In today’s hyper-competitive and turbulent business environments, how companies manage and leverage information can determine their survival. In order to stay competitive, they must continually find better ways to engage their information and knowledge resources through innovation in information management.

The University of Washington Information School created the Institute for Innovation in Information Management (I3M) in 2005 with the mission of becoming the premier research institute for helping organizations attain agility and competitive success by managing their most vital assets, their information and knowledge. Charter members include Parsons Brinckerhoff, a world leader in the field of professional engineering and program management services, and the Quellos Group, LLC, a financial services firm. Other companies have also expressed interest in joining the Institute as a means of connecting with iSchool faculty and students who can help them stay up to date on practices, research and trends in information and knowledge management.

“Quellos places a high value on effective information management,” says Eric Larsen, the Quellos principal responsible for information technology and a member of the iSchool’s founding board, in explaining his firm’s involvement. “The desire and ability to use sophisticated information technology to enable business processes differentiates Quellos from its peers and represents a core competitive advantage. We expect that our membership in I3M will offer valuable opportunities to interact with thought leaders in the field and participate in leading research.”

“I3M gives us a unique opportunity to work with scholars and like-minded business leaders to advance our understanding of and capabilities for knowledge management,” says Bob Bellhouse, a senior executive at Parsons Brinckerhoff. “I3M is a collaborative partnership with a manageable number of partners, which gives us a means to be fully engaged at reasonable cost. The University of Washington iSchool is a leader in the field, which made our decision that much easier.”

I3M’s first major event is the one-day symposium Knowledge Management in Turbulent Times, being held April 5 on the UW campus. “Organizations of every size and nature face challenges such as an aging workforces, global outsourcing, acquisitions and mergers, and other environmental changes,” Crandall says, summarizing the symposium’s theme. “A particular area of concern is the retention, sharing and utilization of internal knowledge to ensure that continuity in business strategy and practice can be maintained in the face of rapid change.”

The symposium focuses on these issues by presenting recent research undertaken with I3M founding partner Parsons Brinckerhoff that examines characteristics of the company’s internal networks to find indicators of success in moving knowledge across the organization to meet business objectives. “We are already using the I3M research to better understand how our employees and internal organizations learn from the knowledge-exchange process,” Bellhouse says. “Our expectation is that this research will guide adjustments in how our communities of practice operate, as well as the design of the corporate systems that support them. Perhaps most importantly, it will give us an objective and reliable understanding of what works best in our knowledge-sharing culture, and what can be improved.”

Tying research to practice, symposium panels of I3M members and guests will place the Parsons Brinckerhoff study’s results in context by examining the wider impact of knowledge management initiatives on business strategy and linkage to internal knowledge-sharing efforts. “Business leaders from various industries and functional areas joined together with practically minded and job-experienced scholars to explore the current issues and approaches that are guiding our individual efforts,” says Bellhouse, who also serves as symposium keynoter. “We've found that this format of one-day, intensive discussions between a range of view-holders is a good way to quickly advance thinking on the subject.”

Companies joining I3M participate in discussing the Institute’s research agenda and contribute research sites, funding and support to the Information School to provide the base from which the work is accomplished. Faculty, graduate students, and the partners themselves are the resources used to accomplish specific agenda items set during semiannual meetings.

Membership provides invitations to iSchool-sponsored events of interest, twice yearly seminar-workshops like the April 5 symposium, and access to the expertise and knowledge of iSchool faculty on topics related to information management. Research-level members also participate in setting the institute’s annual research agenda.  All members receive opportunities to share current practices and explore emerging trends with other Institute members during the bi-annual programs and through online communication venues supported by the Information School for Institute members only, plus the support of iSchool graduate students directly involved in research and studies relating to the information management field. Additional sponsored research projects can be arranged separately, with the support of the Institute's faculty directors.

Lead faculty from the iSchool include Hala Annabi, whose research focus is on learning organizations and communities of practice, Michael Crandall, with expertise in taxonomy and portal design, Kevin DeSouza, focusing on knowledge management, managing information in crisis environments and national security, and Robert Mason, with a research focus on cultural and ethical issues in knowledge management and strategic organizational planning.

I3M is interested in engaging organizations that have geographically dispersed workforces, deep knowledge held by employees and a significant service component to their mission, and who are relatively mature in their sector. In addition, organizations should be able to identify a champion who is willing to work directly with I3M and think strategically about the issues I3M has been formed to investigate.

Besides support from Institute members, the Information School will seek grant funding to support and extend the research efforts when appropriate. As part of the iSchool’s educational and research mission, faculty will publish public reports of research findings and substantive contributions to the field after an embargo period, always providing protection of member confidentiality and proprietary information.

Bellhouse and Parsons Brinckerhoff are excited about how the company’s involvement with I3M can improve its information management practices and the field as a whole. “Our business is built on the knowledge and experience of our employees, and depends upon efficient and effective collaboration between employees around the world to deliver cost-effective solutions to our clients,” he explains. “Moreover, we've found that our internal culture of sharing and managing knowledge is important to our employees. They value being in an environment where they can actively share their knowledge with and learn from their professional peers.”