The Application of Knowledge Management to Large Complex Systems (original) (raw)

Knowledge as an Organizational Asset for Managing Complex Projects: The Case of Naval Platforms

Sustainability

Knowledge management (KM) involves learning from past experiences to avoid or correct scope misalignments, quality deviations, safety problems, time delays and/or cost overruns. KM is frequently materialized as a risk management (RM) plan. An RM plan allows for anticipating, avoiding, mitigating, or reducing potential problems impacting project performance. However, despite their high complementarity, KM and RM are not the same, nor share the same purpose. In the advent of the fourth industrial revolution, managing complex projects involves many KM-related challenges, such as differential competitiveness enhancement and value chain streamlining. Naval platforms are complex projects that require the integration of multiple sources of knowledge and information. They also need to keep on integrating latest digital technology innovations in their production processes. In this context, streamlining the requirements management may become a differential asset for project stakeholders of na...

Military Knowledge Management: Sense-making, Decision making and Knowledge creation

The paper studies the evolution of military Knowledge Management from a Command and Control perspective. The study is intended to support strategic planning of knowledge creating military organisation and defining the Enterprise Architecture for Command, Control, Communications, Computers and Information (C4I) System of systems (SoS). This paper is one part of writer's research in finding why so many C4I SoS implementations have faced challenges. Military Command and Control is studied within the framework of Knowledge Creation utilising tools of Evolution Theory and Path Creation to find patterns and dependencies. With this approach, the paper composes a roadmap for Military Knowledge Management. The study proceeds in finding further causalities and dependencies, which are useful in defining Military Enterprise Architectures. This approach identifies several ways to support the Cognitive level of Information Superiority defined by Perry, Signori and Boo (2004). The study proposes that development of a strategy following this approach should first begin with diagnoses of the three dimensions of Sense-making, Decision making and Learning utilising the defined roadmap before launching solution finding. The road map helps in recognising the current situation and assessing possibilities to improve them towards future. Flexibility becomes an essential requirement for all technical C4I systems since inflexibility in military structures may lead to strategic or operational surprise. The road map for Military Command and Control described in this paper is targeting to mitigate problems in defining the options and constraints for C4I architectures. It provides an additional method to analyse business layer of TOGAF 9.1 enterprise architecture model, especially from a military management viewpoint. The road map will help to align the development strategy with sense-making, decision making and organisational learning abilities.

Knowledge Management: A Cross Sectorial Comparison of Wind Generation and Naval Engineering

IFIP Advances in Information and Communication Technology, 2014

Offshore wind farms and naval vessels are examples of complex systems. A number of differences exist, e.g. the first is an exemplar of a developing technology, the second a technology having been developed and enhanced over centuries. Never the less a number of similarities exist, e.g. the development of responsive systems in physically demanding environments. Each of the technologies adheres to a prescribed product lifecycle, e.g. "ISO 15288, Systems and software engineering-System life cycle processes", whereby each phase has distinct information and knowledge requirements. Furthermore, the adoption of a structured lifecycle ensures each technology considers the complete lifecycle and its integration within a potential system of systems. This cross sectoral study will review in-service knowledge management in two different fields of engineering, firstly Offshore Wind Generation which is a complex infrastructure system and secondly Royal Navy vessels which are complex marine engineering systems.

Challenges in Knowledge Management for Structuring Systems

IFIP Advances in Information and Communication Technology, 2013

Structuring Systems can be defined as systems, designed, installed, used and maintained within their operational environment for an extremely long duration, answering to the fundamental needs of the society. Examples of such systems are water systems, transport or electricity network. Due to their nature, these systems are characterized to be highly complex, according to the general system theory. In this context, the classical Knowledge Management (KM) approaches are not suited, due to the nature and origins of some data, information and knowledge, the complexity of partner networks that are interacting around the systems, the evolution history of such systems, etc. In this article, we present the main challenges for KM in Structuring Systems, especially in terms of knowledge traceability and heritage from one hand, and knowledge preservation at another one.

The Force of Knowledge: A Case Study of KM Implementation in the Department of the Navy

Handbook on Knowledge Management, 2003

Navy is a recognized leader in the implementation of knowledge management. The DON's multifaceted change strategy is discussed in terms of twelve elements: creating a shared vision; building the business case; demonstrating leadership commitment; facilitating a common understanding; setting limits; sharing new ideas, words, and behaviors; identifying the strategic approach; developing the infrastructure; measuring and incentivizing; providing tools; promoting learning; and visioning an even greater future. In summary, a model of the change strategy which creates growth of knowledge and sharing is presented as the theoretical force behind this change strategy.

Organizational Management of Project and Technical Knowledge Over Fleet Lifecycles

Engineering Asset Management, 2006

Complex engineered products are all knowledge intensive. It is crucial for suppliers and operators of such "fleets" of equipment to manage and minimize product costs and risks. Many schedule delays, cost overruns, accidents, excessive operating costs, and premature product failures result from ineffective management of product data, information, and knowledge. This paper reviews solutions based on integrating structured authoring and product lifecycle management systems and data warehousing implemented by a large project engineering and management organization and the development of an alliance organizational form to support the product to reduce costs, risks and hazards through comprehensive and coherent management of project data, information and knowledge.

Improving the quality of fleet/facility support knowledge

… of the Australian …, 2002

Tenix Defence and Australian Navy developed an architecture for managing maintenance support knowledge for the ANZAC class of frigates that substantially improves the quality of that knowledge by incorporating a number of automated and web-based review and validation processes. The architecture also closes the knowledge cycle to feed back in-service experience to continuously improve the quality of the maintenance support knowledge.

Knowledge Management for Command and Control

2004

This paper highlights s ome major trends and developments in knowledge management with particular emphasis on knowledge c apturing a nd au thoring, and how this technology c an be combined with intelligent agents to p roduce advanced capabilities for command and control systems. Past t rends, p resent accomplishments and future work in knowledge management systems are covered. We

Knowledge Management from the Perspective of Systems Theory and Cybernetics

In the past fifty years the field of systems theory and cybernetics has developed new understandings of the nature of knowledge and several models and methods for improving the management of organizations. In terms of conceptions of knowledge the paper reviews the distinction between producer – product relationships on the one hand and cause and effect relationships on the other hand. Process improvement methods are a means of organizational learning that lead to increased knowledge both in individuals and in the organization as a whole. Stafford Beer's Viable System Model is a model of organizational structure and functioning that helps in identifying what knowledge is necessary for viability. Russell Ackoff's interactive planning process is a method of organizational redesign that emphasizes the importance of knowing how present procedures can lead to problems in the future. Finally, constructivist theories of knowledge emphasize the role of the observer and hence the importance of multiple perspectives.

Enterprise Architecture as a Tool in Military Change Management

Proceedings of the 6th International Conference on Management, Leadership and Governance, ICMLG 2018, Institute for Knowledge and Innovation Southeast Asia (IKI-SEA), Bangkok University, Bangkok, Thailand 24-25 May 2018, 2018

Existing Enterprise Architecture (EA) models and frameworks appear to be incapable of capturing the dynamic and extended nature of military enterprises. An improved understanding of the evolution of enterprise structures over extended periods of time may help architects in planning military transformations. This paper approaches the Military enterprise architecture from the viewpoint of qualitative research using the fundamentals of systems science and evolutionary theory. The paper merges the results of five related studies that each explore the evolution of a single domain or layer of the military enterprise. The resulting merged model, referred to as the coherent EA model, combines the domains of knowledge, information, and information security management on the layer of ICT Infrastructure. The coherent model defined for this work is composed of layers of knowledge management, information management, information security management and ICT infrastructure. The coherent EA model is tested in experimentation where three separate transformation journeys of different Armed Forces are analysed from starting point to end state. The validity of the model is assessed according to its usability in determining possible positive and negative forces affecting the transformation of a military enterprise and providing advice to manage the change. The EA model focuses on helping architects working in the field of military Command, Control, Communications, Computers and Information (C4I), to examine their existing situation, to find realistic paths for transformation and to provide advice in each step of change of military enterprise.