**6. System implementation**

206 New Research on Knowledge Management Technology

**Knowledge**

**Projects Activities**

Suggestions Innovation

**Knowledge**

Know-how

**Topic-based Knowledge Management**

Ideas

Fig. 2. The application of TBM integrated with mind mapping in knowledge management attributes and types of acquired knowledge. Knowledge stored in map units of a project map includes both tacit and explicit knowledge. Explicit knowledge may be comprised of an knowledge topic, knowledge description and knowledge attachments (documents, reports, drawing and other explicit sources). Tacit knowledge may include problems-faced descriptions, problems-solved explanations, solution suggestions, and know-how explanations. Additionally, TBM give users an overview of available and unavailable knowledge in core project areas, enabling effective management of tacit and explicit knowledge. Identifying the relationship between main topic and subtopic map units is significant for users to link related knowledge together. The system is naturally designed to automatically or manually link activities which are highly similar. For example, the knowledge of a current project can be utilized, and the same or similar map units contributed by past projects can be accessed while the knowledge of current users is being

Fig. 3 shows the flowchart of TBM in knowledge management. TBM have components and procedures based on construction project management and, thus, differ from existing knowledge maps. The proposed TBM consist of seven components. These seven components are number of knowledge, knowledge topics, knowledge relationships, knowledge owners, knowledge diagrams, knowledge packages, and knowledge attributes. Procedures are presented for constructing TBM based on a knowledge management

Know-what

Fail Practice

**Junior Engineer** **Topics**

Experience

**Senior Engineer**

**People**

Best Practice

recorded.

This section describes the details of the Construction Web Topic-based Maps Knowledge Management (CWTKM) system. The CWTKM system is based on the Microsoft Windows 2003 operating system with Internet Information Server (IIS) as the web server. The prototype is developed using Java Server Pages (JSP), which are easily incorporated with HTML and JavaScript technologies to transform an Internet browser into a user-friendly interface. Software MindManager is used as mind mapping in the study.

Three search functions are supported in the system. The server of the CWTKM system supports four distinct layers: interface, access, application and database layers; each has its own responsibilities. The interface layer defines administrative and end-user interfaces. Users can access information through web browsers such as Microsoft Internet Explorer or FireFox. Administrators can control and manage information via the web browser or by using a separate server interface. The access layer provides system security and restricted access, firewall services and system administration functions. The application layer defines various applications for collecting and managing information. These applications offer indexing, knowledge map edition, digital photo/video management functions, full text search, collaborative work and document management functions. The database layer consists of a primary SQL Server 2003 database and a backup database (also based on SQL Server 2003).

All knowledge information in the CWTKM system is centralized in a system database. Project participants may access some or all of these documents through the Internet according to their levels of access authorization. Any information/experience about the

Enhancing Knowledge Management for Engineers Using Mind Mapping in Construction 209

to provide their own knowledge regarding the tasks for which they were responsible. Each engineer created a knowledge map and summarized his experience and domain knowledge in the map to enable the reuse of the solution process for future projects. The knowledge map included: the knowledge topic, knowledge descriptions, knowledge diagram, knowledge attribute, knowledge packages and linkage, the solution to the problem, including related documents, photographs and videos of processes, and expert suggestions, including notes, discussions and meeting records. Knowledge was extracted based on every process defined as it related to the map units of a project. Domain knowledge and knowledge were organized according to the attributes of the map units concerned. When the submitted knowledge set was approved, the system illustrated the process automatically, and an assistant in the KM team attributed the knowledge and classified the knowledge by placing it in an appropriate position (map units in the TBM) in the system. Restated, users can locate and directly access related knowledge simply by clicking on these map units located on the multilevel knowledge maps. In the knowledge storage phase, all knowledge was centralized and stored in the central database to avoid duplicating data. All knowledge can be stored in the system by ensuring that data are all electronic and in a standard format for each file type such as a specific document or drawing format. All knowledge maps must be validated to perform well before the knowledge maps are published. All validation is performed in enterprise KM terms by domain experts, knowledge workers and knowledge map makers. Finally, the knowledge set is automatically backed up from the knowledge database to another database. The system automatically sends a message confirming the update to the appropriate users after

A new project is started after completion of the construction project ten months earlier. A senior engineer encounters two different problems in a new project whose information is unavailable in the CWTKM System. After referring suggestions and assistance from senior engineers, the senior engineer solves the problem and shares the new solution with senior engineers. Finally, the senior engineer creates a new map unit and knowledge package, and submits the obtained suggestion and experience to the map unit of the knowledge map, linked with the related knowledge topics. Moreover, the knowledge is later updated when further feedback and another solution to the same problem are added. The updated knowledge set is republished in the map units of the knowledge map after completing the

During the field trials, verification and validation tests were performed to evaluate the system. The verification process was proposed to determine whether the system operated as intended while validation was performed to evaluate the system's usefulness. The verification test was conducted by checking whether the CWTKM system could perform tasks specified in the system analysis and design. The validation test involved asking selected case participants to use the system, who then provided feedback via questionnaire. The seventeen respondents included two project managers with 5 years of experience; five senior engineers with 20 years of experience; four engineers with 10 years of experience; four junior engineers with 1 year of test experience; two knowledge workers with 5 years of experience; and one Chief Knowledge Officer (CKO) with 3 years of experience. The CWTKM System was demonstrated to the respondents, who were then requested to express

approval process, and a notice is transmitted to the authorized members.

approving and storing the experience.

**8. Field tests and results** 

project can be obtained from and deposited into the system database only through a secure interface. The web and database servers are distributed on different computers, between which a firewall and virus scans can be built to protect the system database against intrusion.

The CWTKM system provides project category search, keyword search and expert category search. The project category and keyword search functions enable users to find the knowledge they need directly from the activities of selected projects. The system, also, provides another function in the expert category for users to find related knowledge according to domain experts. The information held by each domain expert is provided to the users seeking the domain knowledge-related experts. One of the main features of the CWTKM system is enabling users to request assistance in knowledge support and exchange from specific selected engineers or all engineers in the enterprise through the TBM.
