A Framework for the Design Knowledge Service System Based on Ripple down Rules

Knowledge services represent a merged field for knowledge and services. How to provide effective and accurate knowledge services for the designers has decisive influence on the enterprises. Design is a knowledge-intensive process and design knowledge services are very significant but difficult tasks for firms. In the paper, a framework for the design knowledge service system (DKSS) is proposed and analyzed by considering the features of the ripple down rules (RDR) method. The services of design knowledge acquisition, maintenance, validation, explanation and tutoring for realizing the system are analyzed further. The proposed framework and critical services will assist enterprises to build their design knowledge service systems easier. At the same time, enterprises could strengthen their response ability for problems, improve the effectiveness and accuracy of design knowledge services, and accelerate the sharing and usage of design knowledge resources by the RDR_based DKSS (RDR_DKSS). Finally, an example is given to exemplify the application of the RDR_DKSS