An Ontological Framework for Knowledge Management in Systems Engineering Processes

Abstract

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.