ROLLING HILLS ESTATES, Calif. U.S.A (Dec. 19, 2006)---EDSF released a new report on the next generation of in-plant print facilities, which includes the emergence of Knowledge Management (KM), Content Management (CM), and Electronic Document Management (DM) within the in-plant parent organization. While the vast majority of in-plant print facilities are unaware of---or uninterested in---the growth opportunities of KM, CM and DM initiatives, the survey suggests that the in-plant community should gain more understanding and practical knowledge of these initiatives. Titled "Codifying, Managing, Archiving, and Disseminating Intellectual Assets: The Next Generation of the In-Plant Print Center," the report is available now as a free download at www.edsf.org. The paper resulted from an EDSF research grant/mentor program awarded to California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, Calif., where Ken Macro, assistant professor in the Graphic Communication department, and a team of students executed the research. EDSF is a non-profit organization dedicated to the document management and communications marketplace "The in-plant print community is an extremely passionate and dedicated group," said Macro. "They truly care about their craft and the success of their operations. This project will hopefully expose the in-plant print sector to an unveiling world of opportunity and valuable insight into the development of collaborative knowledge management initiatives. Such initiatives will act as the catalyst to sustainability and innovative progression." According to the report, the in-plant print community has experienced major changes in the way it does business and in the types of services it provides to a parent organization. Marco, the primary researcher on the study, adds that KM, CM and DM initiatives at the in-plant level should also be a part of that change. "With an impeding need to manage files---electronic and hard-copy alike---it behooves innovative in-plants to research the progressive opportunities afforded through document and content management systems that fall under the auspices of the Knowledge Management (KM) movement," said Marco. Key Findings from the Report: - The in-plant print community, as a whole, is in deficit with respect to understanding knowledge management, content management, and electronic document management. - Some in-plant printing centers see value in strategically and collaboratively partnering with intra-organizational departments in the area of KM, CM, and DM, but do not believe that they should emerge as the primary leader of such initiatives. - 49.2 percent of in-plant survey participants report that they had never heard of KM. - 78 percent of the in-plant print facilities surveyed do not have a role of any kind in a knowledge management initiative within their parent organization. - 50 percent of respondents believe that a DM and/or CM initiative should be initiated by the organization’s IT division. Only 26.7 percent responded positively to the in-plant printing center initiating the service. According to the report, this statistic substantiates the need for the creation of an awareness campaign to educate the in-plant industry in the areas of KM, CM and DM principles and practices. - Only a small minority of in-plant print centers have installed or are researching an enterprise-wide electronic DM system to be used by their parent organization. For additional information on EDSF, or to find a downloadable PDF of the report, visit www.edsf.org.