David Baxter

A knowledge management framework to support product-service systems design

This paper presents a framework for knowledge reuse in a product-service systems design scenario. The project aim is to develop a methodology to capture, represent and reuse knowledge to support product development in a collaborative enterprise context. The three core elements are: design knowledge, manufacturing capability knowledge, and service knowledge. There are three principal components of the proposed methodology. The first is a process based design model: defining design according to specific tasks, and associating previous knowledge with those tasks. The second is manufacturing capability knowledge: supporting feature based design and manufacture through representing machining features, best practices in machining and inspection, and machining capability. The third component is service knowledge: ensuring that design takes account of the service requirement. The developing paradigm of product-service systems and the requirement for co-design of products and services has influenced the structure of the knowledge base, as well as outlining specific service related requirements. This paper presents the proposed knowledge base structure along with a detailed case study in which the proposal was developed and validated.

Managing lessons learned and tacit knowledge in new product development

OVERVIEW: Every new product development (NPD) team learns a unique set of lessons in solving the many problems that arise in a typical project, and it is important to ensure that these lessons are shared. Since much of the learning is tacit in nature, it is difficult to articulate, to capture, and to disseminate. Therefore, managers face a challenge in trying to stimulate project-to-project learning. Many companies hold post-project reviews (PPRs)—meetings at the end of projects to determine the lessons learned and document them for the future. However, discussing a project, noting down the lessons learned, and entering them into a database is not sufficient. Our research at five leading German companies shows that written reports fail to convey much of the key learning from NPD teams and so managers need to focus on stimulating individual learning and running PPRs in specific ways to generate and transfer tacit knowledge. Managers also need to integrate PPRs with other mechanisms, such as mentoring schemes and knowledge brokering, to stimulate the flow of lessons learned and tacit knowledge.

Developing a service knowledge reuse framework for engineering design

The manufacturing industry is shifting its emphasis from a traditional supplier of products to a supplier of increasingly integrated products and services, or product-service systems (PSSs). The new paradigm of PSS requires new design methodologies and supporting tools for the effective design and delivery of these enhanced services and integrated PSSs. A case study has been carried out to identify and classify service knowledge applied in practice, both in the service operation and in product design. This paper describes the service issues and service knowledge that has an impact on product design. An initial attempt is made to describe the role of service knowledge in design and also to describe in detail how to apply service knowledge in the conceptual design stage based on an existing requirements management framework modified for this context. This research makes an important contribution to the developing knowledge and information requirements of PSS design.

A methodology for best practice knowledge management

Abstract Capturing and reusing knowledge of best practices has been identified as one of the requirements for next-generation product development. Knowledge identification is therefore already being done to some degree in many organizations, through instruction manuals or ‘how to’ guidelines. However, this is only a first step, as to fully exploit valuable knowledge, best practices must be identified and shared. A detailed review of previous research in best practice knowledge management shows that the method of modelling best practice knowledge and the resulting model structure are critically important for the successful reuse of best practice knowledge. Yet, to date, only limited research has been focused on these aspects. This paper therefore presents research into a methodology to determine ways for better communication, sharing, and reuse of best/good practice knowledge. The proposed methodology has been divided into two parts: firstly, the identification of best practices for product development, and secondly, the structuring of best practice knowledge for effective sharing and reuse. This methodology encourages the adoption of best practices by providing knowledge about both process and implementation elements. This makes the explicit knowledge easier to find and reuse. Once a best practice is found to suit current requirements and circumstances, an expert who has identified and used the best practice can also be contacted to gain additional knowledge/information. This helps to address the challenges posed by ‘tacit’ knowledge, which cannot easily be shared within the knowledge base.

Manufacturing knowledge verification in design support systems

This paper identifies the need for a verification methodology for manufacturing knowledge in design support systems; and proposes a suitable methodology based on the concept of ontological commitment and the PSL ontology (ISO/CD18629). The use of the verification procedures within an overall system development methodology is examined, and an understanding of how various categories of manufacturing knowledge (typical to design support systems) map onto the PSL ontology is developed. This work is also supported by case study material from industrial situations, including the casting and machining of metallic components. The PSL ontology was found to support the verification of most categories of manufacturing knowledge, and was shown to be particularly suited to process planning representations. Additional concepts and verification procedures were however needed to verify relationships between products and manufacturing processes. Suitable representational concepts and verification procedures were therefore developed, and integrated into the proposed knowledge verification methodology.

Editorial. Product-service systems

The drivers in our economy are changing from production of material goods to product-service offers based on knowledge and information. A product-service system (PSS) is an integrated product and service offering that delivers value in use. In this new paradigm, products and services are designed to deliver the customer value rather than just the functionalities. One of the major objectives of PSS is to generate better overall revenue across the life cycle of a product. If designed appropriately, PSS solutions could also reduce overall resource consumption and environmental impact. Organisations that are going through this transition need to change their business model, processes and procedures, relationships with the customer and the supplier and the mindset of employees. The change is based on business-to-consumer or business-to-business interactions. Many traditionally product-oriented manufacturing organisations are going through this servitisation and are developing multidisciplinary practices to address the challenges. This special issue of the Journal of Engineering Design presents state of the art in PSS development and design. There are five papers in the special issue focusing on the review of PSS development, PSS design methodologies to PSS design knowledge management. The issue starts with a review of the development of PSS by Isaksson et al. The paper presents a good account of the drivers for the change from traditional product to service development. The paper argues for an improved functional product development process and identifies challenges in the PSS development. The second paper by Maussang et al. proposes a PSS design methodology to support engineering designers. The tools and formalism used in the proposed methodology based on a function-oriented description and an activity-related description are also explained in the paper. The methodology allows the systematic development of physical product specifications that is consistent with the PSS architecture. The paper uses a combination of techniques to derive the specifications: functional analysis, functional block diagram-based representation and scenario analysis. The authors present a case study to validate the methodology. The next paper by Hara et al. reports a Service CAD for innovation. The authors described the service model implemented on the CAD software and demonstrated through an example. The paper extends the service blueprint from the marketing field to include product behaviour by using physical features from the engineering field. The framework illustrates the relationships between humanware, hardware and software in services. The fourth paper by Doultsonou et al. presents a framework to represent service knowledge for engineering designer access. A case study has been carried out to identify and classify service knowledge applied in practice, both in the service operation and in product design. This paper describes the service issues and service knowledge that has an impact

New business models for public-sector innovation : successful technological innovation for government

OVERVIEW: Governments worldwide are under pressure to reduce spending, and yet the demand for public services is generally increasing. Despite growing emphasis on and investment in technological innovation, little is known about innovation in public services. Research has shown that resistance to change, risk aversion, and organizational structures are major barriers to public-sector innovation. How to overcome such barriers is less clear. Recently, researchers have increased their focus on the importance of specific business models in facilitating collaboration between public-sector organizations and private-sector partners. In this paper, we present an emerging business model—commercialization partnership—and discuss two examples of technological innovations in the U.K. public sector using this model. Our findings demonstrate that successful technological innovation may depend more on the models for collaboration than on the specific technology involved. We conclude with a checklist to assist technology managers introducing innovations into public-sector organizations.

Managing knowledge within the manufacturing enterprise: an overview

This paper examines the literature relating to manufacturing knowledge and describes how it contributes to the manufacturing enterprise. The review shows that there is a strong emphasis on design in the manufacturing knowledge research domain, and that detailed design is the main focus for current research. An analysis is carried out according to publication date and consequently trends are identified. The design focus is increasing, and the trends show that the domain is driven by industrial applications. The contribution to fundamental research in areas such as knowledge modelling is increasing. Areas that currently have little work in this domain include conceptual design and service.

Factors Supporting Knowledge Integration in Global Innovation Projects: An Exploratory Study

This exploratory study identifies the factors which contribute to effective knowledge integration in global innovation projects through an in-depth analysis of two case studies. Knowledge integration is analysed in two components: knowledge (individual expertise), and integration (working together). Our analysis highlights three distinct ways that individuals think about individual expertise: individual knowledge and competence; feeling valued; and unfamiliar areas. We also identify four ways in which individuals think about working together: good social relations; cultural distance; negotiation skills; and better results through working with others. Using examples from the case studies, we discuss how these factors enable knowledge integration in globally distributed innovation projects. We also propose a model indicating how these factors impact on knowledge integration and innovation performance. This study contributes towards management guidance, which is currently lacking in the area of knowledge integration.

Commercialization partnerships as an enabler of UK public sector innovation: the perfect match?

This article examines the potential for private sector organizations to contribute to public sector innovation. Specifically, the study explores how partnering with the private sector can go beyond delivery and extend to development of new services and new markets. The term ‘commercialization partnership’ is coined for such partnerships and the article describes an exploratory investigation of this emerging form of innovation.