Visual extended enterprise engineering and operation-embedding knowledge management and work execution

This paper describes a new approach to extended enterprise engineering and operation-embedding knowledge management and work-tops for work execution. The approach is based on web technologies and a new technology we call active knowledge models (AKM). By developing and using AKMs of extended enterprises, most methodologies, work environments and business solutions will converge. Enterprises will be integrated by externalized shareable knowledge. During forming and managing of extended enterprises, knowledgesharing infrastructures and the process of generating operational solutions will be simplified and facilitated. Extended enterprises will be engineered and managed as reflective, selfadapting AKMs. By using process-oriented methods to externalize internal and tacit knowledge, the AKM technology provides an environment of work-tops and views to produce, share, cultivate and manage situated knowledge. This knowledge will be applied and managed as competences and skills, and as improved methods. AKMs let us benefit from the intrinsic properties of knowledge. They facilitate convergence of methodologies and integration of technologies.