A refinement framework to support validation and maintenance of knowledge-based systems

In this article, we argue that a refinement tool capable of assisting the maintainer of a Knowledge-Based System (KBS) with updating and upgrading of its knowledge base can substantially expand the scope of his activities and prolong the life of the system. We show that refinement tasks involved in KBS maintenance are similar to those taking place at the development stage, and thus a uniform refinement framework can be designed to support both activities. After defining refinement tasks expected to take place at different stages of a KBS's life cycle, we present a refinement framework capable of supporting them. It utilizes a small number of domain-independent heuristics to search for possible rule revisions which are expected to eliminate errors detected during KBS validation. An extended example is given to illustrate how different refinement tasks are carried out.     

Ontological approach for products-centric information system interoperability in networked manufacturing enterprises

Standardisation initiatives (ISO and IEC) try to answer the problem of managing heterogeneous information, scattered within organizations, by formalising the knowledge related to products technical data. While the product is the centred object from which, along its lifecycle, all enterprise systems, either inside a single enterprise or between cooperating networked enterprises, have a specific view, we may consider it as active as far as it participates to the decisions making by providing knowledge about itself. This paper proposes a novel approach, postulating that the product, represented by its technical data, may be considered as interoperable per se with the many applications involved in manufacturing enterprises as far as it embeds knowledge about itself, as it stores all its technical data, provided that these are embedded on a common model. The matter of this approach is to formalise of all technical data and concepts contributing to the definition of a Product Ontology, embedded into the product itself and making it interoperable with applications, minimising loss of semantics.     

A semantic interoperability framework for software as a service systems in cloud computing environments

In cloud computing environments in software as a service (SaaS) level, interoperability refers to the ability of SaaS systems on one cloud provider to communicate with SaaS systems on another cloud provider. One of the most important barriers to the adoption of SaaS systems in cloud computing environments is interoperability. A common tactic for enabling interoperability is the use of an interoperability framework or model. During the past few years, in cloud SaaS level, various interoperability frameworks and models have been developed to provide interoperability between systems. The syntactic interoperability of SaaS systems have already been intensively researched. However, not enough consideration has been given to semantic interoperability issues. Achieving semantic interoperability is a challenge within the world of SaaS in cloud computing environments. Therefore, a semantic interoperability framework for SaaS systems in cloud computing environments is needed. We develop a semantic interoperability framework for cloud SaaS systems. The capabilities and value of service oriented architecture for semantic interoperability within cloud SaaS systems have been studied and demonstrated. This paper is accomplished through a number of steps (research methodology). It begins with a study on related works in the literature. Then, problem statement and research objectives are explained. In the next step, semantic interoperability requirements for SaaS systems in cloud computing environments that are needed to support are analyzed. The details of the proposed semantic interoperability framework for SaaS systems in cloud computing environments are presented. It includes the design of the proposed semantic interoperability framework. Finally, the evaluation methods of the semantic interoperability framework are elaborated. In order to evaluate the effectiveness of the proposed semantic interoperability framework for SaaS systems in cloud computing environments, extensive experimentation and statistical analysis have been performed. The experiments and statistical analysis specify that the proposed semantic interoperability framework for cloud SaaS systems is able to establish semantic interoperability between cloud SaaS systems in a more efficient way. It is concluded that using the proposed framework, there is a significant improvement in the effectiveness of semantic interoperability of SaaS systems in cloud computing environments.     

A knowledge-based framework for extracting components in agile systems development

Considerable strides have been made in the use of components in software development. Many proprietary enterprise resource planning (ERP) software environments use modular components to develop and customize “best practices” to meet a specific organizational need. In agile application development, many developers and users are asked to design systems in a short period of time. These applications may use components that are embedded in software repositories. The challenge then is how to select the right software components (data and procedures) to meet an application requirement. Although experienced developers may select and customize components to meet the needs of an application, such expertise may not be available to other applications. This paper presents a knowledge-based framework to select and customize software components and demonstrates its value in deriving quality specifications, even when the developers are relatively inexperienced.     

A knowledge-based approach to the local area network design problem

Computer networks are an essential tool for people in business, industries, government, and schools. With the rapid rate of change in network technology and products, and the emergence of highly sophisticated network users, network design has become an increasingly complex task. Although the computer society aims at agreeing to a series of international standards for describing network architectures, the design of a computer network remains an ill-structured problem that lends itself perfectly to expert systems solutions. We propose an expert system that is able to design local area networks meeting the requirements specified by the user. Rules and guidelines pertaining to local area network design are formulated and incorporated into the knowledge base. The system is built on an object-oriented paradigm. The object-oriented approach and the hierarchical rule structure paradigm are discussed. We also employ the blackboard technique through which rules can access dynamic objects conveniently.     

A patterned approach for linking knowledge-based systems to external resources

Knowledge-based systems (KBSs) have been developed and used in industry and government as assistance systems, voting partner systems, and embedded applications. As web-based systems change the face of software implementations, these closed, internal KBSs need to be integrated into multicomponent applications that provide updated and extensible services. Therefore, KBSs must be adapted to an environment in which data and control are exchanged with external processes and resources; complementing other participating systems or using them to refine its own results. This integration can be a daunting task. If improperly done, it can result in an inefficient and unmanageable composite application. One approach to simplifying this task is the use of architectural patterns for integration. These patterns are assembled from functional entities that resolve component interoperability conflicts. In this paper, we describe an architectural pattern called the Knowledge Director pattern, which directs the integration of a closed KBS into a broader application environment.     

A method to build information systems engineering process metamodels

Several process metamodels exist. Each of them presents a different viewpoint of the same information systems engineering process. However, there are no existing correspondences between them. We propose a method to build unified, fitted and multi-viewpoint process metamodels for information systems engineering. Our method is based on a process domain metamodel that contains the main concepts of information systems engineering process field. This process domain metamodel helps selecting the needed metamodel concepts for a particular situational context. Our method is also based on patterns to refine the process metamodel. The process metamodel can then be instantiated according to the organisation’s needs. The resulting method is represented as a pattern system.     

A motivational approach to information providing: A resource exchange perspective

Although the use of information resources is a competitive advantage for many firms, empirical research on individuals’ motivations for information providing is complex. We therefore assess both intrapersonal and interpersonal motivations and relevant work conditions that moderate the effects of motivation on information providing. The results of this study of employees from 51 firms in Korea show that altruistic traits, social rewards, and reciprocity all positively influence willingness to provide information. These effects are moderated by individuals’ tenure in the organization. The results of this study help shed light on intrapersonal motivations and the dynamic role of interpersonal motivations in information providing.     

Towards knowledge-based infolog specifications A case study of information engineering

A radically new approach to computing, the so-called knowledge-based information processing is achieving striking success in supporting activities needing logical power, human judgement, reasoning and expertise. It offers universal applicability for problem-solving, in particular in more complex tasks than those presently handled by computer systems. The current state of the art and future prospects for the development of a computer system which either performs expert tasks automatically or is used interactively by experts to increase their productivity are reviewed. The weak points we need to look at, namely the lack of guidelines for building such systems, and some dead ends are indicated. Some new results are expected by applying this key technology to our case study, the construction of a Systems Specification Support System (S4). Its knowledge base written in PROLOG captures and encodes human expertise about the INFOLOG model and INFOLOG specifications, which is made available via consultation to formulate specifications and, possibly, advice. The architecture of the knowledge base is presented by discussing its abstraction levels. This investigation provides also a methodology in structuring a systems analyst's knowledge about an application. This means how to find out the main kinds of objects, including their relationships, in some problem domain.     

A new class of intelligent knowledge-based systems with an optimisation-based inference engine

In this paper we describe a new class of intelligent knowledge-based system (IKBS) which can be used principally for managerial decision making applications. This class of applications often requires a framework for knowledge acquisition which allows the system to use the knowledge of several experts. In addition, since in most business decision making the objective is maximise profits, there is a need for an inference engine which allows optimisation to be carried out. The new class of IKBS which is described in this paper has both these properties, i.e., the ability to use the knowledge of multiple experts in a convenient way and an inference engine which by performing optimisations is able to pick out the profit maximising decisions. As an illustration of these concepts, a system for allocation decision making is described. The system ‘Retail-opt’ allows the user to solve problems like allocation of space in retail outlets, allocation of space in mail order catalogues, pricing policy decisions for discounted airline tickets, etc. In the paper, the basic concepts behind ‘Retail-opt’ are described and an application of ‘Retail-opt’ to the problem of retail space allocation in a Scandinavian Department Store is given. A number of other systems which use these concepts for more complicated competitive decision making situations are also described.     

A knowledge-based approach to CIM modeling

This paper discusses issues in building a conceptual modeling approach that has sufficient semantic power to represent the complexities of decision making in CIM systems. To express the information in a conceptual model we make use of an amalgam of powerful paradigms: a hybrid methodology, that integrates the concepts of object-oriented programming, messagepassing semantics, and temporal logic. We further illustrate an example incorporating some of these concepts.     

A formal approach to modeling office information systems

This paper formally specifies a document model for office information systems, including formal definitions of document types (frame templates), a document type hierarchy, folders, and folder organizations. Folder Organizations are defined using predicates and directed graphs. AReconstruction Problem for folder organizations is then formulated; viz., under what circumstances it is possible to reconstruct a folder organization from its folder level predicates. The Reconstruction Problem is solved in terms of such graph-theoretic concepts as Associated Digraphs, transitive closure, and redundant/nonredundant filing paths. A Transitive Closure Inversion algorithm is then presented which efficiently recovers a Folder Organization digraph from its Associated Digraph.This work was supported in part by the National Science Foundation under Grant No. IRI-9224602, by the New Jersey Institute of Technology undre Grant No. 421280 and by a grant from AT&T Foundation.     

A knowledge-based approach to design for manufacturability

In the light of growing global competition, organizations around the world today are constantly under pressure to produce high-quality products at an economical price. The integration of design and manufacturing activities into one common engineering effort has been recognized as a key strategy for survival and growth. Design for manufacturability (DFM) is an approach to design that fosters the simultaneous involvement of product design and process design. The implementation of the DFM approach requires the collaboration of both the design and manufacturing functions within an organization. Many reasons can be cited for the inability to implement the DFM approach effectively, including: lack of interdisciplinary expertise of designers; inflexibility in organizational structure, which hinders interaction between design and manufacturing functions; lack of manufacturing cost information at the design phase; and absence of integrated engineering effort intended to maximize functional and manufacturability objectives. The purpose of this research is to show how expert systems methodology could be used to provide manufacturability expertise during the design phase of a product. An object- and rule-based expert system has been developed that has the capability: (1) to make process selection decisions based on a set of design and production parameters to achieve cost-effective manufacture; and (2) to estimate manufacturing cost based on the identified processes. The expertise for primary process selection is developed for casting and forging processes. The specialized processes considered are die casting, investment casting, sand casting, precision forging, open die forging and conventional die forging. The processes considered for secondary process selection are end milling and drilling. The cost estimation expertise is developed for the die casting process, the milling and drilling operations, and the manual assembly operations. The results obtained from the application of the expert system suggest that the use of expert systems methodology is a feasible method for implementing the DFM approach.     

A knowledge-based approach to multiple query processing

The collective processing of multiple queries in a database system has recently received renewed attention due to its capability of improving the overall performance of a database system and its applicability to the design of knowledge-based expert systems and extensible database systems. A new multiple query processing strategy is presented which utilizes semantic knowledge on data integrity and information on predicate conditions of the access paths (plans) of queries. The processing of multiple queries is accomplished by the utilization of subset relationships between intermediate results of query executions, which are inferred employing both semantic and logical information. Given a set of fixed order access plans, the A^* algorithm is used to find the set of reformulated access plans which is optimal for a given collection of semantic knowledge.     

A knowledge based reliability engineering approach to manage product safety and recalls

PurposeManaging processed food products’ safety and recall is a challenge for industry and governments. Contaminated food items can create a significant public health hazard with potential for acute and chronic food borne illnesses. This industry study examines the challenges companies face while managing a processed food recall situation and devise a responsive and reliable knowledge management framework for product safety and recall supply chain for the focal global manufacturing and distribution enterprise.MethodDrawing upon the knowledge management and product safety and recall literature and reliability engineering theory, this study uses a holistic single case based approach to develop a knowledge management framework with Failure Mode Effects and Criticality Analysis (FMECA) decision model. This knowledge management decision framework facilitates analysis of the root causes for each potential major recall issue and assesses the reliability of the product safety and recall supply chain system and its critical components.ResultsThe main reasons highlighted for a recall and associated failure modes in a knowledge management framework are to devise appropriate deployment of resources, technology and procedures to recall supply chain. This study underscores specific information described by managers of a global processed food manufacturer and their perspectives about the product safety and recall process, and its complexities. Full scale implementation of product safety and recall supply chain in the proposed knowledge management framework after the current pilot study will be carried out eventually through expert systems. This operational system when fully implemented will capture the essence of decision making environments comprising goals and objectives, courses of action, resources, constraints, technology and procedures.ImplicationsThe study recognizes the significance of communication, integration, failsafe knowledge management process design framework, leveraging technology such as Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) within all levels of supply chain for product traceability and the proactive steps to help companies successfully manage a recall process and also reestablish trust among the consumers. The proposed knowledge management framework can also preempt product recall by acting as an early warning system. A formal knowledge management framework will enable a company’s knowledge be cumulative for product safety and recall and serve as an important integrating and coordinating role for the organization.     

A best practice advice system to support automotive engineering analysis processes

Engineering design teams today are often widely distributed, and design authority is shared between collaborating companies. Technology is changing rapidly, and understanding of the most appropriate approach to the application of engineering assessment tools is developing accordingly. There is therefore a need to support coordination and auditing of engineering processes, and to provide best practice advice. This paper describes a computing approach to the provision of best practice advice within a workflow-enabled engineering computing environment. The engineering context is described using a formal information model for automotive engineering analysis processes, embedded in an object database. This same model is used to associate best practice advice documents with the engineering context. The best practice adviser (BPA) system assembles four types of information: general information that is pertinent to a particular activity, irrespective of the context in which it is taking place; context-specific information that is pertinent to the particular circumstance in which an activity is taking place; errors and warnings that may be encountered in the activity, especially when software is being used, and examples of previous application of the activity in related contexts. The BPA is implemented in a three-tier architecture using server pages technology. In the absence of any suitable matching information for a particular context in the BPA database, the BPA Server can execute a close-match algorithm which searches the database for information that is provided on contexts that are close to the users interest. The paper describes the initial implementation and population of the BPA, and presents some early feedback from prototype trials.     

A knowledge-based approach to maintenance project planning

Maintenance issues comprise an important, though frequently overlooked, area of manufacturing operations. In smaller companies in particular, expertise for effective maintenance project planning may be lacking. In this paper we discuss the development of an object-oriented expert system to support such project planning. The system was developed to meet the needs of an automotive components manufacturer, and focuses solely on its material-handling-oriented projects. The microcomputer-based expert system considers issues of schedule, inventory availability and cost.     

A Delphi-based approach to developing expert systems with the cooperation of multiple experts

Knowledge acquisition has been a critical bottleneck in building knowledge-based systems. In past decades, several methods and systems have been proposed to cope with this problem. Most of these methods and systems were proposed to deal with the acquisition of domain knowledge from single expert. However, as multiple experts may have different experiences and knowledge on the same application domain, it is necessary to elicit and integrate knowledge from multiple experts in building an effective expert system. Moreover, the recent literature has depicted that “time” is an important parameter that might significantly affect the accuracy of inference results of an expert system; therefore, while discussing the elicitation of domain expertise from multiple experts, it becomes an challenging and important issue to take the “time” factor into consideration. To cope with these problems, in this study, we propose a Delphi-based approach to eliciting knowledge from multiple experts. An application on the diagnosis of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome has depicted the superiority of the novel approach.     

A generic architecture to synchronise design models issued from heterogeneous business tools: towards more interoperability between design expertises

Product development involves many experts collaborating to the same design goal. Every expert has his own formalisms and tools leading to a high heterogeneity of information systems supporting design activities. Interoperability became a major challenge to avoid information incompatibility along the product life cycle. To synchronise heterogeneous representations of product will be a major step to integrate expert activities. In this paper, the authors propose a meta-model framework to connect together heterogeneous design models. This meta-model framework is used to formalise possible interactions between heterogeneous representations. Interaction formalisation is considered as a key point to synchronise heterogeneous models and to provide more interoperability between various computer assisted systems. The synchronisation loop is also presented as a major sequence of activities to manage collaborative design. Tools to support synchronisation are proposed. However, through a basic case study, authors highlight what can be automated and where human intervention is still expected.