Knowledge management and quality systems

The concept of "knowledge management" is rapidly getting a lot of attention in many areas of industry and it raises questions about how it impacts existing efforts to define and implement quality systems (based on ISO 9000 or other standards). Is knowledge management just another fad? Are knowledge management and quality systems efforts competitive or complementary? Is there a common ground between the two? This paper discusses some of the fundamental trends that are behind the convergence of these technology areas and a framework for understanding how they complement each other to create highly empowered and dynamic business systems for the 21st century.