Modeling the knowledge flow network for collaborative design process
Year: 2013
Editor: Udo Lindemann, Srinivasan V, Yong Se Kim, Sang Won Lee, John Clarkson, Gaetano Cascini
Author: Zhang, Zhinan; Ma, Wei; Liu, Gang; Chen, Yong
Series: ICED
Institution: 1: School of Mechanical Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240; 2: Shanghai Baosteel Industry Technological Services Co., Ltd., Shanghai 201900
Page(s): 301-310
ISBN: 978-1-904670-49-0
ISSN: 2220-4334
Abstract
The design and development of a complex product involves various designers with multidisciplinary knowledge. Knowledge flows between individual designers or teams play a crucial role in determining how well a design task can be performed, and hence the cost and quality of the designed product. Therefore, this paper is devoted to developing a dynamic planning approach for the modeling of a knowledge flow network. Based on the process analysis techniques from Petri Nets, it first defines the concept of a knowledge flow network. The graph based approach is then adopted to represent a knowledge flow network. A dynamic multi-matrix construction method is then developed for the analysis of the knowledge flow network. The approach is especially suitable for describing large-scale design processes involving numerous tasks, designers (or automated computer agents), resources and identifying potential knowledge flow bottlenecks.
Keywords: Knowledge flow, design activity, collaborative design, petri nets