Whereas the Internet and intranets are profoundly decentralizing and individuating. Historically, the explosion of niche markets caused a demand for knowledge beyond what could be supplied out of the executive suite, and this accelerated a trend that predates the net. In the 70's, the Total Quality Movement drove designers to the shop floor because that's where genuine process knowledge is. And intranets seem like an ideal way to gather and distribute that information, from the ground up. John Seely Brown at Xerox PARC talks about how the most valuable information often gets transferred over a cup of coffee as service people trade war stories.
Intranets are great for that.
Fixed-field databases suck. You have to actually participate in conversations that feel like they're being held outside of the sanctioned corporate view. Then, with everybody wired, the organization can use these conversations as a vital source of information about real market needs and perceptions, as well to gather process savvy. But it's a cacophony. Manufacturing saw through this 25 years ago.