Service-oriented Knowledge Exchange in a Virtual Value Creation Chain for SMEs

Due to the permanently increasing complexity of products, and their related engineering processes, an appropriate IT infrastructure is required by small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) to enhance collaboration by exchanging engineering services. At the Information Systems Institute, research has been carried out on fostering collaboration in enterprise networks from automotive component supplier industry. As a result, an IT infrastructure based on service and grid computing technology has been developed. Additionally, a virtual value creation chain has been introduced to integrate virtual prototyping methodologies. The current contribution elaborates the importance of differentiating, defining and managing both value and knowledge flows in such a virtual value creation chain. Consequently, a service-oriented knowledge management system is envisaged by describing tasks of a knowledge manager and deducing a solution concept.