Ch 7 - Knowledge Management and Specialized Information Systems

Information

collection of facts organised so they have additional value beyond 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 (KMS)

is an organised collection of people, procedures, software, databases, and devices.

Explicit Knowledge

is objective, can be measured and documented in reports, papers, and rulers

Tacit Knowledge

hard to measure and document, typically not objective or formalised

Chief Knowledge Officer (CKO)

top-level executive who helps the organisation use a KMS to create, store, and use knowledge to achieve organisational goals

Data workers

secretaries, administrative assistants, bookkeepers

Knowledge workers

create, use, and disseminate knowledge

Communities of Practice (COP)

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

Knowledge repository

includes documents, reports, files and databases

Knowledge map

directory that points the knowledge worker to the needed knowledge

Effective KMS

is based on learning new knowledge and changing procedure and approaches as a result

Artificial Intelligence

computers with the ability to mimic or duplicate the functions of the human brain

Artificial intelligence systems

include the people, procedures, hardware, software, data, and knowledge needed to develop computer systems and machines that demonstrate characteristics of human intelligence

Turing Test

determines whether responses from a computer with high intelligence are distinguishable from a human being

Brain computer interface (BCI)

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

Expert systems

hardware and software that stores knowledge and makes inferences, similar to human expert

Robotics

mechanical devices that can perform tasks that require a high degree of precision

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

processing that allows the computer to understand and react to statements and commands made in a “natural” language

Voice recognition

converting sound waves into words

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

Neural Networks

computer system that simulates functioning of a human brain
Can process many pieces of data at the same time

Neural network program

helps engineers slow or speed drilling operations to help increase accuracy/reduce costs

Genetic Algorithm

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, process, or another program

Computerised expert systems

systems that use heuristics (techniques) to arrive at conclusions or make suggestions

Knowledge base

stores all relevant information, data, rules, cases, and relationship used by expert system
Created by using rules and cases

Inference Engine

seeks information and relationships from the knowledge base
Provides answers, predictions, and suggestions like a human expert

Explanation Facility

allows user or decision maker to understand how the expert system arrived at certain conclusions or results

Knowledge Acquisition facility

provides convenient and efficient means of capturing and string all components of knowledge base

Knowledge acquisition software

Can present users and decision makers with easy to use menus

User Interface

permits decision makers to develop and use their own expert systems
- Main purpose: to make development and use of an expert system easier for users and decision makers

Domain Expert

person or group with the expertise or knowledge the expert system is trying to capture

Knowledge engineer

person who has training in the design, development, implementation, and maintenance of an expert system

Knowledge user

person or group who uses and benefits from the expert system

(Multimedia and VR) Virtual reality system

enables one or more users to move and react in a computer-simulated environment

(Multimedia and VR) Immersive virtual reality

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

(interface devices) Haptic interface

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

(specialised system) Game theory

uses information systems to develop competitive strategies for people, organisations, or even countries

(specialised systems) Informatics

combines traditional disciplines, such as science and medicine, with computer systems and technology