An Ontological Framework For Knowledge Management In Systems Engineering Processes
Résumé
Systems Engineering (SE) processes comprise highly creative and knowledge-intensive tasks
that involve extensive problem-solving and decision-making activities among
interdisciplinary teams (Meinadier, 2002). SE projects involve the definition of multiple
artifacts that present different formalization degrees, such as requirements specification,
system architecture, and hardware/ software components. Transitions between the project
phases stem from decision making processes supported both by generally available domain
and design knowledge.
We argue that Knowledge about engineering processes constitutes one of the most valuable
assets for SE organizations. Most often, this knowledge is only known implicitly, relying
heavily on the personal experience background of system engineers. To fully exploit this
intellectual capital, it must be made explicit and shared among project teams. Consistent
and comprehensive knowledge management methods need to be applied to capture and
integrate the individual knowledge items emerging in the course of a system engineering
project.