GLOBAL  BUSINESS  POLICY  AND  STRATEGY
2005  – 2010  – 2020
__________________________________________________________________________________

                                                   2003-2004      2004-2005      2005-2006      2006-2007      2007-2008
  Planning                                                        Virtual Communities Of Practice (VCOP)
__________________________________________________________________________________

  Analysis of Establishments
      Agriculture
      Mining
      Contract Construction
      Manufacturing
      Transportation, Utilities
      Wholesale Trade
      Retail Trade
      Services

  Visions Co-creation
       Demographic/Social
       Economic
       Governmental 
       Technological

  Action Plan Development
      Business Strategies
  – E-Market Analysis
  – E-Customer Relations Management
  – Diversity (multiple definitions)
  – E-Commerce (B2B, B2C, MC)
  – E-Demand/Supply Chain Mg.
  – E-Logistics Multi-modal Dist.
  – Fraud and Identity Theft Prev.
  – E-Human Resources Development 
  – Communication & Information Tech. Control Systems
   – Databases
   – Networks: LANs and WANs 
   – Security (fraud, identity theft) 

                                                               *                        *                                        * 
 Events:                                               G8          Africa-US Business                 Census Bureau
                                                     Conference    Development Conf                Business Survey

MIDDLE  COLLEGE  VIRTUAL  HIGH  SCHOOL (MCVHS)

          Emergence of Middle College High Schools and a Middle College National Consortium were introduced in the March issue of KM on p. 8.  Analysis of best practices would yield specifications for G3 MCHSs in partial technological formats or virtual formats – MCVHS. 

       Intelligent Communities (ICs) have been discussed in previous issue of KM.  The January 2003 issue listed the top seven 2001 and 2002 ICs and highlighted Ennis, Ireland and others.
Ennis was highlighted because of it focus on children and youth as well as on local businesses.
Analysis of award winning ICs and others that competed for program recognition in 2001, 2002, and 2003 would yield best practices about planning processes used to create ICs, best practices
in Knowledge Management and Organization Learning, and extent to which business content and enterprise strategies applied to career and curriculum development for children and youth.

          Concentrations and specializations in MCVHSs must be synchronized with regional needs.
Areas with automobile manufacturing operations, healthcare manufacturing, or international trade would have concentrations in above-mentioned economy sectors.  Study Groups of students could access the GM Web site for a curriculum objective on “Build Your Buick” and compare the product among Study Groups in their cohorts, among cohorts domestically, and then among cohorts internationally tracing supply chains and learning about the conversion to demand chains. And, Study Groups of students could be active participants as GE Medical Systems completes design and implementation stages for a digital healthcare clinic or tertiary hospital with a parallel exercise on analysis of needs in Ghana, Senegal, South Africa, or elsewhere for a  report (a) in a capstone synthesis with recommendations and (b) in an oral presentation via video-conferencing. 

What are the educational specifications that are needed to prepare professionals and technicians
in communication and information technology roles, digital healthcare provider roles, etc?

What competencies and skills must individuals have to perform above-mentioned and other emerging and constantly changing roles within Electronically Networked Intelligent Communities?

As corporations conduct Business @ The Speed of Thought within ENIEs via VCOPs, how can information at Centers for International Business Education and Research (CIBERs) be added to its International Business Education: Outreach Initiative for Grades K-12? (KM, June 2003, p. 5).

KM can be accessed and mined: http://www.members.cox.net/greenka6/wgnewweb/wgmenu.html
 Comment: I work with individuals using multiple form and style guides with unique variations.
Content and leads to sources remain a central focus of KM; consistency to a format is variable.
Warren H.Groff, 3408 N. 49th St., Milwaukee, WI 53216-3208, 414-871-1127, groffw@nova.edu