From Experience to Intelligence: AI as the Corporate Brain – Developing an Intelligent DSS to Preserve and Leverage Organizational Historical Knowledge for Enhanced Decision-Making in Project Management

In project-based organizations, the effective management of knowledge is critical to supporting timely decision-making, sustaining innovation, and minimizing inefficiencies. However, traditional Knowledge Management (KM) systems often struggle to address the complexity, fragmentation, and dynamic pace of project environments. At the same time, Artificial Intelligence (AI) offers promising capabilities for enhancing knowledge processes, yet current applications often lack transparency, contextual understanding, and seamless integration into decision-making workflows. This thesis presents a conceptual framework for an AI-enhanced Decision Support System (DSS) tailored to the needs of knowledge management in project environments. Developed using the Design Science Research (DSR) methodology, the framework combines foundational DSS architecture with modern AI technologies, including machine learning, natural language processing, and semantic reasoning. It is designed to align with all phases of the KM lifecycle, from knowledge discovery and capture to dissemination, utilization, and learning. The framework is positioned as a strategic response to key organizational challenges such as knowledge loss, inconsistent decision-making, and limited reuse of past experiences. Through detailed analysis and a wide range of practical use scenarios, the thesis illustrates how such a system can facilitate more intelligent, context-aware, and future-oriented project management practices. Rather than developing a new AI solution or conducting empirical validation, this research offers a structured and visionary model that reimagines KM as a proactive, integrated function. It contributes both a theoretical foundation and a practical guide for organizations seeking to transform knowledge from a passive asset into an active force for decision support and continuous learning.