Systems Engineering meets KnowledgeManagement: Introducing a‘System of Knowledge Management Approaches’

摘要

This paper highlights the complementarity between systems engineering (SE) and knowledgernmanagement (KM); in doing so, it offers a platform from which the development of bothrndisciplines could be accelerated. By drawing attention to some of the challenges in thernpractice of SE and, in keeping with Martin (2002), the authors suggest that embeddingrnrelevant KM practice within SE practice may assist ‘traditional’ SE in meeting the demandsrnof engineering current and future systems. Specific attention is paid to the importance ofrncreating a knowledge sharing culture in SE practice and guidance is offered as to knowledgernsharing methods which might be used effectively in particular SE settings.rnThe paper begins by identifying some of the challenges that SE faces in contemporaryrnpractice. The focus then moves on to knowledge and its management. After an introductionrnto the distinctions between data, information and knowledge, and to a representative cycle ofrnKM, emphasis is placed on the process of knowledge sharing and the characteristics of arnknowledge sharing culture. Discussion moves on from the cultural dimension of knowledgernsharing and into the contexts and environments of SE practice. Jackson and Keys’ (1984)rnSystem of Systems Methodologies (SofSM) is introduced to trigger a taxonomical theme forrnthe rest of the paper. In a similar way that Flood and Jackson (1991) link the SofSM tornproblem contexts, the authors overlay their taxonomy of SE contexts with knowledge sharingrnmethods so as to guide the SE practitioner in an effective matching of method with context.rnThe paper closes with reflections on the potential reciprocal relationship between SE andrnKM.