Methods and Tools for Effective Knowledge Life-Cycle-Management

Knowledge Management is a wide, critical and strategic issue for all the com- nies, from the SMEs to the most complex organizations. The key of competiti- ness is knowledge, because of the necessity of reactivity, flexibility, agility and innovation capacities. Knowledge is difficult to measure itself but what is visible, this is the way of improving products, technologies and enterprise organizations. During the last four years, based on the experience of most of the best experts around the World, CIRP (The International Academy for Production Engineering) has decided to prepare and structure a Network of Excellence (NoE) proposal. The European Community accepted to found the VRL-KCiP (Virtual Research La- ratory – Knowledge Community in Production). As its name indicates it, the aim of this NoE was really to build a «Knowledge Community in Production ». This was possible and realistic because the partners were representative of the most important universities in Europe and also because of strong partnerships with laboratories far from Europe (Japan, Australia, South Africa, USA, etc…). Based on such powerful partnership, the main issue was to help European manufacturing industry to define and structure the strategic knowledge in order to face the strategic worldwide challenges. Manufacturing in Europe currently has two essential aspects: 1. It has to be knowledge intensive given the European demands for high-tech products and services (e.g. electronics, medicines).

Knowledge Management is a wide, critical and strategic issue for all the com- nies, from the SMEs to the most complex organizations. The key of competiti- ness is knowledge, because of the necessity of reactivity, flexibility, agility and innovation capacities. Knowledge is difficult to measure itself but what is visible, this is the way of improving products, technologies and enterprise organizations. During the last four years, based on the experience of most of the best experts around the World, CIRP (The International Academy for Production Engineering) has decided to prepare and structure a Network of Excellence (NoE) proposal. The European Community accepted to found the VRL-KCiP (Virtual Research La- ratory – Knowledge Community in Production). As its name indicates it, the aim of this NoE was really to build a «Knowledge Community in Production ». This was possible and realistic because the partners were representative of the most important universities in Europe and also because of strong partnerships with laboratories far from Europe (Japan, Australia, South Africa, USA, etc…). Based on such powerful partnership, the main issue was to help European manufacturing industry to define and structure the strategic knowledge in order to face the strategic worldwide challenges. Manufacturing in Europe currently has two essential aspects: 1. It has to be knowledge intensive given the European demands for high-tech products and services (e.g. electronics, medicines).

KM Needs and Concepts.- An Overview on Knowledge Management.- Manufacturing Knowledge Work: The European Perspective.- Building a Knowledge Share Culture in a Virtual Organization. Case Study for VRL-KCiP NoE.- Influence of Multi-Culturality in Virtual Teams.- A Web and Virtual Reality Based Paradigm for Collaborative Management and Verification of Design Knowledge.- Knowledge Management in the Virtual Enterprise: Web Based Systems for Electronic Manufacturing.- EDEN™.- Misunderstandings in Global Virtual Engineering Teams: Definitions, Causes, and Guidelines for Knowledge Sharing and Interaction.- A Knowledge Network Approach Supporting the Value Chain.- Formulating an Expertise Map in the VRL-KCiP.- Representation and Navigation Techniques for Semi-Structured Knowledge in Collaborating Communities.- The Use of Conceptual Maps for Competencies Mapping and Knowledge Formalization in a Virtual Lab.- Production Paradigms Ontology (PPO): a Response to the Need of Managing Knowledge in High-Tech Manufacturing.- KM Models, Methods and Tools.- Compatibility Knowledge in Fuzzy Front End.- Development of a Conceptual Reference Framework to Manage Manufacturing Knowledge Related to Products, Processes and Production Systems.- FBS-PPRE, an Enterprise Knowledge Lifecycle Model.- Knowledge Management for Industrial Heritage.- The Role of Knowledge Management in Supporting a Radical Innovation Project.- Improved Utilisation of Organisational Documents Using a Conceptual Framework.- Applications of Knowledge Engineering Approaches for Design.- Generation of Design Knowledge from Product Life Cycle Data.- Reference Architectures as Knowledge Management Tools Guiding and Supporting Enterprise Engineering.- Knowledge Networks, Methods and Tools Analysis for Information Validity: CaseStudy Feed Back.- Case in Manufacturing Knowledge Management.- Knowledge Management in a Virtual Lab Collaborative Training Project: A Mini-Formula Student Car Design.- Case Study in Design: Generation of Design Knowledge for Vehicle Sub-frames Based on Finite Element Simulation.- A Pragmatic Approach to Knowledge Management in an Engineering Design SME.- Capitalization and Reuse of Forging Knowledge in Integrated Design.- Case Study, USIQUICK Project: Methods to Capitalise and Reuse Knowledge in Process Planning.- Knowledge Management in Manufacturing Process Modeling: Case Studies in Selected Manufacturing Processes.- Knowledge Management Paradigms in Selected Manufacturing Case Studies.- Process Design Theory for Digital Information Services.- The VRL-KCiP Software Demonstration and Exchange Platform – An Example for Web-Based Knowledge Management and Representation.- A Basic Knowledge Management System for the VRL-KCiP.- Contacts and Appointments Manager: VRLshepherd.