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Innovations in Knowledge Management pp 179–209Cite as

Context-Aware and Process-Centric Knowledge Provisioning: An Example from the Software Development Domain

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Part of the book series: Intelligent Systems Reference Library ((ISRL,volume 95))

Abstract

With the increasing availability of information and knowledge, effective knowledge utilization is becoming a growing and key competency within organizations in various knowledge-intensive fields. One current challenge in process-oriented work, such as that exhibited in new product development projects, is the provisioning of contextually-relevant knowledge to the knowledge workers at the appropriate point in their process. This chapter provides background on technical challenges, referring to the software engineering domain to exemplify these. Thereafter, a practical solution approach based on the Context-aware Software Engineering Environment Event-driven framework (CoSEEEK) is presented. Subsequently, it is shown how automated knowledge provisioning within processes, contextual adaptation of processes, and collaborative process support can be realized.

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Notes

  1. 1.

    Since knowledge can be transformed into information when articulated, and information can be turned by a mind into knowledge, this chapter uses these terms interchangeably.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute for Databases and Information Systems, Ulm University, Ulm, Germany

    Gregor Grambow & Manfred Reichert

  2. Computer Science Department, Aalen University, Aalen, Germany

    Roy Oberhauser

Authors
  1. Gregor Grambow
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  2. Roy Oberhauser
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  3. Manfred Reichert
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Gregor Grambow .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of International Business Communication, Copenhagen Business School, Frederiksberg, Denmark

    Liana Razmerita

  2. Sellinger School of Business and Management, Loyola University Maryland, Baltimore, Maryland, USA

    Gloria Phillips-Wren

  3. Faculty of Education, Science, Technology and Mathematics, University of Canberra, Canberra, Australia

    Lakhmi C. Jain

Glossary

Glossary

The terms below are defined practically for the purpose of understanding this chapter, and not intended to be definitive or comprehensive.

  • Context-awareness. Perception of a system’s surroundings via information that can be used to characterize the situation. This information can consist of various things like other systems, humans, actions, events, or related artifacts.

  • Information. Facts and data organized to describe a particular situation or condition. Knowledge communicated or received concerning a particular fact or circumstance.

  • Knowledge. Familiarity, acquaintance, experience with, understanding, or perception of some subject, involving facts, truths, principles, beliefs, perspectives, concepts, judgments, expectations, methodologies, or know-how. Within organizations, it frequently becomes embedded in documents or repositories, as well as in organizational routines, processes, practices, and norms [71]. It is a “justified belief that increases an entity’s capacity for taking effective action” [72]. Information can be converted into knowledge once cognitively processed, and knowledge can be transformed into information if codified or articulated in symbolic forms.

  • Knowledge base (KB). A repository of knowledge, typically utilizing some form of storage.

  • Knowledge management (KM). A systematic and organizational process for retaining, organizing, sharing, and updating (collective) knowledge critical to individual performance and organizational competitiveness [73].

  • Knowledge systems. Organizations as social collectives can be viewed as knowledge systems, representing the cognitive and social nature of organizational knowledge and its embodiment in the individuals’ mind and practices as well as the practices and culture of the organization [72].

  • Knowledge management systems (KMS). To support human knowledge systems, IT-based knowledge management systems support the codification and sharing of knowledge, the creation and maintenance of knowledge repositories, and knowledge networking [72] or collaboration.

  • Knowledge-based system (KBS). A system that uses knowledge, either in an open or closed form, to adjust its own behavior.

  • Process-aware information systems (PAIS). Information systems that enable the automated implementation of processes comprising their whole lifecycle, including modeling, enactment, and monitoring.

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Grambow, G., Oberhauser, R., Reichert, M. (2016). Context-Aware and Process-Centric Knowledge Provisioning: An Example from the Software Development Domain. In: Razmerita, L., Phillips-Wren, G., Jain, L. (eds) Innovations in Knowledge Management. Intelligent Systems Reference Library, vol 95. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-662-47827-1_8

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