An overview of manufacturing knowledge sharing in the product development process

Abstract

Abstract：This paper provides an overview of reported research relevant to the management of manufacturing related knowledge and highlights the sharing of knowledge in the product development process. Previous research and concepts reported by international researchers and examples of the research projects carried out by the authors' research teams will also be introduced. Publications reviewed are in the scope of information, communication and knowledge management technologies in product development and manufacturing. Some key concepts and issues in knowledge management are introduced first, as a foundation for the remainder of the review. The different approaches to knowledge management and knowledge sharing, and the different types of knowledge and key issues in the product development process are discussed. Then manufacturing knowledge and its application in the product development is reviewed. The focus is given to the discussion of the approaches to sharing manufacturing knowledge relating to the product development process and indicating the future challenges and research directions. Consequently, this definition has originated from and is mostly used for managing knowledge by information systems.Polanyi 6 classified Knowledge into tacit and explicit. Explicit knowledge can be articulated and represented in formal languages (codified), and can be shared between different systems without losing its integrity. Tacit knowledge is rooted in people's personal experience and beliefs, and is more difficult to express, codify and therefore share. Polanyi's concept was adopted in Nonaka's research, in which knowledge was seen as residing in and originating from individual employees, which together forms the collective knowledge of the organisation. 7 Explicit knowledge may be captured and represented in a database, while the data itself needs to be interpreted and understood within the context of the organisation (tacit knowledge) so that it may be effectively used.In a more pragmatic approach, knowledge was defined in terms of its source and its application, and is categorised as being declarative, procedural or causal. 8 Declarative knowledge (or know-what) is the content of knowledge. Procedural knowledge (or know-how) refers to the processes of using knowledge. Causal knowledge (or know-why) refers to the underlying recognition of where it is appropriate to apply knowledge.Hicks et al 9 pointed out that other components such as behaviour aspects and organisational learning are missing from the data-information-knowledge hierarchy. They presented an alternative definition, referred to as Explicit Islands in a Tacit Sea, in which the sea of tacit knowledge enables the creation of data, information and explicit knowledge, and the selection of the tools for best practice.Bohn 10 defined technological knowledge as the knowledge associated in realising products and services, and recognised its tacit and explicit elements. A third dimension, i.e., knowledge maturity was introduced. A scale of knowledge maturity was pr...

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