Enhancing knowledge exchange through web map-based knowledge management system in construction: Lessons learned in Taiwan

Knowledge management involves creating, securing, coordinating, combining, retrieving and distributing knowledge. Knowledge can be reused and shared among engineers and experts to enhance construction processes and decrease the time and cost of solving problems. This study presents a novel and practical method to capture and represent construction project knowledge by using network knowledge maps. Network Knowledge Maps (NKM) gives users an overview of available and missing knowledge in core project areas, enabling tacit and explicit knowledge to be managed appropriately. This study addresses application of knowledge management in the construction phase of construction projects, and presents a construction Map-based Knowledge Management (MBKM) concept and system for contractors. The MBKM system is then utilized in selected case studies involving a High-Tech factory building enterprise in Taiwan to verify the proposed methodology and indicate the effectiveness of sharing knowledge, particularly in the construction phase. Knowledge can be captured and managed to benefit future projects by effectively utilizing information and web technologies during the construction phase of a project. The results of this study demonstrate that an MBKM-like system can be applied effectively in knowledge management systems in the construction industry by using map-based knowledge management and web technology.