MKMSIS: A multi-agent knowledge management system for industrial sustainability

Abstract

Industrial Sustainability in most companies face several problems when a firm tries to promote a greener image while focusing on maintaining profitability in a long-term approach. This is a necessary strategic approach, as customers are becoming more committed to buying products that consider environmental concerns and additional regulations need to be followed. However, traditional marketing and distribution methods, management tools and the homogenization of requirements fail to fully integrate the implication of environmental regulations into their processes. In this scenario, a system for supporting the integration of environmental concerns, endogenous and exogenous regulations, and market trends would be very well received. This is a complex task to be realized by just one system, even when a firm's various departments have an efficient networked communication system. A Distributed Decision Making System (DDMS) could be a useful approach. This paper introduces a multi agent network for collaborative knowledge management. Since regulations and environmental issues are at the core of those processes and influence the final products, several sustainability phases can be addressed within this network, from the design to the marketing and distribution stages. The aim of our system is to deal with themanagement of these different phases in a collaborative platform by considering the sustainability knowledge related to several regulations. Springer International Publishing Switzerland 2015.