Knowledge Management at Individual Level to Support Logistics Problem Solving1

Logistics problem solving is a knowledge-intensive process which usually requires a large amount of experience with the problem-solving person. Consequently, a proper management of this knowledge and experience at individual level is a chance and a challenge for improving a person’s problem-solving capability. Against this background the paper aims to help knowledge in becoming productive within logistics problem-solving processes. Based upon the statement by logistics company managers characterising knowledge as a key resource in their processes that mainly evolves through projects, the paper identifi es logistics projects as problem solving processes and specifi es the type of problems logistics has to deal with. Further on, chances from applying knowledge management approaches in logistics problem solving are discussed to answer questions for (i) how to encourage and support persons to bring in their knowledge including to raise awareness of the knowledge they have already, (ii) how to mediate between diff erent types of knowledge stakeholders and repositories, and (iii) how to enable and support the access to and use of knowledge. Th is is illustrated by examples from logistics simulation projects where simulation models are to be seen as knowledge repository and an intelligent human-computer dialogue is required for accessing this knowledge.