Agile knowledge supply chain for emergency decision-making support

Abstract

Facing complex and changing emergencies decision makers need to obtain sufficient background knowledge to make effective decisions. We outline the characteristics of requirements for decision-making around knowledge sources, agility and the nature of knowledge products in quick responses to emergencies. We characterize the process of knowledge management in emergencies as quotation, manufacture and supply of a special product -Emergency Knowledge Product. From the point of view of achieving agility, we draw on the operational mechanism of the Agile Supply Chain (ASC) to construct Agile Knowledge Supply Chain (AKSC), a first in this paper. According to Similarities between ASC and AKSC, here we depict definition and architecture of AKSC. AKSC can explore a new approach to knowledge-based quick responses in the emergency decision-making support. © Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg 2007.