ES/EIS/ESS Rev: Feb, 2012 Euiho (David) Suh, Ph.D. POSTECH Strategic Management of Information and Technology Laboratory (POSMIT: Dept. of Industrial & Management Engineering POSTECH

Contents ※ Discussion Questions 1Expert System (ES) 2Executive Information System (EIS) 3Expert Support System (ESS) 4Case Study

3 Discussion Questions ■What is expert system (ES)? Why does a company need ES? ■What are the advantages and the limitations of ES? ■Explain ES compared with DSS ■What are the CSFs (Critical Success Factors) for ES? ■What is Executive Information System (EIS)? What are the key CSFs for EIS? ■Explain the most important part of EIS Development Process ■Explain Expert Support System (ESS) compared with ES? Note that there are two different translations for the acronym ESS. ■What situations are suitable for DSS/ES/EIS/ESS/ExSS applications respectively? (ExSS stands for Expert Support Systems)

4 Introduction to Expert System (ES) ■Definition –Computer-based information systems that use expert knowledge to attain high-level decision performance in a narrowly defined problem domain ■Features of ES 1. Expert System ExpertiseContaining expertise that enables ES to make expert-level decisions Symbolic reasoning Containing symbolically represented knowledge and symbolic primary reasoning mechanism Deep knowledge Containing complex knowledge not easily found among nonexperts Self- knowledge Learning from its successes and failures as well as other knowledge sources and examining its own reasoning and providing proper explanations

5 Important Concepts in ES ■Experts –Degrees or levels of expertise –Nonexperts outnumber experts often by 100 to 1 ■Transferring Expertise –From expert to computer to nonexperts via acquisition, representation, inferencing, transfer ■Inferencing –Knowledge = Facts + Procedures (Rules) –Reasoning/thinking performed by a computer ■Rules (IF … THEN …) ■Explanation Capability (Why? How?) 1. Expert System

6 Conceptual Architecture of a Typical ES 1. Expert System

7 Application of ES ■ES Application Categories –Decision management –Diagnostic/Troubleshooting –Design/Configuration –Selection/Classification –Process Monitoring/Control ■Examples of Application –DENDRAL Applied knowledge (i.e., rule-based reasoning) Deduced likely molecular structure of compounds –MYCIN A rule-based expert system Used for diagnosing and treating bacterial infections –XCON A rule-based expert system Used to determine the optimal information systems configuration 1. Expert System

8 Benefits of ES ■Capture Scarce Expertise ■Increased Productivity and Quality ■Decreased Decision Making Time ■Reduced Downtime via Diagnosis ■Easier Equipment Operation ■Elimination of Expensive Equipment ■Ability to Solve Complex Problems ■Knowledge Transfer to Remote Locations ■Integration of Several Experts' Opinions ■Can Work with Uncertain Information 1. Expert System

9 Limitations of ES ■Processing not available knowledge ■Extracting expertise from humans ■Fear of sharing expertise ■Conflicts in dealing with multiple experts ■Narrow domain of knowledge ■Highly technical experts’ vocabulary ■Rare and expensive knowledge engineers ■Lack of trust by end-users ■Occasionally producing incorrect recommendations 1. Expert System

10 Critical Successful Factors (CSF) for ES ■Sufficiently high level of knowledge ■At least one cooperative expert ■Mostly qualitative problem ■Problem in sufficiently narrow scope ■High quality, friendly user interface, naturally string and manipulating the knowledge 1. Expert System

11 Introduction to Executive Information System (EIS) ■Definition –A computerized user-friendly system specially designed to meet the needs of top executives and to eliminate the need for intermediaries ■Capabilities –Tracking and control –Tailoring to the individual executives decision making style –Status access, namely rapid access to current information –Extensive use of data from external source 2. Executive Information System

12 EIS Development Framework EIS DEVELOPMENT Executive Requirement EIS product Development methodology(CSF) Standard(naming convention) External & Internal Pressure Spread EIS capabilities Development skills Cost/time Software(EIS generator, DBMS) Hardware Personnel Internal & External Data MIS environment(system config.) 2. Executive Information System

13 EIS Development Process I. Preliminary Study II. Application Study III. Prototype Construction IV. System Design V. Final System Construction VI. Testing VII. Installation General Info. for EIS Design info. For Prototype Prototype Implementation Plan Full-systems Improved systems STAGEDELIVERABLE Needs for EIS development VIII. Extension Plan for extension 2. Executive Information System

14 CSF for EIS ■Committed and Informed Executive sponsor ■Operating Sponsor ■Appropriate Information service staff ■Appropriate Information Technology ■Data management ■Clear Links to Business Objectives ■Management of Organizational Resistance ■Management of the Spread and Evolution of the system 2. Executive Information System

15 Expert Support System (ESS) ■Definition –A computer program that uses specialized symbolic reasoning to help experts solve difficult problems effectively ■ES vs. ESS ■Characteristics of Problems suitable for ESS –Unencodable problem solving knowledge –Need for a strong user interface –Accessibility and malleability 3. Expert Support System CriteriaESESS TechniquesSimilar ObjectiveTo solve problemsTo help experts solve problems Decision-makerMachine (System)Human-being

16 Case Study 4. Case Study

17 Reference ■Euiho Suh, “DSS/EIS/DW/OLAP (PPT Slide)”, POSMIT Lab. (POSTECH Strategic Management of Information and Technology Laboratory)Euiho Suh, “DSS/EIS/DW/OLAP (PPT Slide)”, POSMIT Lab. (POSTECH Strategic Management of Information and Technology Laboratory) ■O’Brien & Marakas, “Introduction to Information Systems – Fifteenth Edition”, McGraw – Hill, Chapter 9, pp. 349~403O’Brien & Marakas, “Introduction to Information Systems – Fifteenth Edition”, McGraw – Hill, Chapter 9, pp. 349~403 ■Efraim Turban, Ramesh Sharda, Dursun Delen, “Decision Support and Business Intelligence systems – Ninth Edition”, Pearson, Chapter 12, pp.530~579Efraim Turban, Ramesh Sharda, Dursun Delen, “Decision Support and Business Intelligence systems – Ninth Edition”, Pearson, Chapter 12, pp.530~579 ■Yunmi Lee, “DSS & ES (PPT Slide)”, POSMIT Lab. (POSTECH Strategic Management of Information and Technology Laboratory)Yunmi Lee, “DSS & ES (PPT Slide)”, POSMIT Lab. (POSTECH Strategic Management of Information and Technology Laboratory) ■Ralph M. Stair, George Walter Reynolds, “Fundamentals of Information Systems – Third Edition” – Thomson/Course Technology, Chapter 6Ralph M. Stair, George Walter Reynolds, “Fundamentals of Information Systems – Third Edition” – Thomson/Course Technology, Chapter 6 ■Jaimee Swiercinsky, Matt Kipp, “Expert Systems (PPT Slide)”Jaimee Swiercinsky, Matt Kipp, “Expert Systems (PPT Slide)”