What is an expert system?

What is an expert system? What are technical components? Give example of expert system application in business. What are potential benefits of expert system application? What are major challenges?

According to Wikipedia, an expert system is a computer system that emulates the decision making ability of a human expert. This means they use knowledge to solve problems other than using procedures that are programmed by a programmer. They have artificial intelligence. The technical components of an expert system have two parts. There is one that is fixed which is completely separated from the expert system which is the inference engine and the other one is the knowledge base. They can do everything from answering questions or having a conversation with the human user.

They use If/then languages to express themselves. The inference engine uses logic. According to Wikipedia, there are several types of logic: propositional logic, predicates of order 1 or more, epistemic logic, modal logic, temporal logic, fuzzy logic and more. Most of them are all understood by mathematicians expect propositional logic which is understood by humans.

An application in business would having an expert system help a business's customer troubleshoot a problem they are having. For example, if Dell used an expert system, a customer would have instantaneous help instead of waiting for a representative to answer their phone. They can use a conversational program and the user can ask, "How do I turn on my computer." Then the expert system can reply, plug in the computer and press the power button." Then they can go through a list of suggestions if the user cannot figure out why their computer will not turn on.

The potential benefits of expert system applications are endless. If it is developed sophisticated enough, it can save companies money on hiring people for services such as call centers for computer troubleshooting.The expert system will act more like a human and give logical solutions instead of leading the person through troublesome procedures and steps.

One of the major challenges with expert systems is that they cannot cope with change. They cannot think and cope as well as humans do in those situations.

How knowledge management practices differ among Partners Heathcare, Nucor Steel, and Buckman Labs.

How knowledge management practices differ among Partners Healthcare, Nucor Steel, and Buckman Labs and discussing how they are different.

Nucor Steel:

Nucor Steel is the largest steel producer in the United States.Their products include carbon and alloy steel in bars, beams, sheet and plates, steel deck, steel fasteners and etc. They have more than 9,900 employees and seeks to hire and retain highly talented and productive people. Their organization is made up of four layers: The general manager, department manager, supervisor/professional, and the hourly employee. They use knowledge management through knowledge creation, knowledge acquisition and knowledge retention.

Through knowledge creation, they build top notch human capital. They locate themselves in rural areas because people there tend to have good work ethic. They have good incentive plans that motivate good work behaviors, and they also empower their employees. Even the lowest level of employees have decision making abilities.

Through knowledge acquisition  Nucor Steel has personnel with better knowledge of processes than other steel companies. They are experts in the industry.

Through knowledge retention, Nucor steel has the lowest turnover rate in their industry. They are good at finding mutual goals and interests.

Partners Healthcare:

Partners Healthcare has knowledge management system that embeds knowledge into their physicians. They focus on the physician's order entry system. If a physician enters a person's prescription into the computer then the knowledge system will determine if the drug will cause an allergic reaction or if it has negative side effects. It differs from Nucor steel's knowledge management system because Nucor uses experts in the industry to dispel knowledge throughout their company.

Buckham labs:
Source: http://www.knowledge-nurture.com/downloads/knowledge_sharing.pdf

Buckham labs knowledge management practices are through cultural development, skills development and increase in efficiency.

Through cultural development, they go through the organization's knowledge base, have a common set of values that drives trust, has trust the drives willingness to learn and expand the knowledge of the whole.

Through skills development, they have best practices disciplines and teaming/community disciplines.

Through increasing efficiency, they can provide access anywhere and anytime. They also support communication, collaboration, and coordination.