Knowledge Management in Fashion and Clothing Context: the Purchasing Process of an Industry as an Object of Verification

Knowledge is used in contemporary organizations as a competitive differential. Fashion and clothing industries with specific characteristics need strategies to solve issues concerning the short production cycle. In this sense, the purchasing sector is fundamental for meeting deadlines and avoiding productive constraints. Considering the purchasing process of a fashion and clothing industry, the purpose of this research is assessing the activities related to knowledge management (KM) elements that are implemented by such an industry, in addition to indicating those suitable to the purchasing process activities in this type of industry. This is a qualitative exploratory descriptive research that used a case study to ascertain the problem. It was seen that certain activities developed by the purchasing area are similar to the KM elements described in the literature. The elements identified can be applied or exploited in other industries of the sector in order to implement a systematics of knowledge use in the purchasing area in this type of industry.