A knowledge accumulation approach based on bilayer social wiki network for computer-aided process innovation

Under the fierce competition, manufacturing companies pay more attention to innovation and the knowledge that enables innovation. Manufacturing process innovation is a knowledge-intensive activity, and efficient knowledge accumulation is the prerequisite and basis for computer-aided process innovation (CAPI). Hence, this research aims to build an open knowledge accumulation approach to obtain organised and refined process innovation knowledge (PIK). By considering the similarity of PIK network with biological neural network and combining the technical characteristics of social network with wiki, a novel PIK accumulation schema based on bilayer social wiki network is proposed. In social wiki network environment, PIK is accumulated in public knowledge space through participants’ social interactions and knowledge activities. The process of knowledge fusion is investigated to form the preliminary knowledge containing collective intelligence, and the mechanisms of collaborative editing and collaborative evolution are studied to refine the knowledge. The outcomes of this study lay the foundation for knowledge application of CAPI. Finally, a case study is presented to demonstrate the applicability of the proposed approach.