Applied Artificial Intelligence and the Management of Knowledge

Previously we suggested that knowledge can only be gleaned from data/information if it is presented in a meaningful way to its users (Ferguson, 1997). The approach described here builds on this previous research which agrees with Galliers’ (1995) statement that the important question in information systems strategy is determination of the key information requirements to meet individual needs.This paper discusses the information needs of product design teams and focuses on customer feedback, standard parts and form features from existing product as being essential to their function. We propose that a hybrid approach using the techniques of data mining and case-basedreasoning may provide an increased problem solving ability for product designers. Both data mining and CBR are used to solve a problem — not purely answer a query, and it is further proposed that enabling designers the ability to solve problems from disparate corporate data sources is a major step in the implementation of effective knowledge management within the organisation.

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