dlr's project directory - a basis for strategic support

Paper number

IAC-18,D5,2,2,x45168

Author

Mr. André Pliewischkies, Germany, German Aerospace Center (DLR)

Year

2018

Abstract

The German Aerospace Centre (DLR, Deutsches Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrt) successfully reorganized its knowledge management processes in 2016 to close critical knowledge gaps which became identified in an initiation project called "Establishing an integrated knowledge management system" (EIWis).

One of the services established is the project directory which serves as an internally open, centralized platform for project data. That directory supports project managers to get in contact with other project managers during and especially after the project to make use of gained experience and know-how. An additional offer to share information about applied methods and tools aims to help scientists to get in contact with scientists of other projects working on similar research topics or working with similar methods or tools.

Since the project directory uses a wiki as its technical basis, the approach to find similar projects is different to the expectations of users with database background. Instead of tabular list with filters users explore a network of linked and tagged project pages. Because of this unusual structural difference the explanation of proceedings and benefits changed several times. The result is a very new perspective how to make use of the information within the project description texts. Adding research topics, strategic goals, technologies, tools, stakeholders and project partners creates a complex network of information which can be analyzed using graphs though.

The purpose of the paper is to show how DLR extends its concept for the project database to provide a tool for strategic decision support. Part of it is a visualisation of interrelations which can also serve as an interactive representation of DLR activities for stakeholders. Besides that paper explains how this approach offers big potential for time savings in textual exploration.

Abstract document

IAC-18,D5,2,2,x45168.brief.pdf

Manuscript document

IAC-18,D5,2,2,x45168.pdf (🔒 authorized access only).

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