Smart innovation engineering (SIE): Experience-based product innovation system for industry 4.0

Abstract

This paper presents a semi-automatic system capable of facilitating product innovation process. This system, known as Smart Innovation Engineering (SIE) system, helps in decision-making by using the explicit knowledge of formal decision events. The SIE system carries the promise to support the innovation processes of manufactured products in a quick and efficient way. It stores and reuses the past decisional events or sets of experiences related to innovation issues, which significantly enhances innovation progression. This system can be potentially used in large enterprises manufacturing a range of similar products or a group of Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). The analysis of basic concepts and implementation method proves that SIE system is an expert system facilitating Cyber Physical Systems (CPS) and it can play a vital role towards Industry 4.0. This system provides flexibility and customization of products, is quick and systematic, and can be further extended and used for lean innovation and sustainable innovation.