Abstract
Maintenance decision errors can result in very costly problems. The 4th industrial revolution has given new opportunities for the development of and use of intelligent decision support systems. With these technological advancements, key concerns focus on gaining a better understanding of the linkage between the technicians’ knowledge and the intelligent decision support systems. The research reported in this study has two primary objectives. (1) To propose a theoretical model that links technicians’ knowledge and intelligent decision support systems, and (2) to present a use case how to apply the theoretical model. The foundation of the new model builds upon two main streams of study in the decision support literature: “distribution” of knowledge among different agents, and “collaboration” of knowledge for reaching a shared goal. This study resulted in the identification of two main gaps: firstly, there must be a greater focus upon the technicians’ knowledge; secondly, technicians need assistance to maintain their focus on the big picture. We used the cognitive fit theory, and the theory of distributed situation awareness to propose the new theoretical model called “distributed collaborative awareness model.” The model considers both explicit and implicit knowledge and accommodates the dynamic challenges involved in operational level maintenance. As an application of this model, we identify and recommend some technological developments required in augmented reality based maintenance decision support.
Highlights
Erroneous maintenance decisions and their fatal consequences have been an ongoing concern
As an application of this model, we identify and recommend some technological developments required in augmented reality based maintenance decision support
We presented a new approach to modeling collaboration of situation awareness among technicians and intelligent systems
Summary
Erroneous maintenance decisions and their fatal consequences have been an ongoing concern. The problem is that maintenance technicians are required to perform routine and non-routine complex tasks with different types of equipment, processes, and personnel (Raouf et al 2006) under tight schedules often with little or no feedback (Liang et al 2010) so they have difficulty developing adequate mental models about the consequences of their work (Endsley and Robertson 2000). Various types of intelligent decision support systems have emerged and variously referred to as active decision support, knowledge-based decision-support, and expert systems (Zhou et al 2008). Current studies lack a specific focus on the linkage between intelligent decision support systems and the technicians’ knowledge. This study is set to assess emerging MDS for their linkages with the technicians’ knowledge and to recommend a new MDS model to bridge the gaps
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