Good morning! Knowledge Management and Specialized Information - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

Good morning! Knowledge Management and Specialized Information Systems

Knowledge Management Systems

• Data consists of raw facts
• Information:

– Collection of facts organized so that they have additional value beyond the value of the facts themselves

• Knowledge:

– Awareness and understanding of a set of information and the ways that information can be made useful to support a specific task or reach a decision

Knowledge Management Systems (continued)

• Knowledge management system (KMS):

– Organized collection of people, procedures, software, databases, and devices – Used to create, store, share, and use the organization’s knowledge and experience

Knowledge Management Systems (continued)

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 and Communities of Practice

• Data workers:

– Secretaries, administrative assistants, bookkeepers, data entry people, etc.

• Knowledge workers:

– Create, use, and disseminate knowledge – Professionals in science, engineering, or business; writers; researchers; educators; corporate designers; etc.

Data and Knowledge Management Workers and Communities of Practice (continued)

• Chief knowledge officer (CKO):

– Top‐level executive who helps the organization use a KMS to create, store, and use knowledge to achieve

• rganizational goals
• Communities of practice (COP):

– Group of people dedicated to a common discipline or practice – May be used to create, store, and share knowledge

Obtaining, Storing, Sharing, and Using Knowledge

• Knowledge workers:

– Often work in teams – Can use collaborative work software and group support systems to share knowledge

• Knowledge repository:

– Includes documents, reports, files, and databases

• Knowledge map points the knowledge worker to the

needed knowledge

Obtaining, Storing, Sharing, and Using Knowledge (continued)

Knowledge Management System

Technology to Support Knowledge Management

• 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

• IBM Lotus Notes and Microsoft Dashboard, Web

Store Technology, and Access Workflow Designer are knowledge management tools

Artificial Intelligence

An Overview of Artificial Intelligence

• Artificial intelligence (AI):

– Computers with the ability to mimic or duplicate the functions of the human brain

• Computer systems that use the notion of AI:

– Help to make medical diagnoses – Pick and trade stocks

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

The Nature of Intelligence

• Characteristics of intelligent behavior include 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 (continued)

• Characteristics of intelligent behavior include the

ability to (continued):

– 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 / analogy methods

The Brain Computer Interface

• Brain Computer Interface (BCI):

– Idea is to directly connect the human brain to a computer and have human thought control computer activities

• If successful:

– The BCI experiment will allow people to control computers and artificial arms and legs through thought alone

The Major Branches of Artificial Intelligence

Expert Systems

• Hardware and software that stores knowledge and

draws conclusions, similar to a human expert

• Used in many business applications (e.g., MS Word)

Robotics

• Developing mechanical devices that can:

– Paint cars, make precision welds, and perform other tasks that require a high degree of precision

• Manufacturers use robots to locate, assemble, and

paint products

• Contemporary robotics:

– Combine both high‐precision machine capabilities and sophisticated controlling software

Vision Systems

• Hardware and software that permit computers to

capture, store, and manipulate visual images and pictures

• Effective at identifying people based on facial

features

Natural Language Processing and Voice Recognition

• Processing that allows the computer to understand

and react to statements and commands made in a “natural” language, such as English

• Levels of voice recognition:

– Command – phonetic – sound recognition – Discrete – syntactic – word recognition – Continuous – semantic – sentences recognition

Learning Systems

• Combination of software and hardware that:

– Allows the computer to change how it functions or reacts to situations based on feedback it receives

• Learning systems software:

– Requires feedback on results of actions or decisions – Feedback must indicate whether results are desirable or undesirable

Neural Networks

• Computer system that simulates functioning of a

human brain by using massively parallel processors similar to the brain’s own mesh like structure

• Can process many pieces of data at the same time

and learn to recognize patterns

• Neural network software:

– Simulates a neural network using standard computers

Neural Networks

About 10 bn neurons About 10,000 synapses per neuron

Source: http://www.willamette.edu/~gorr/classes/cs449/brain.html

Other Artificial Intelligence Applications

• Genetic algorithm:

– Approach to solving complex problems in which a number

• f 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 analogy methods, to arrive at conclusions or make suggestions

• Lantek expert system:

– CAD/CAM solution used to cut and fabricate metal into finished products (Lantek Expert Cut) – Reduces raw material waste and increases profits

Components of Expert Systems

• Expert system:

– Consists of a collection of integrated and related components

• Knowledge base:

– Stores all relevant information, data, rules, cases, and relationships used by expert system – Creates knowledge base by:

• Using rules
• Using cases

Components of Expert Systems (continued)

Participants in Developing and Using Expert Systems

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 plus

– Graphics – Audio – Video and animation – Also: File conversion and compression

• Designing a multimedia application:

– Requires careful thought and a systematic approach – Requires that the end use of the document or file be carefully considered

Overview of Virtual Reality

• Virtual reality system:

– Enables one or more users to move and react in a computer‐simulated environment

• Immersive virtual reality:

– User becomes fully immersed in an artificial, 3D world that is completely generated by a computer

Interface Devices

• To see in a virtual world:

– Often the user wears a head‐mounted display (HMD) with screens directed at each eye and a position tracker

• Haptic interface:

– Relays sense of touch and other sensations in a virtual world – Most challenging to create

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 has the potential to

superimpose digital data over real photos

• r images

Augmented Reality

Virtual Reality Applications

• Medicine:

– Help treat anxiety disorders

• Education and training:

– Create ancient Rome and Native American village – To train aircraft maintenance people and simulate various war scenarios

Virtual Reality Applications (continued)

• Business and commerce:

– To design and manufacture parts of the Boeing 787 Dreamliner – To show clients and staff the layout and capabilities of a new hospital

Specialized Systems

• Assistive technology systems

– Help overcome disabilities – Created nano particle that could destroy bacteria

• Government applications

– Create unmanned aircraft (e.g., drones) – Remotely controlled helicopters – Predict tornados

Enjoy your break!

Welcome back! Systems Development: Investigation & Analysis

Participants in Systems Development

• Development team:

– Determines objectives of the information system – Delivers system that meets objectives

• Project:

– Planned collection of activities that achieves a goal; it has a start and end date and a budget

Participants in Systems Development (continued)

• Project manager:

– Responsible for coordinating all people and resources needed to complete a project on time and within the specified budget – Needs technical, business, and people skills – Responsible for controlling project quality, training personnel, facilitating communications, managing risks, and acquiring any necessary equipment

Participants in Systems Development (continued)

• Stakeholders:

– People who ultimately benefit from project

• Users:

– People who will regularly interact with the system

• Systems analysts:

– Professional who specializes in analyzing and designing business systems

• Programmer:

– Responsible for modifying or developing programs to satisfy user requirements

Individual Systems Developers and Users

• Individual systems developer:

– Person who performs all of the systems development roles – Many apps for smartphones and other handheld computing devices are developed by individuals

• Individual users:

– Acquire applications for both personal and professional use

• End‐user systems development:

– Describes any systems development project in which business managers and users assume the primary effort

Initiating Systems Development

Information Systems Planning and Aligning Corporate and IS Goals

Information Systems Planning and Aligning Corporate and IS Goals (continued)

• Developing a competitive advantage:

– Creative analysis involves new approaches to existing problems – Critical analysis involves considering the establishment of new or different relationships among system elements and perhaps introducing new elements into the system

• Question users about their needs
• Identify and resolve objectives and orientations that

conflict

Establishing Objectives for Systems Development

• Mission‐critical systems:

– Play pivotal role in organization’s continued operations and goal attainment

• Critical success factors (CSFs):

– Factors essential to success of a functional area of an

• rganization

Establishing Objectives for Systems Development (continued)

• Performance objectives:

– Quality or usefulness of output – Accuracy of output – Speed at which output is generated – Flexibility of the system – Ease of use of the application – Scalability of resulting system – Risk of the system

Establishing Objectives for Systems Development (continued)

• Cost objectives:

– Development costs – Costs related to the uniqueness of the system application – Fixed investments in hardware and related equipment – Ongoing operating costs

Systems Development Life Cycles and Approaches (continued)

The later, the more expensive …

Systems Development Life Cycles and Approaches (continued)

• Common systems development life cycles:

– Traditional – Prototyping – Rapid application development (RAD), agile development, and other approaches – Individual development

Outsourcing, On‐Demand Computing, and Cloud Computing

• Reasons for using outsourcing and on‐demand

computing approaches:

– To reduce costs and obtain state‐of‐the‐art technology – To eliminate staffing and personnel problems – To increase technological flexibility

• Outsourcing disadvantages

– Internal expertise can be lost, loyalty can suffer – Raises security concerns

• Cloud computing disadvantages

– Security and service outages

Mobile Application Development

• Making corporate information available on mobile

devices is becoming increasingly important

• Most mobile devices use a touch interface, natural

user interface

• Difficult to find IS personnel with needed skills
• Difficult to create and maintain applications for a

wide range of mobile devices with different

• perating systems

Factors Affecting Systems Development Success

• Successful systems development:

– Delivers a system that meets user and organizational needs on time and within budget

• Critical for most systems development projects:

– Getting users and stakeholders involved

Degree of Change

• Continuous improvement projects versus

reengineering:

– Continuous improvement projects have a high degree of success – Reengineering projects tend to have a high degree of risk but also a high potential for benefits

• Managing change:

– It is essential to recognize and deal with existing or potential problems

The Importance of Planning

• The bigger the project:

– The more likely that poor planning will lead to significant problems

• Planning is the mental anticipation of future action

Systems Investigation

• Systems investigation attempts to uncover answers to the

following questions: – What primary problems might a new or enhanced system solve? – What opportunities might a new or enhanced system provide? – What new hardware, software, databases, telecommunications, personnel, or procedures will improve an existing system or are required in a new system? – What are the potential costs (variable and fixed)? – What are the associated risks?

Initiating Systems Investigation

• Systems request form:

– Submitted by someone who wants IS department to initiate systems investigation – Request helps rationalize and prioritize the activities of the IS department – Information included:

• Problems in or opportunities for system
• Objectives of systems investigation
• Overview of proposed system
• Expected costs and benefits of proposed system

Participants in Systems Investigation

• Members of system investigation team can be

diverse with members located around the world

• Responsible for gathering and analyzing data,

preparing a report justifying system development, and presenting results to top‐level managers

• Cooperation and collaboration are keys to successful

teams

Feasibility Analysis

• Assesses:

– Technical feasibility – Economic feasibility – Legal feasibility – Operational feasibility – Schedule feasibility

The Systems Investigation Report

• Summarizes results of systems investigation and the

process of feasibility analysis

• Recommends a course of action:

– Continue on into systems analysis – Modify the project in some manner – Drop the project

• Reviewed by senior management organized as an

advisory committee or steering committee

Systems Analysis

• Goal is to answer the question What must the

information system do to solve the problem?

• Overall emphasis of analysis:

– Gathering data on existing system – Determining requirements for new system – Considering alternatives – Investigating feasibility of solutions

• Primary outcome of systems analysis:

– Prioritized list of systems requirements

General Considerations

• Clarify the goals of the organization and determine

how the information system helps meet them

• Steps of a formalized analysis procedure:

– Assembling participants for systems analysis – Collecting data and requirements – Analyzing data and requirements – Preparing a report on existing system, new system requirements, and project priorities

Participants in Systems Analysis

• Includes some or all members of the original

investigation team

• Systems analysis team develops:

– List of objectives and activities – Schedule for meeting the objectives and completing the specific activities – Deadlines for each stage – Statement of the resources required at each stage

Data Collection

• Identifying sources of data:

– Internal and external sources

• Collecting data:

– Structured and unstructured Interviews – Direct observation – Questionnaires – Statistical sampling

Data Collection

Data Analysis

• Data modeling

– Frequently employs entity‐relationship diagrams

• Activity modeling

– Use of data‐flow diagram is common

• Application flowcharts

– Show relationships among applications

Requirements Analysis

• Purpose is to determine user, stakeholder, and
• rganizational needs
• Techniques used to capture systems requirements:

– Asking directly – Critical success factors (CSFs) – IS plan – Screen and report layout – Requirements analysis tools

The Systems Analysis Report

• Elements:

– Strengths and weaknesses of existing system from a stakeholder’s perspective – User/stakeholder requirements for new system (also called functional requirements) – Organizational requirements for new system – Description of what new information system should do to solve the problem

Please find your Review Questions on the course Web page. Thank you!