Knowledge Management and Specialized Information Systems Chapter 7 Knowledge Management and Specialized Information Systems

Principles and Learning Objectives: Sharing Knowledge and Experience Knowledge management allows organizations to share knowledge and experience among managers and employees Discuss the differences among data, information, and knowledge Describe the role of the chief knowledge officer (CKO)

Principles and Learning Objectives: Tools and Techniques Knowledge management allows organizations to share knowledge and experience among managers and employees List some of the tools and techniques used in knowledge management

Principles and Learning Objectives: Artificial Intelligence Artificial intelligence (AI) systems form a broad and diverse set of systems that can replicate human decision making for certain types of well-defined problems Define the term artificial intelligence and state the objective of developing artificial intelligence systems

Principles and Learning Objectives: Natural and Artificial Intelligence Systems Artificial intelligence systems form a broad and diverse set of systems that can replicate human decision making for certain types of well-defined problems List the characteristics of intelligent behavior and compare the performance of natural and artificial intelligence systems for each of these characteristics

Principles and Learning Objectives: The Artificial Intelligence Field Artificial intelligence systems form a broad and diverse set of systems that can replicate human decision making for certain types of well-defined problems Identify the major components of the artificial intelligence field and provide one example of each type of system

Principles and Learning Objectives: Expert Systems Expert systems can enable a novice to perform at the level of an expert but must be developed and maintained very carefully List the characteristics and basic components of expert systems Outline and briefly explain the steps for developing an expert system

Principles and Learning Objectives: Benefits of Expert Systems Expert systems can enable a novice to perform at the level of an expert but must be developed and maintained very carefully Identify the benefits associated with the use of expert systems

Principles and Learning Objectives: Multimedia in Business Multimedia and virtual reality systems can reshape the interface between people and information technology by offering new ways to communicate information, visualize processes, and express ideas creatively Discuss the use of multimedia in a business setting

Principles and Learning Objectives: Virtual Reality Multimedia and virtual reality systems can reshape the interface between people and information technology by offering new ways to communicate information, visualize processes, and express ideas creatively Define the term virtual reality and augmented reality and provide three examples of these applications

Principles and Learning Objectives: Specialized Systems Specialized systems can help organizations and individuals achieve their goals Discuss examples of specialized systems for organizational and individual use

Why Learn About Knowledge Management and Specialized Information Systems? Knowledge management and specialized information systems are used in almost every industry Learning about these systems will help you discover new ways to use information systems in your day-to-day work

Knowledge Management Systems Data consists of raw facts Information is a collection of facts The organized facts have additional value beyond the value of the facts themselves Knowledge is the awareness and understanding of: A set of information Ways that information can be made useful to support a specific task or reach a decision

Differences Between Data, Information, and Knowledge FIGURE 7.1 Differences between data, information, and knowledge Data consists of raw facts, information explains the current situation, and knowledge identifies the action needed to address the situation.

Knowledge Management Systems (cont’d.) Knowledge management system (KMS) An organized collection of people, procedures, software, databases, and devices Used to create, store, share, and use the organization’s knowledge and experience

Overview of Knowledge Management Systems Explicit knowledge Objective Can be measured and documented in reports, papers, and rules Tacit knowledge Hard to measure and document Typically not objective or formalized Many organizations attempt to convert tacit knowledge to explicit knowledge

Data and Knowledge Management Workers Knowledge workers People who create, use, and disseminate knowledge Professionals in science, engineering, business, and other areas Chief knowledge officer (CKO) Top-level executive who helps the organization use a KMS to achieve organizational goals

Data and Knowledge Management Communities of Practice Communities of practice (COP) are groups of people with common interests Members come together to create, store, and share knowledge on a specific topic Companies in the oil and gas industry have been among the leaders in establishing COPs

Obtaining, Storing, Sharing, and Using Knowledge A knowledge repository includes documents, reports, files, and databases Knowledge workers: Often work in teams Can use collaborative work software and group support systems to share knowledge A knowledge map points the knowledge worker to the needed knowledge

Knowledge Management System FIGURE 7.4 Knowledge management system Obtaining, storing, sharing, and using knowledge is the key to any KMS.

Technology to Support Knowledge Management An effective KMS is based on learning new knowledge and changing procedures and approaches as a result Data mining and business intelligence can help capture and use knowledge Knowledge management tools IBM Connections Mail, Microsoft Digital Dashboard, Web Store Technology, Access Workflow Designer, etc.

Table 7.1 Knowledge Management Software Vendor Select Customers Bloomfire Toyota Dannon Communifire Axero Solutions Electronic Music Alliance Together.in Intelligence Bank Deloitte SunCorp Bank Moxie Knowledgebase Moxie Software Student Loans Company Infusionsoft Oxcyon Oxcyon CentralPoint CMS Tanner Health VCA Antech Smart Support Safe Harbor Knowledge Solutions SunTrust Bank Audi AG TABLE 7.1 Knowledge management software

Overview of Artificial Intelligence Artificial intelligence (AI) Computers with the ability to mimic or duplicate the functions of the human brain Watson is a supercomputer developed by IBM with AI capabilities Applications of AI Playing Jeopardy! Developing highly personalized cancer treatment regimens

Artificial Intelligence in Perspective Artificial intelligence systems include: The people, procedures, hardware, software, data, and knowledge needed to develop computer systems and machines that demonstrate characteristics of intelligence AI is a complex interdisciplinary field Involves biology, computer science, linguistics, mathematics, neuroscience, philosophy, and psychology

The Nature of Intelligence The Turing Test attempts to determine whether a computer can successfully impersonate a human Intelligent behavior includes the ability to: Learn from experiences and apply knowledge acquired from experience Handle complex situations Solve problems when important information is missing

The Nature of Intelligence (cont’d.) Intelligent behavior includes the ability to: Determine what is important React quickly and correctly to a new situation Understand visual images Process and manipulate symbols Be creative and imaginative Use heuristics

The Brain Computer Interface Brain Computer Interface (BCI) The idea is to directly connect the human brain to a computer and have human thought control computer activities Realization of the BCI experiment will allow people to control computers and artificial arms and legs through thought alone

The Major Branches of Artificial Intelligence AI is a broad field that encompasses: Expert systems Robotics Vision systems Natural language processing Learning systems Neural networks

Conceptual Model of Artificial Intelligence FIGURE 7.9 Conceptual model of artificial intelligence AI is a broad field that includes several specialty areas.

Expert Systems Hardware and software that stores knowledge and makes inferences, similar to a human expert Used in many business applications

Robotics Developing mechanical devices that can: Paint cars, make precision welds, and perform other tasks that require a high degree of precision Organizations use robots to perform dull, dirty, and/or dangerous jobs Future implementation of autonomous vehicles will displace truck drivers, chauffeurs, and cab drivers

Vision Systems Hardware and software that permit computers to capture, store, and manipulate visual images and pictures Applications Increased accuracy and speed in industrial inspections of parts Identifying people based on facial features

Natural Language Processing and Voice Recognition Involves the computer understanding, analyzing, manipulating, and/or generating “natural” languages such as English Voice recognition Converting sound waves into words After the conversion, natural language-processing systems react to words by performing a variety of tasks

Learning Systems A combination of software and hardware Allows the computer to change how it functions or reacts to situations based on feedback it receives Learning systems software Feedback on results of actions or decisions is required Feedback must indicate whether results are desirable or undesirable

Neural Networks Computer systems that can recognize and act on patterns or trends that it detects in large sets of data Employs massively parallel processors in a meshlike architectural structure AI Trilogy is a neural network software program that can run on a standard PC

Other Artificial Intelligence Applications Genetic algorithm An approach to solving complex problems in which a number of related operations or models change and evolve until the best one emerges Intelligent agent Programs and a knowledge base used to perform a specific task for a person, a process, or another program

An Overview of Expert Systems Computerized expert systems use heuristics, or rules of thumb, to arrive at conclusions or make suggestions Colossus expert system Used by insurers to assist claims handlers in accurate and consistent handling of personal injury claims

Components of Expert Systems An expert system consists of a collection of integrated and related components Components Knowledge base Inference engine Explanation facility Knowledge base acquisition facility User interface

Components of Expert Systems (cont’d.) FIGURE 7.14 Components of an expert system An expert system includes a knowledge base, an inference engine, an explanation facility, a knowledge base acquisition facility, and a user interface.

Knowledge Base The knowledge base stores all relevant information, data, rules, cases, and relationships that the expert system uses Rule: a conditional statement that links conditions to actions or outcomes Rules may be stored as IF-THEN statements

Relationships Between Data, Information, and Knowledge FIGURE 7.15 Relationships between data, information, and knowledge A knowledge base stores all relevant information, data, rules, cases, and relationships that an expert system uses.

Rules for a Credit Application FIGURE 7.16 Rules for a credit application Expert system rules can determine whether a person should receive a mortgage loan from a bank.

Inference Engine Overall purpose To seek information and relationships from the knowledge base To provide answers, predictions, and suggestions like a human expert

Explanation Facility Allows a user or decision maker to understand how the expert system arrived at certain conclusions or results Indicates all the facts and rules that were used in reaching the conclusion Example A doctor can find out the logic or rationale of a diagnosis made by a medical expert system

Knowledge Acquisition Facility Provides convenient and efficient means of capturing and storing all components of the knowledge base Knowledge acquisition software: Presents users and decision makers with easy-to-use menus Stores information and relationships in the knowledge base

Knowledge Acquisition Facility (cont’d.) FIGURE 7.17 Knowledge acquisition facility The knowledge acquisition facility acts as an interface between experts and the knowledge base.

User Interface Makes an expert system easier for users and decision makers to develop and use Example (refer to Figure 7.16) EXPERT SYSTEM: Are there previous credit problems? USER: No EXPERT SYSTEM: Is the applicant’s net income greater than four times the monthly loan payment? USER: Yes … EXPERT SYSTEM: Accept the loan application

Participants in Developing and Using Expert Systems Domain expert: the person or group with the expertise or knowledge the expert system is trying to capture Knowledge engineer: a person who has training or experience in the design, development, implementation, and maintenance of an expert system

Participants in Developing and Using Expert Systems (cont’d.) Knowledge user Person or group who uses and benefits from the expert system Needs no previous training or experience

Participants in Expert Systems Development and Use FIGURE 7.18 Participants in expert systems development and use A domain expert, knowledge engineer, and knowledge user work with an expert system.

Expert Systems Development Tools and Techniques LISP and PROLOG: programming languages developed for AI applications in the early days of expert systems Expert system shell A suite of software that allows construction of a knowledge base and interaction with this knowledge base through use of an inference engine

Table 7.2 Popular Expert System Products Name of Product Application and Capabilities Clips A tool for building expert systems on PCs. Cogito Software by Expert System Semantic Intelligence helps an organization extract knowledge from text in email messages, articles, Web sites, documents, and other unstructured information. Exsys Corvid An expert system tool that simulates a conversation with a human expert from Exsys (www.exsys.com). ESTA (Expert System Shell for Text Animation) An expert system shell that provides all necessary components except the knowledge base. Imprint Business Systems An expert system that helps printing and packaging companies manage their businesses. Lantek Expert System Software that helps metal fabricators reduce waste and increase profits. OpenExpert An expert system tool mainly for developing legal expert systems. Prolog Expert System Free software for building an expert system knowledge base. TABLE 7.2 Popular expert system pro

Multimedia and Virtual Reality Use of multimedia and virtual reality has helped many companies achieve a competitive advantage and increase profits The approach and technology used in multimedia is often the foundation of virtual reality systems

Overview of Multimedia Multimedia is: Text and graphics Audio Video and animation File conversion and compression Designing a multimedia application requires careful thought and a systematic approach with the end use of the document considered

Overview of Virtual Reality A virtual reality system enables one or more users to move and react in a computer-simulated environment Immersive virtual reality The user becomes fully immersed in an artificial, 3D world that is completely generated by a computer

Interface Devices Head-mounted display (HMD) To see in a virtual world, a user wears a HMD with screens directed at each eye and a position tracker The CAVE2 at the University of Illinois, Chicago, is a large-scale virtual reality environment A haptic interface relays sense of touch and other sensations in a virtual world

Forms of Virtual Reality Immersive virtual reality Applications that are not fully immersive: Mouse-controlled navigation through a 3D environment on a graphics monitor Stereo projection systems Stereo viewing from the monitor via stereo glasses Augmented reality superimposes digital data over real photos or images

Virtual Reality Applications Medicine Training children with autism Training medical students with simulated surgery Education and training Virtual reality and game-based learning and training systems

Virtual Reality Applications (cont’d.) Business and commerce Virtual building tours Training employees Entertainment

Other Specialized Systems Assistive technology systems Wide range of assistive, adaptive, and rehabilitative devices to help people with disabilities perform tasks Game theory A mathematical theory for developing strategies that maximize gains and minimize losses while adhering to a given set of rules and constraints

Other Specialized Systems (cont’d.) Informatics The combination of information technology with traditional disciplines, e.g., medicine or science, while considering the impact on individuals, organizations, and society

Informatics FIGURE 7.27 Informatics Informatics represents the intersection of people, information, and technology.

Informatics (cont’d.) Biomedical informatics (or bioinformatics) Develops, studies, and applies theories, methods, and processes for the generation, storage, retrieval, use, and sharing of biomedical data, information, and knowledge Health informatics The science of how to use data, information, and technology to improve human health and the delivery of healthcare services

Summary – Principle 1 Knowledge is an awareness and understanding of a set of information Knowledge workers are people who create, use, and disseminate knowledge Obtaining, storing, sharing, and using knowledge is the key to any KMS

Summary – Principle 2 Artificial intelligence is a broad field that includes several key components, e.g., expert systems, robotics, vision systems, natural language processing, learning systems, and neural networks

Summary – Principle 3 An expert system consists of a collection of integrated and related components The inference engine processes the rules, data, and relationships stored in the knowledge base An expert system shell or existing package is a quick way to acquire an expert system

Summary – Principle 4 Multimedia can be used to help an organization efficiently and effectively achieve its goals A virtual reality system enables one or more users to move and react in a computer-simulated environment Virtual reality can also refer to applications that are not fully immersive

Summary – Principle 5 Specialized systems include: Assistive technology systems Game theory Informatics