Case Study of Knowledge Management in China Academy

of Launch Vehicle Technology

Zhang Ye1, du chen-yong1, Zhang Tao1,Zhao Wen1, Peng Jian1 and Dong Jian-
feng2
1
China Academy of Launch Vehicle Technology, China
2
Institute of Modern Manufacturing Engineering, Zhejiang University, China
zhye_cad@163.com
dududcy@126.com
zhangtao@126.com
zhaowen@m165.com
ilappledodo@163.com
djf_zj@163.com

Abstract: Firstly, the multiple challenges with that the Chinese aerospace industry faced including the ranks of
young, reduced product development cycles, and market competitive pressure were summarized. Knowledge
management has become a priority. Currently, some problems are to be solved, including the more knowledge is
accumulated, but the lower utilization and lower transparency of knowledge, and lack of knowledge sharing.
Solutions to promote knowledge utility were presented that including strategic plan for knowledge management,
the business knowledge services platform (KSP) and enterprises knowledge base systems. The connotation and
outline of strategic plan for knowledge management in China Academy of Launch Vehicle Technology (CALT)
were described. The knowledge services platform was represented in details, including knowledge expression
and knowledge acquisition process, knowledge navigation methods based technical map. The construction of
enterprises knowledge base systems was discussed. The application effect of KSP and knowledge base in China
Academy of Launch Vehicle Technology was points out, including knowledge accumulating and reasonable
evaluation of knowledge contribution etc. Finally the future vision of KSP and application of KSP was provided,
such as knowledge based engineering and tacit knowledge acquisition based on cooperation environment and
knowledge based technological innovation etc.

Keywords: Knowledge services platform, strategy plan of KM, enterprises knowledge base systems, evaluation
of knowledge contribution, enterprises knowledge base systems

1. Preface
China's space industry is currently facing multiple challenges, such as "younger team", "short-cycle
tasks", "competitive market" etc. After all, the entire organizations capability must be improved
rapidly. And the key is how to accumulate and reuse the business knowledge resources effectively,
how to improve the team's "learning capacity", "technology research capability", "Rapid response
capability ". This also makes all staff of enterprise reach a consensus on the importance and urgency
of knowledge management. Then some work will be started in strategic planning level, knowledge
management platform level and knowledge base building level, to solve the current problems.

Driven by technology development and enterprises demand, KM, Web 2.0, knowledge roadmap,
knowledge-flow etc. have gradually been focused. Information and strategies supplied patent
management platform based on web crawling technology, algorithm of owning patent management
and patent applying strategies recommending were presented in [1]. A process-oriented model of
knowledge network guided by technology roadmap was established through the application of
Web2.0 technology in [2]. A method was presented to depict knowledge matrix in resource space
model in [3]. The relationship between knowledge-flow and task of collaborative design was analyzed
in [4].
2. Knowledge management problems of CALT
Although all the departments have reached a consensus on the importance and urgency of
knowledge resources and knowledge management, knowledge management activities are taken less.
The practical problems such as accumulate more, use less, knowledge buried in Complex
organization, no knowledge-sharing culture, must be resolved.
Lots of knowledge accumulated, but few used. A products R & D will yield hundreds of technical
reports and a large number of professional models, the middle process data are numerous, but

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very few of these valuable data is reused. On the one hand, a large number of disorderly
knowledge is accumulated, on the other hand individual users are lacking of knowledge, resulting
in a large number of intellectual idleness and waste.
The heterogeneous data format and storage become barriers for knowledge sharing. Digital
technology such as CAD, CAE, OA, PDM, CAT, CAPP and CAM, are widely used in the process
of product development currently. These different applications caused the heterogeneity of data
format, and various types of data management systems in use caused different data
storage structure. There is no effective way to integrate various heterogeneous data seamlessly
currently, so its difficult to achieve knowledge-sharing.
The non-integral description of historical data frustrates the knowledge reusing. The description of
R & D data is mainly for professional use, so there is no additional information such as "sources,
applicability, production process and limitations" which is important for knowledge reuse.
Researchers often give up knowledge reusing due to the lack of reuse information of imperfect
and opaque knowledge information, which causes a large number of low-value repetitive work.
Poor management of the inherent relationship between knowledge and the evolution of
knowledge. There is a complete development file management system, which has accumulated a
large number of technical resources. But these data exist in non-associated form, lack of organic
connections. Researchers can not access to knowledge through the intrinsic connections
between knowledge, also can not get a deep understanding of knowledge through the production,
improvement, maturation and application of knowledge.
Lag of building knowledge-based application system. The aim of the accumulation of knowledge
is to reuse and value-added, but application mode such as knowledge-based design, simulation,
cost analysis, innovative engineering, decision support and technology learning has not been
formed currently, that causes the loss of motive power for improving and perfecting knowledge
base.
3. Promote the knowledge management strategy
Implementing knowledge management is to promote the accumulation, reuse, improvement and
appreciation of knowledge by organization support, institutional improvement, technical conditions,
containing a series of intellectual asset management activities which are top-down implemented with
all the staffs participation. Knowledge management strategy determines a road map for the
implementation of knowledge management from knowledge management objective, stage planning,
implementation strategy and results assessment. Knowledge management promotes the
institutionalization and standardization of knowledge management activities from knowledge
classification, knowledge evaluation, knowledge management process, incentive mechanism, etc.,
making knowledge management into an important part of scientific research and production activities
in the CALT. Knowledge management service platform continually accumulates enterprises
knowledge, and promotes knowledges reuse and value-added by knowledge acquisition, storage,
delivery and reuse.

There are three phases in promoting knowledge management. The first phase is the implementation
of the storage and sharing of explicit knowledge, the second phase is to achieve the management
and coordination of tacit knowledge, the third phase is the implemention of knowledge-based
innovation. At present, the management model is explored step by step to promote knowledge
sharing, under the guidance of knowledge management strategic plan, combining with the actual
needs of CALT.

3.1 Intensify propaganda and improve all staffs awareness of knowledge

management activities
The knowledge management concepts, knowledge management strategy, and knowledge
management measure in CALT are publicized, make all staff have a deep understanding of
knowledge managements purpose, procedures and results, particularly emphasize the respect of
knowledge and recognition of the contributors, dispel employees widespread concerns about Once
the core knowledge is public, it has nothing to do with their own, change employees resistance in
knowledge sharing, establish the mass basis to promote knowledge management practices.

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3.2 Strengthen the implementation of knowledge management decision in the top-

down organizational mode
Knowledge management is often regarded as a project of "top leader", the key to its success depends
on the determination of leaders and the execution of organization. We need to build a top-down
organization and management model, appoint knowledge management manager at all levels of the
organization, make the effectiveness of knowledge management as an indicator of the annual
assessment to ensure the execution of leaders decision and knowledge management strategy.

3.3 Establish a transparent and fair knowledge contribution evaluation mechanism

and incentive mechanism
The knowledge presented by staffs is different in importance, innovation, systematic, transparency
and so on. Some knowledge will be widely reused, and some knowledge even be considered as
spam from the perspective of value. Only by establishing an operational, fair and transparent
knowledge contribution evaluation mechanism, each employees knowledge contribution can be
scientifically assessed, and these evaluation results can be used in the positions title assessment
system and performance appraisal system, the initiative of sharing knowledge and the quality of
knowledge can be effectively improved.

3.4 Integrate knowledge management into business processes, create a knowledge

sharing culture
Knowledge management will be difficult to implement, if it is separated from the business process. We
need to do research with the ideas and methods of knowledge management, and encourage
knowledge sharing, knowledge innovation, employee learning, collaboration and trust, then form a
mode that integrate business process with knowledge management processes, making knowledge
acquisition, transfer, reuse naturally occurred, eventually form a culture to promote the sustainable
development of knowledge management activities.
4. Enterprise Knowledge Management Platform 1.0
This platform supports knowledge acquisition, storage, association, evaluation and reuse by using the
technologies, such as complex knowledge expression, template-based knowledge acquisition,
knowledge network and knowledge map, the experience, patents, standards, information, historical
data and other kinds of discrete knowledge are brought into knowledge base for standardized
management. The platform can display the related knowledge and the relationship between them in a
visualization way with the knowledge map visualization technology, provides user-friendly knowledge
navigation and browsing environment, and promotes knowledge sharing, knowledge-based staff
training, technological innovation, decision support, etc.

Knowledge management system is logically divided into three layers: data layer, application layer and
presentation layer. Data layer is responsible for the storage and management of space terminology
data and knowledge data, application layer which contains the term expression, knowledge network,
knowledge representation, knowledge indexing engines, and other modules, is the core layer of
system, presentation layer, including terms acquisition, knowledge map, knowledge visualization,
knowledge indexing interface and so on, is mainly responsible for interacting with users (Fig.1).
5. Knowledge acquisition and visualization
To enhance the system's utility, knowledge service platform uses Word and PDF format files as the
source knowledge points, builds a range of knowledge acquisition templates (such as intelligence
knowledge template, patent knowledge template, etc.) and releases them to the end users. Engineers
can complete knowledge acquisition operation through the systems knowledge acquisition wizard (as
shown Fig.2) without too much training.

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Figure.1 Knowledge management system framework

Figure.2 Knowledge acquisition wizard

The software contains two process for different users, template publish process for template designer
and document upload process for document creator, and the detail information is illustrated in Fig.3.

The adaptive knowledge acquirement technique is based a document named configure file which
could be modified by user. The configure file is created by using XML language. The file gives much
information about an explicit knowledge document; the information described in the configure file
includes needed knowledge items contented in the explicit knowledge document, knowledge items
location in the explicit knowledge document, knowledge item data type and length when saved into
KMSKnowledge Manage Systemstructured database, etc. According the configure file, KMS can
automatically create data tables to describe document structure. Fig.4 shows the process.

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schema config

Figure.3 Software using process sketch map

Figure.4 Document auto-adapt technique based on XML

Each document type can be described as a main node in the XML configuration file, and each node
has the similar structure, name and properties. The node name is meta-knowledge to named
document type, and also is the table name of the knowledge type in the knowledge database; the
node properties are used to describe the knowledge items that need to acquire.
6. Knowledge map and knowledge indexing
Knowledge map is a visualized presentation of the relationship between space terminologies. It
provides users with wizard-based knowledge query mode, as well as an environment to understand
the relationship between various types of domain concepts and their relationship. The module is
developed with two-dimensional visualization component. It transfers OWL ontology format into data
structure for visualization, and displays it in form of web or tree.

Figure.5 Knowledge visualization framework

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In addition to the knowledge map based knowledge navigation, the system also provides the key word
indexing and semantic-based intelligent indexing, and supports the classification of the index results,
including a summary of knowledge point. Knowledge map is illustrated as Fig.6.

Figure.6 Sample of knowledge map

7. Knowledge evaluation and comprehensive statistical analysis
The system provides rating and comment features when users are browsing knowledge, including
evaluation of knowledge, evaluation of knowledges contributor and the knowledges reader. It has the
ability of comprehensive analysis and evaluation to knowledge points or their contributors. In addition,
the system supports comprehensive statistical analysis according to knowledge type, knowledge
specialty, knowledge level, knowledge score and so on, to get the general information of knowledge
base. It supports comprehensive statistical analysis for knowledge points on views, evaluation scores
and relationship to show knowledge points role in the knowledge base. It also supports
comprehensive statistical analysis for users on knowledge released count, knowledge quality, login
times, comment quantity and so on. The Fig.7 shows the system interface of knowledge evaluation
and comprehensive statistical analysis.

Figure.7 Knowledge evaluation and comprehensive statistical analysis

8. Knowledge base planning and future prospects
Divide knowledge base into three levels. The first level is basic knowledge base, including standard
resource base, information resource base, professional knowledge base, research knowledge base,
paper resource base. The second level is data and model libraries, including design model, simulation
model, simulation data, test data and so on. The third level is innovation knowledge base, including
ideas, inspiration, and creativity and so on. The current knowledge base focuses on the first level, has
completed the design of knowledge acquisition templates for "academic", "patent", "professional

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knowledge", "Information, etc.. The knowledge management system has been deployed in a
department with 100 employees. About 50 knowledge points recognized by organization are adding
into the system monthly. The system will be used widely at a proper time.

The current knowledge management system is mainly to achieve the management of explicit
knowledge. Subsequent versions will contain the tacit knowledge management, professional search,
citation relationship map and so on. We will gradually establish a technological innovation model
based on enterprise knowledge base, through the activities of new employees training, professional
skills training, innovation team, etc. The following functions will be extended, which include:
The acquisition of tacit knowledge based on questions and answers. The module provides
interactive knowledge questions, answers, search, and sharing functions. After users login, users
can post their problems in their work. Then the question will be discussed and answered by their
colleagues or experts in that field, and users can choose the best answer to the current problems,
then the question and answer will be stored into the knowledge base, sharing for other users.
Expansion of knowledge search module. Knowledge search is a prerequisite of knowledge reuse.
We need an effective retrieval model. It will provide extra full-text search, mind map search and
fuzzy search based on the existing title search, keyword search, abstract and label search. And
through the integration of existing a database (standard, patent, paper, Avidm etc.), it can provide
professional search function for a single knowledge base.
3) Expansion of knowledge map module. Multi-angle display function based on the existing
knowledge visualization function is provided. The system will support citation relationship map in
order to better understand the citation relationship between knowledge points, support knowledge
map to display the technical maturity of knowledge. It will also support the show of multi-ontology
and the automation updating of the knowledge ontology.
9. Conclusion
The problems faced by CALT are discussed, including: (1) Lots of knowledge accumulated, but few
used. (2) The heterogeneous data format and storage became barriers of knowledge sharing. (3) The
non-integral description of historical data frustrateed the knowledge reusing. (4) Poor management of
the inherent relationship between knowledge and the evolution of knowledge. (5) Lag of building
knowledge-based application system.

For the problems and challenges of knowledge management in CALT, some countermeasures are
presented: (1) Promote the knowledge management strategy; (2) Develop Enterprise Knowledge
Management Platform; (3) Plan and construct knowledge base. The Enterprise Knowledge
Management Platform 1.0 used in CALT is introduced, which includes three layers: data layer,
application layer and presentation layer.
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