scholarly journals A Cooperative Design Method for SMEs to Adopt New Technologies for Knowledge Management: A Multiple Case Study

2020 ◽  
Vol 26 (9) ◽  
pp. 1189-1212
Author(s):  
Angela Fessl ◽  
Viktoria Pammer-Schindler ◽  
Kai Pata ◽  
Sandra Feyertag ◽  
Mati Mõttus ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Knowledge Management ◽  
Activity Theory ◽  
New Technologies ◽  
Design Method ◽  
Use Cases ◽  
Design Stage ◽  
Cooperative Design ◽  
Novel Technologies ◽  
Design Paradigm ◽  
Adoption And Diffusion

This paper presents cooperative design as method to address the needs of SMEs to gain sufficient knowledge about new technologies in order for them to decide about adoption for knowledge management. We developed and refined a cooperative design method iteratively over nine use cases. In each use case, the goal was to match the SME's knowledge management needs with offerings of new (to the SMEs) technologies. Where traditionally, innovation adoption and diffusion literature assume new knowledge to be transferred from knowledgeable stakeholders to less knowledgeable stakeholders, our method is built on cooperative design. In this, the relevant knowledge is constructed by the SMEs who wish to decide upon the adoption of novel technologies through the cooperative design process. The presented method is constituted of an analysis stage based on activity theory and a design stage based on paper prototyping and design workshops. In all nine cases, our method led to a good understanding a) of the domain by researchers - validated by the creation of meaningful first-version paper prototypes and b) of new technologies - validated by meaningful input to design and plausible assessment of technologies' benefit for the respective SME. Practitioners and researchers alike are invited to use the here documented tools to cooperatively match the domain needs of practitioners with the offerings of new technologies. The value of our work lies in providing a concrete implementation of the cooperative design paradigm that is based on an established theory (activity theory) for work analysis and established tools of cooperative design (paper prototypes and design workshops as media of communication); and a discussion based on nine heterogeneous use cases.

Design for Additive Manufacturing in the Cloud Platform

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yuanbin Wang ◽  
Robert Blache ◽  
Xun Xu
Keyword(s):  
Knowledge Management ◽  
Decision Support ◽  
Additive Manufacturing ◽  
Full Advantage ◽  
New Technologies ◽  
Design Stage ◽  
Design For Additive Manufacturing ◽  
Cloud Platform ◽  
Am Processes

Additive manufacturing (AM) has experienced a phenomenal expansion in recent years and new technologies and materials rapidly emerge in the market. Design for Additive Manufacturing (DfAM) becomes more and more important to take full advantage of the capabilities provided by AM. However, most people still have limited knowledge to make informed decisions in the design stage. Therefore, an interactive DfAM system in the cloud platform is proposed to enable people sharing the knowledge in this field and guide the designers to utilize AM efficiently. There are two major modules in the system, decision support module and knowledge management module. A case study is presented to illustrate how this system can help the designers understand the capabilities of AM processes and make rational decisions.

Operating Reliability Assessment of FPGA-Based NPP I&C Systems: Approach, Technique and Implementation

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Eugene Babeshko ◽  
Ievgenii Bakhmach ◽  
Vyacheslav Kharchenko ◽  
Eugene Ruchkov ◽  
Oleksandr Siora
Keyword(s):  
Integrated Circuits ◽  
Nuclear Power ◽  
Power Plants ◽  
Failure Modes ◽  
New Technologies ◽  
Systems Approach ◽  
Reliability Assessment ◽  
Design Stage ◽  
Fpga Design ◽  
Operating Reliability

Operating reliability assessment of instrumentation and control systems (I&Cs) is always one of the most important activities, especially for critical domains like nuclear power plants (NPPs). Intensive use of relatively new technologies like field programmable gate arrays (FPGAs) in I&C which appear in upgrades and in newly built NPPs makes task to develop and validate advanced operating reliability assessment methods that consider specific technology features very topical. Increased integration densities make the reliability of integrated circuits the most crucial point in modern NPP I&Cs. Moreover, FPGAs differ in some significant ways from other integrated circuits: they are shipped as blanks and are very dependent on design configured into them. Furthermore, FPGA design could be changed during planned NPP outage for different reasons. Considering all possible failure modes of FPGA-based NPP I&C at design stage is a quite challenging task. Therefore, operating reliability assessment is one of the most preferable ways to perform comprehensive analysis of FPGA-based NPP I&Cs. This paper summarizes our experience on operating reliability analysis of FPGA based NPP I&Cs.

Transformation paths and influencing factors of tacit knowledge into explicit knowledge in real estate companies: a qualitative study

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Guodong Ni ◽  
Ziyao Zhang ◽  
Zhenmin Yuan ◽  
Haitao Huang ◽  
Na Xu ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Knowledge Management ◽  
Real Estate ◽  
Tacit Knowledge ◽  
Influencing Factors ◽  
Explicit Knowledge ◽  
Design Method ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Knowledge Resources ◽  
Tacit Knowledge Management

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to figure out the paths about transformation of tacit knowledge into explicit knowledge, i.e. tacit knowledge explicating (TKE) in real estate companies, and determine the influencing factors of TKE in Chinese real estate companies to enable enterprises make better use of their knowledge resources.Design/methodology/approachThe study adopted an exploratory design method using thematic analysis and grounded theory, and semi-structured interviews were conducted to collect data. The interviewees consisted of employees in different positions, who come from Chinese real estate companies with different ranking ranges and different knowledge management levels. Data collection was divided into two rounds for the identification of transformation paths and influencing factors.FindingsThis study has shown that 11 paths about TKE divided into solidified organization process and construction of organizational infrastructure go into effect within the real estate companies. Factors influencing TKE in real estate companies concern three main categories: organizational distal factors, contextual proximal factors and individual factors, including 21 subordinates in total. Furthermore, correlation between TKE paths and influencing factors is established.Research limitations/implicationsResearch results may lack generalizability due to the method adopted. Therefore, researchers are encouraged to verify the outcomes of this research.Practical implicationsThis research provides a new idea and solutions for the tacit knowledge management in real estate companies.Originality/valueTo the best of the authors’ knowledge, this study is the first to systematically identify paths and the influencing factors of TKE in real estate companies, contribute to the incipient but growing understanding of achievement of “tacit to explicit” and enrich the corporate tacit knowledge management literature.

Finite Element Method-based geomechanical risk assessment of underground laboratory located in the deep copper mine

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Krzysztof Fulawka ◽  
Witold Pytel ◽  
Piotr Mertuszka ◽  
Marcin Szumny
Keyword(s):  
Finite Element Method ◽  
Finite Element ◽  
Numerical Analysis ◽  
New Technologies ◽  
Radiation Detection ◽  
Underground Laboratory ◽  
Design Stage ◽  
Copper Mine ◽  
Geophysical Surveys ◽  
Element Method

<p>Underground laboratories provide a unique environment for various industries and are a suitable place for developing new technologies for mining, geophysical surveys, radiation detection, as well as many other studies and measurements. Unfortunately, any operation in underground excavations is associated with exposure to many hazards not necessarily encountered in surface laboratories. One of the most dangerous events observed in underground conditions is the dynamic manifestation of rock mass pressure in form of rockburst, roof falls and mining tremors. Therefore, proper evaluation of geomechanical risk is a key element ensuring the safety of work in underground conditions. Finite Element Method-based numerical analysis is one of the tools which allow conducting a detailed geomechanical hazard assessment already at the object design stage. The results of such calculations may be the basis for the implementation of preventive measures before running up the underground facility.</p><p>Within this paper, the three-dimensional FEM-based numerical analysis of large-scale underground laboratory located in deep Polish copper mine was presented. The calculations were made with GTS NX software, which allowed determining the changes in the safety factor in surrounding of the analyzed area. Finally, the possibility of underground laboratory establishment, with respect to predicted stress and strain conditions, were determined.</p>

A time-varying reliability-based robust design method considering overall efficiency of axial piston pump

2021 ◽  
pp. 1748006X2110661
Author(s):  
Zunling Du ◽  
Yimin Zhang
Keyword(s):  
Energy Conversion ◽  
Robust Design ◽  
Design Method ◽  
Design Stage ◽  
Structure Parameters ◽  
Time Varying ◽  
Design Variables ◽  
Reliability Method ◽  
Overall Efficiency ◽  
Axial Piston

Axial piston pumps (APPs) are the core energy conversion components in a hydraulic transmission system. Energy conversion efficiency is critically important for the performance and energy-saving of the pumps. In this paper, a time-varying reliability design method for the overall efficiency of APPs was established. The theoretical and practical instantaneous torque and flow rate of the whole APP were derived through comprehensive analysis of a single piston-slipper group. Moreover, as a case study, the developed model for the instantaneous overall efficiency was verified with a PPV103-10 pump from HYDAC. The time-variation of reliability for the pump was revealed by a fourth-order moment technique considering the randomness of working conditions and structure parameters, and the proposed reliability method was validated by Monte Carlo simulation. The effects of the mean values and variance sensitivity of random variables on the overall efficiency reliability were analyzed. Furthermore, the optimized time point and design variables were selected. The optimal structure parameters were obtained to meet the reliability requirement and the sensitivity of design variables was significantly reduced through the reliability-based robust design. The proposed method provides a theoretical basis for designers to improve the overall efficiency of APPs in the design stage.

The different shades of innovation emergence in smart service systems: the case of Italian cluster for aerospace technology

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Orlando Troisi ◽  
Anna Visvizi ◽  
Mara Grimaldi
Keyword(s):  
New Technologies ◽  
Service Systems ◽  
Constructivist Grounded Theory ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Social Rules ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Novel Technologies ◽  
Aerospace Technology ◽  
Smart Service ◽  
Relational Strategies

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to explore the emergence of innovation in smart service systems to conceptualize how actor’s relationships through technology-enabled interactions can give birth to novel technologies, processes, strategies and value. The objectives of the study are: to detect the different enablers that activate innovation in smart service systems; and to explore how these can lead dynamically to the emergence of different innovation patterns. Design/methodology/approach The empirical research adopts an approach based on constructivist grounded theory, performed through observation and semi-structured interviews to investigate the development of innovation in the Italian CTNA (Italian acronym of National Cluster for Aerospace Technology). Findings The identification and re-elaboration of the novelties that emerged from the analysis of the Cluster allow the elaboration of a diagram that classifies five different shades of innovation, introduced through some related theoretical propositions: technological; process; business model and data-driven; social and eco-sustainable; and practice-based. Originality/value The paper embraces a synthesis view that detects the enabling structural and systems dimensions for innovation (the “what”) and the way in which these can be combined to create new technologies, resources, values and social rules (the “how” dimension). The classification of five different kinds of innovation can contribute to enrich extant research on value co-creation and innovation and can shed light on how given technologies and relational strategies can produce varied innovation outcomes according to the diverse stakeholders engaged.

Exploring the Design Space Using a Surrogate Model Approach With Digital Human Modeling Simulations

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Salman Ahmed ◽  
Mihir Sunil Gawand ◽  
Lukman Irshad ◽  
H. Onan Demirel
Keyword(s):  
Human Factors ◽  
Surrogate Model ◽  
Human Performance ◽  
Design Method ◽  
Human Subjects ◽  
Design Stage ◽  
Digital Human Modeling ◽  
Design Variables ◽  
Human Modeling ◽  
Digital Human

Computational human factors tools are often not fully-integrated during the early phases of product design. Often, conventional ergonomic practices require physical prototypes and human subjects which are costly in terms of finances and time. Ergonomics evaluations executed on physical prototypes has the limitations of increasing the overall rework as more iterations are required to incorporate design changes related to human factors that are found later in the design stage, which affects the overall cost of product development. This paper proposes a design methodology based on Digital Human Modeling (DHM) approach to inform designers about the ergonomics adequacies of products during early stages of design process. This proactive ergonomics approach has the potential to allow designers to identify significant design variables that affect the human performance before full-scale prototypes are built. The design method utilizes a surrogate model that represents human product interaction. Optimizing the surrogate model provides design concepts to optimize human performance. The efficacy of the proposed design method is demonstrated by a cockpit design study.

Conceptual Design of Kenaf Polymer Composites Automotive Spoiler Using TRIZ and Morphology Chart Methods

2015 ◽  
Vol 761 ◽  
pp. 63-67 ◽  
Author(s):  
Muhd Ridzuan Mansor ◽  
S.M. Sapuan ◽  
A. Hambali ◽  
Edi Syam Zainudin ◽  
A.A. Nuraini
Keyword(s):  
Polymer Composites ◽  
Conceptual Design ◽  
New Product Development ◽  
Design Method ◽  
Idea Generation ◽  
Development Stage ◽  
Concept Development ◽  
Design Stage ◽  
Concept Design ◽  
Solution Strategies

Spoilers are part of an automotive exterior bodywork system that acts to create additional down force for higher traction. In this paper, a new conceptual design of automotive spoiler component using kenaf polymer composites was developed using integrated TRIZ and morphology chart design method. The aim is to enable direct application of kenaf polymer composites to the spoiler design to achieve better environmental performance of the component while maintaining the required structural strength for safe and functional operation. The overall process involved two major stages, which are the idea generation and concept development. TRIZ method was applied in the idea generation stage where specific solution strategies for the design were created. In the concept development stage, the specific TRIZ solution strategies obtained were later refined into relevant alternative system elements using Morphology chart method. Finally, a new conceptual design of an automotive spoiler was developed using the combination of the identified system elements. The integrated TRIZ and morphology chart method were found to be new tools that can be used effectively in the concept design stage, especially in cases where direct material substitution is given the main focus for the new product development.

Creating Superior Knowledge Discovery Solutions

2011 ◽  
pp. 795-799 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nilmini Wickramasinghe
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Knowledge Management ◽  
Decision Support ◽  
Knowledge Discovery ◽  
High Performance ◽  
New Technologies ◽  
Relevant Information ◽  
Customer Relationship ◽  
Business Strategies ◽  
Competitive Edge

The information age has made information communication technology (ICT) a necessity for conducting business. This in turn has led to the exponential increase in the electronic capture of data and its storage in vast data warehouses. In order to respond quickly to fast changing markets, organizations must maximize these raw data and information resources. Specifically, they need to transform them into germane knowledge to aid superior decision-making (Wickramasinghe & von Lubitz, 2006). To do this effectively not only involves the analysis of the data and information but also requires the use of sophisticated tools to enable such analyses to occur. Knowledge discovery technologies represent a spectrum of new technologies that facilitate the analysis of data to find relationships from the data to finding reasons behind observable patterns (i.e., transform the data into relevant information and germane knowledge). Such new discoveries can have a profound impact on decision making in general and the designing of business strategies. With the massive increase in data being collected and the demands of a new breed of intelligent applications like customer relationship management, demand planning, and predictive forecasting, these knowledge discovery technologies are becoming competitive necessities for providing a high performance and feature rich intelligent application servers for intelligent enterprises. Knowledge management (KM) tools and technologies are the systems that integrate various legacy systems, databases, ERP systems, and data warehouse to help facilitate an organization’s knowledge discovery process. Integrating all of these with advanced decision support and online real time events enables an organization to understand customers better and devise business strategies accordingly. Creating a competitive edge is the goal of all organizations employing knowledge discovery for decision support (Thorne & Smith, 2000). The following provides a synopsis of the major tools and critical considerations required to enable an organization to successfully effect appropriate knowledge sharing, knowledge distribution, knowledge creation, as well as knowledge capture and codification processes and hence embrace effective knowledge management (KM) techniques and advanced knowledge discovery.

Incorporating Knowledge Management into E-Commerce Applications

2010 ◽  
pp. 975-982
Author(s):  
Sandra Moffett ◽  
Martin Doherty ◽  
Rodney McAdam
Keyword(s):  
Knowledge Management ◽  
New Technologies ◽  
Business Success ◽  
Business World ◽  
For Profit ◽  
Employee Relationships ◽  
Business Function ◽  
Knowledge Intensive ◽  
Relationship Of ◽  
The Relationship

Knowledge Management (KM) is the process of critically managing knowledge to meet existing needs, identify and exploit existing and acquired knowledge assets and develop new opportunities (Quintas et al, 1997). With the emergence of knowledge-intensive industries, where organisations rely on knowledge of their staff for competitive advantage (Lustri et al., 2007), KM has become key for business success (Mu-jung et al., 2007). KM is now an integral business function (Zhou and Fink, 2003) in both traditional and internet-based businesses (Borges Tiago et al., 2007) to the extent that KM is now viewed essential for profit (Yang, 2008). It is widely acknowledged today that new technologies, in particular access to the Internet, tend to modify communication between stakeholders in the business world, such as relationships between the organisation and its clients, the internal functioning of the organisation, including enterprise-employee relationships and the relationship of the organisation with partners and suppliers. This integration to improve the functioning of the organisation to create value for all parties involved is referred to as Electronic Commerce (e-commerce, EC) (Turban et al, 2006).

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