Knowledge-based standard updates and changes in a testing and certification company: A case study

In this paper, a Knowledge-based approach for dealing with standard updates and changes is presented for a Testing, Inspection and Certification (TIC) Company. Due to the high recall rate for products produced in China, as well as frequent changes to standards and regulations and the challenge posed to the testing laboratories, they are deficient in the relevant knowledge to deal with internal technology preparation for the increasing rate of standard updates which increases the pressure on testing service providers to transform their strategic goals into achieving shorter technology development cycle times and delivering more responsive customer service to sustain their long-term competitive advantage. The system is built based on a rule-based reasoning algorithm. Since the design mechanism of the Knowledge-based System (KBS) relies on a thorough understanding of the landscape of knowledge employed in the process in order to provide a reference for incorporating the right mix of knowledge items into the system, a knowledge audit is conducted to evaluate the knowledge need of the process. A prototype KBS was developed and successfully trial implemented in a case study in a prestigious testing company. Encouraging results were obtained.