Web-based knowledge management for distributed design

Contemporary product design is a knowledge-intensive process undertaken by virtual teams dispersed across multiple organizations. Successful design requires contextual knowledge of the target market. Knowledge management and decision support can assist in this task. By considering AI as a form of writing, we can represent knowledge in a transparent and modifiable form, which better supports the multiplicity of contexts required in real design. To assist designers in conceptual-design evaluation, we have implemented the WebCADET Web-based decision-support tool. Based on a knowledge-server architecture, WebCADET operates in design-guidance, knowledge-viewing and knowledge-capture modes. We discuss our efforts in developing WebCADET and deploying four WebCADET servers at different locations for various applications.