A decision support system for rapid one-of-a-kind product development

A decision support system (DSS) is a specific class of computerized information systems that support decision-making activities. Such a system has become paramount in supporting manufacturing activities with the development of World Wide Web (WWW) technology in recent years. The research and development of a knowledge-based DSS dedicated to rapid one-of-a-kind products (OKPs), however, has, to the author’s knowledge, rarely been directly studied. This work presents a knowledge-based DSS for supporting decision-making activities in developing OKPs using broad knowledge base content. The underlying architecture of the proposed system is a system that manages and optimizes the data, information and knowledge in the product development process. A knowledge structure model is proposed in this paper, and a comprehensive set of expert knowledge and analytical/numerical methods are integrated into the system to automate intelligent decision-making. Case studies have shown that the knowledge-based DSS is able to help OKP companies develop new products more quickly by sharing optimization tools, information and knowledge to reduce possible errors and rework.