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Area 1 - DATABASES AND INFORMATION SYSTEMS INTEGRATION
Area 2 - ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE AND DECISION SUPPORT SYSTEMS
Area 3 - INFORMATION SYSTEMS ANALYSIS AND SPECIFICATION
Area 4 - INTERNET COMPUTING AND ELECTRONIC COMMERCE
Area 1 - DATABASES AND INFORMATION SYSTEMS INTEGRATION
| Title: |
INTEGRATING
ENTERPRISE MODELS FOR BANKS |
| Author(s): |
Khaled Naboulsi
|
| Abstract: |
The demand for change in the banking industry has been
continuous. During the past decade alone, the banking industry has
encountered events that have forced banking to an enterprise level never
before seen. These events include increased competition both among banks
and non-banks competitors, an increased awareness in customer preferences,
and technological advances in distributed systems. Banking institutions
need to adopt new system approaches to compete, or face their own demise.
Traditional integration models focus on application logic to solve
compatibility issues. We examined the Application Development Model (AD)
and the Workflow Management System that uses CORBA-Event Services as two
alternative approaches to resolving the banking industry’s problems.
However, due to the volatility of banking as an industry, it would appear
more appropriate for developers to seek out alternatives that offer more
flexibility, especially in light of the problems related to legacy
systems. Utilizing a middleware such as CORBA provides an industry such as
banking with solutions that address the issues of scalability,
performance, and flexibility. |
|
| Title: |
DOMAIN
KNOWLEDGE AS CORPORATE RESOURCE OF FINANCIAL FIRMS |
| Author(s): |
Michael
S. H. Heng and Steve C.A. Peters |
| Abstract: |
It is almost a cliché to say that we live in a knowledge
society and that knowledge is an important resource of firms in their
production of goods and provision of services to their clients. However it
is not so easy to find many examples showing the use of domain knowledge
in financial companies. This paper reports the case of how a vehicle lease
company in the Netherlands combines the use of domain knowledge and
information technology into an expert system to automate the control of
vehicle maintenance activity. The results benefit all parties concerned.
The lease company can control the vehicle repair and maintenance works
more efficiently. For the customers, it is higher rate of vehicle
utilisation, greater safety and lower costs. The dealers who carry out the
repairs and maintenance can do their work faster, and are paid immediately
and automatically via the banks, resulting in lower administrative costs.
The case story suggests that domain knowledge can be perceived as a
corporate resource and its utilisation can produce values for the
stakeholders. We propose that financial firms (1) see themselves as
knowledge system, as a network of knowledge nodes serving their customers,
(2) consider knowledge intensive firms as their role models. We draw on an
idea of Friedrich Hayek who perceives the economic problem of society as a
problem of the utilisation of knowledge not given to anyone in its
totality. The paper concludes by discussing some organizational obstacles
on the road to re-invent banks into knowledge systems. |
|
| Title: |
EVALUATION
OF A VISUALISATION DESIGN FOR KNOWLEDGE SHARING AND INFORMATION DISCOVERY |
| Author(s): |
Luis
Borges Gouveia and Feliz Ribeiro Gouveia |
| Abstract: |
This paper presents a tool using a 3D interactive
visualisation system that allows knowledge sharing and information
discovery. The tool proposes a visualisation design using direct
manipulation techniques to convey information about a structure for
knowledge sharing. The structure describes a knowledge theme described as
a set of concepts. The set of concepts provides a particular context
description about the knowledge being shared. The application tested and
presented in this paper uses the set of concepts to direct searches in the
World Wide Web. The visualisation design is briefly presented and
preliminary evaluation results are reported. These results show that the
system tends to be better supporting people with some knowledge expertise
about the knowledge being shared even if they have little World Wide Web
expertise. These results seem to show some potential for the visualisation
design as an interface for both knowledge sharing and information
discovery for people that have already some knowledge expertise about a
given theme, but usually suffer from information overload or lack of
knowledge about the structure of large information spaces, such as the
World Wide Web. |
|
| Title: |
A
DECISION SUPPORT SYSTEM MODEL FOR SUBJECTIVE DECISIONS |
| Author(s): |
Vishv Malhotra
|
| Abstract: |
. Modern government and business units routinely collect
and store structured data of general interest to them. In the course of
their operations, these organisations often need to take decisions that do
not directly follow from the available data. Specialised managerial skills
are needed to interpret the data and derive useful conclusions. Subjective
assumptions and judgments are made by the mangers to interpret the data.
Where the data volume is large, it may be difficult to sift the data, as
the managerial skills may not be available for the repeated evaluation of
every entity in the database. A decision support system is needed that can
be easily reprogrammed to cater for the subjective judgments and biases of
the decision-makers. In this paper, we develop a model for a decision
support system to identify promising entities based on the subjective
preferences. The model can easily be integrated with a relational database
system/tool such as Microsoft Access to examine entities in the database
and to highlight those that have superior potential based on the
decision-makers subjective judgments. |
|
| Title: |
XML
INTERFACE FOR OBJECT ORIENTED DATABASES |
| Author(s): |
Frank Van
Lingen |
| Abstract: |
Within CERN (European Organization for Nuclear Research)
there are different data sources (different in format, type and
structure). Several of these sources will be flat files or data sources
other than databases. To create a common interface to these sources, we
decided to use XML (eXtended Markup Language). XML is becoming the de
facto standard for data (exchange). Because of this there is a large
number of developers of tools. This document describes a mechanism to
access object-oriented databases as an XML document by using serialization
on demand. Furthermore it discusses an extension of XML to achieve
this. |
|
| Title: |
METADATA
FOR THE SEMI-STRUCTURED MONO-MEDIA DOCUMENTS |
| Author(s): |
Ikram
Amous and Anis Jedidi |
| Abstract: |
One of the main information retrieval problems on the Web
is related to the poverty of describing and cataloguing any information
type. One proposal to cope with this lack consists in introducing the
metadata concept to enrich and structure information description and
improve searching relevance. We propose here a contribution to extend the
existing metadata by a set of metadata describing documents resulting from
various media (text, image, audio and video). These metadata, structured
with XML, makes it possible to model document indexing by their content
and/or structure and to process them by query languages. |
|
| Title: |
NOVEL DATA VISUALISATION AND EXPLORATION IN MULTIDIMENSIONAL DATASETS |
| Author(s): |
Nikolaos Kotsis, George R S Weir, John D Ferguson and Douglas R MacGregor |
| Abstract: |
Commonly, decision support systems require large-scale
data analysis facilities for efficient decision-making. While OLAP tools
provide multidimensional analysis, traditional visualisations prove
inadequate as means of viewing and exploring complex relationships across
multiple dimensions. Commercial databases often support a variety of two
or three dimensional visualisation facilities, including bar charts,
scatter diagrams, data plots, and cross tabulations. In this context, the
present paper describes a novel approach to the problem of access and
visualisation for data in complex hierarchical datasets. The approach
integrates a novel browsing technique, which affords user navigation in
several levels of summary information, with a modified scatter projection
of the measure of interest. A prototype implementation of the proposed
approach has been developed. This is described and advocated as a
multidimensional interface for OLAP that addresses several significant
issues in visualisation and exploration of multidimensional
datasets. |
|
| Title: |
AN INSIGHT INTO THE AUSTRALIAN THE ERP MARKET |
| Author(s): |
Paul Hawking and Andrew Stein |
| Abstract: |
The global ERP industry blossomed in the 1990’s automating
back office operations. Research up to date has been limited especially in
the relation to market penetration of these products around the world.
This paper presents an analysis of the Australasian ERP market place. It
looks at the market movement and demographics of companies that have
implemented SAP software, the dominant ERP vendor within the Australasian
marketplace. The 387 SAP customers are classified by industry sector,
size, and software implemented to establish metrics for ERP implementation
pertaining to the region. |
|
| Title: |
OBJECT MODELS FOR MODEL BASED APPLICATIONS |
| Author(s): |
Giorgio Bruno and Marco Torchiano |
| Abstract: |
Web based systems in general, and e-commerce applications
in particular, are required to face a very high pace of change. The
evolution of such systems is caused both by adaptation to the customer
needs and enterprise continuous improvement strategies. Such rapid change
can be achieved adopting a model-based approach in which the application
is customized according to a model. The concept of model proposed in this
paper is more wide that the one adopted in most modeling languages such as
UML. We propose an object model that allows an application access the
model according to different perspectives and abstraction levels. |
|
| Title: |
ARCHITECTURE FOR REENGINEERING LEGACY DATABASES |
| Author(s): |
Prasad N. Sivalanka, S. V. Subrahmanya and Rakesh Agarwal |
| Abstract: |
There exist different methods to facilitate database
design recovery under the framework of software engineering and
reengineering. These tools and methods are usually limited to a particular
scenario and requirement, and thus, not generic. In most cases, new tools
and methods need to be redeveloped to suit these scenarios. This can
result in a significant waste of effort and increased costs. In this paper
we describe a generic architecture for reengineering legacy databases,
which is an outcome of working on a real software project for one of our
customers 1 . The goal of this research is to formalize a process that is
applicable to different database reengineering scenarios and requirements.
We elaborate the steps that were actually done for implementing the
project. |
|
| Title: |
REDUCING INCONSISTENCY IN DATA WAREHOUSES |
| Author(s): |
Sergio Luján-Mora and Enrique Montenegro |
| Abstract: |
One of the main problems in integrating databases into a
common repository is the possible inconsistency of the values stored in
them, i.e., the very same term may have different values, due to
misspelling, a permuted word order, spelling variants and so on. In this
paper, we present an automatic method for reducing inconsistency found in
existing databases, and thus, improving data quality. All the values that
refer to a same term are clustered by measuring their degree of
similarity. The clustered values can be assigned to a common value that,
in principle, could substitute the original values. We evaluate different
similarity measures for clustering. The method we propose gives good
results with a considerably low error rate. |
|
| Title: |
A STRATEGY TO DEVELOPMENT ADAPTIVE WORKERS
INFORMATION MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS |
| Author(s): |
Irene Luque Ruiz, Enrique López Espinosa, Gonzalo Cerruela García and Miguel Ángel Gómez-Nieto |
| Abstract: |
Difficulties arising in the management of the information
corresponding to the workers (Curriculum Vitae) are created on one hand by
the heterogeneity (multimedia data), lack of structure and sheer volume of
this information, and on the other by the need to analyze and make best
use of these data through complex queries whose results must comply with
predetermined standards or preferences ---delicate processes indeed, given
the nature of the information under scrutiny. A system for the management
of this information must thus combine a multitude of features to permit
the manipulation of highly-structured data (classical business management
systems), immense volumes of information (electronic libraries) and
multimedia (image databases, sound, etc.). The present study is centered
on an analysis of the characteristics of this information and presents a
model which, by focusing on the nature of basic information units and
taking into account the independence between structure and information,
strives to afford adaptability to the requirements and standards of the
organizational environment, while remaining highly adaptable to subsequent
changes. |
|
| Title: |
ESTABLISHING THE IMPORTANCE OF ERP IMPLEMENTATION
CRITICAL SUCCESS FACTORS ALONG ASAP METHODOLOGY PROCESSES |
| Author(s): |
José Esteves and Joan Pastor |
| Abstract: |
This research in progress paper seeks to establish the
relationship between critical success factors of ERP implementations and
the ASAP methodology processes. Applying the process quality management
method and the grounded theory method we derived a matrix of critical
success factors versus ASAP processes. This relationship will help
managers to develop better strategies for supervising and controlling SAP
implementation projects. |
|
| Title: |
KNOWLEDGE-POWERED EXECUTIVE INFORMATION SYSTEM DESIGN |
| Author(s): |
Sander Nijbakker and Bob Wielinga |
| Abstract: |
Why do we want an Enterprise Ontology (Architecture)? If
we want to design an World Wide / Global Enterprise Information system, we
need a rigid (ordered) structure at the top and adaptability at the
bottom. Most ontologies stop at the level of best-practices or activities.
To find the root structure we have to abstract a little further to the
most abstract (atomic) ontology. This generic ontology is filled with the
elementary business concepts comprising the atomic intelligent enterprise
architecture. Ideas, methodology and application thereof. |
|
| Title: |
MySDI: A GENERIC ARCHITECTURE TO DEVELOP SDI PERSONALISED SERVICES |
| Author(s): |
João Ferreira and Alberto Silva |
| Abstract: |
We introduce in this paper a generic architecture to deal
with the general problem: “How to Deliver the Right Information to the
Right User?”. We discuss this issue through the proposal of our SDI
(Selective Dissemination of Information) Personalised Architecture, called
MySDI, which is based on the software agent paradigm as well as on
information retrieval techniques. In order to clarify and validate this
proposal we also introduce in this paper a prototype service, called
MyGlobalNews, which should be a public service to provide personalised
news. |
|
| Title: |
DATA WAREHOUSE STRIPING: IMPROVED QUERY RESPONSE TIME |
| Author(s): |
Jorge Bernardino and Henrique Madeira |
| Abstract: |
The increasing use of decision support systems led to an
explosion in the amount of business information that must be managed by
the data warehouses. Therefore, data warehouses must have efficient Online
Analytical Processing (OLAP) that provides tools to satisfy the
information needs of business managers, helping them to make faster and
more effective decisions. Different techniques are used to improve query
response time in data warehouses, ranging from classical database indexes
and query optimization strategies to typical data warehouse materialized
views and partitioning. But until now most of the works concentrate on
centralized data warehouses where a single computer contains all the data.
However, a large centralized data warehouse is very expensive because of
the great setup costs and does not take advantage of the distributed
nature of actual organizations operating worldwide. In this paper, we
propose a data partitioning approach specially designed for distributed
data warehouse environments called data warehouse striping (DWS). This
technique takes advantage of the specific characteristics of star schemas
and typical OLAP query profile guaranteeing optimal load balance of query
execution and assuring high scalability. The proposed schema is evaluated
experimentally for most typical OLAP operations using different types of
queries and it is shown that an optimal speedup can be obtained. |
|
| Title: |
IODBCON: A INTEGRTED OBJECT-ORIENTED DATABASE SYSTEM FOR
INTEGRATING INFORMATION ABOUT ARCHITECTURE DESIGN AND
CONSTRUCTION PROCESSES |
| Author(s): |
Farhi Marir and Yau Jim Yip |
| Abstract: |
This paper presents IODBCON (Integrated Object Database
for Construction), an interactive system for integrating CAD and
construction related applications to address the problems of design
fragmentation and the gap that exists between construction and design
processes. It provides a vehicle for storing architectural design
information in an integrated construction object-oriented database that
can be shared by a range of computer applications. The IODBCON model is
characterised by several new features. It uses the object-oriented
modelling approach to establish standard models for architectural design
that comply with Industry Foundation Classes (IFC) for common
interpretation of construction design objects and with CORBA (Common
Object Request Broker Architecture) for distribution of the objects
amongst the construction applications. It aims to achieve independence
from the display environment by providing a set of Abstract Factory and
Abstract Design Classes, which provide abstractions that the design model
classes can use to draw and render themselves in any display environments.
More importantly, graphical and textual information about the building
design components is directly saved as instances in an object-oriented
database without passing through the existing CAD databases. To
demonstrate the independence from the display environment, two
applications using IODBCON models are implemented. The first is an
interactive AutoCAD application, which creates instances of the IODBCON
design model and stores them directly in the distributed object database.
The second A web-based application using VRML (Virtual Reality Modelling
Language) for remotely interrogating information stored within the
integrated database, visualising and manipulating the design components in
3D environment. Also, to demonstrate the feasibility and practicability of
the OSCON (Open Systems for Construction) object-oriented product model,
three OSCON construction applications that access and share the IODBCON
building design instances are presented. |
|
| Title: |
THE CONCEPT OF INFORMATIONAL ECOLOGY |
| Author(s): |
Luigi Lancieri |
| Abstract: |
Through the metaphor of informational ecology this
document gives a report on the various information re-use strategies in
the company. We propose a segmentation model of these strategies and an
evaluation method of its benefit. We insist on the re-use of the
information contained in intermediate spaces of storages which are the
proxy-caches, the news servers or other types of shared memories available
in the company. We show, with examples, that informational ecology can be
advantageous in more than one way and in particular to optimize the
information management in the company. |
|
| Title: |
MODELLING DATA INTEGRATION IN AN OBJECT BASED GEOGRAPHICAL INFORMATION
SYSTEM |
| Author(s): |
Maria Luisa Damiani |
| Abstract: |
The integration of geographical data from multiple and
heterogeneous sources is a complex process generally performed in an
incremental way. Current Gis systems provide a wide range of services to
support at least physical data integration. A critical point in the
development of a Gis application is the design of the integration process.
Such a design is necessary to plan out the integration operations which
are to be performed to achieve an effective database. Integration process
modeling can simplify both the analysis and the documentation of the
database construction. In the paper a possible and general approach to the
problem is discussed. A case study of spatial data integration in the
nautical field is finally presented. |
|
| Title: |
INTEGRATING ASSOCIATION RULE MINING ALGORITHMS WITH
RELATIONAL DATABASE SYSTEMS |
| Author(s): |
Jochen Hipp, Ulrich Güntzer and Udo Grimmer |
| Abstract: |
Mining for association rules is one of the fundamental
data mining methods. In this paper we describe how to eÆciently integrate
association rule mining al- gorithms with relational database systems.
From our point of view direct access of the algorithms to the database
system is a basic requirement when transferring data mining technology
into daily operation. This is especially true in the context of large data
warehouses, where exporting the mining data and preparing it outside the
database system becomes annoying or even infeasible. The development of
our own approach is mainly motivated by shortcomings of current solutions.
We inves- tigate the most challenging problems by contrasting the
prototypical but somewhat academic association mining scenario from basket
analysis with a real-world appli- cation. We thoroughly compile the
requirements arising from mining an operative data warehouse at
DaimlerChrysler. We generalize the requirements and address them by
developing our own approach. We explain its basic design and give the
details behind our implementation. Based on the warehouse, we evaluate our
own approach together with commercial mining solutions. It turns out that
regarding runtime and scalability we clearly outperform the commercial
tools accessible to us. More important, our new approach supports mining
tasks that are not directly addressable by commercial mining
solutions. |
|
| Title: |
A UNIVERSAL TECHNIQUE FOR RELATING HETEROGENEOUS DATA MODELS |
| Author(s): |
David Nelson,
Michael Heather and Brian Nicholas Rossiter |
| Abstract: |
Interoperability is considered in the context of the ISO
standards for the Information Resource Dictionary System (IRDS) which
provide a complete definition of an information system from real-world
abstractions through constructs employed for data and function
descriptions to the physical data values held on disk. The IRDS gives a
four-level architecture which is considered 1) informally in terms of an
interpretation of the levels and the level-pairs between them, 2) in terms
of mappings between the levels and 3) formally in terms of a composition
of functors and adjoints across the various levels. An example is given of
the application of IRDS in a categorical context comparing the mappings
from abstractions to values in relational and object-based systems. Such
comparisons provide a route for interoperability between heterogeneous
systems. |
|
| Title: |
EXPLOITING TEMPORAL GIS AND SPATIO-TEMPORAL DATA TO ENHANCE
TELECOM NETWORK PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT |
| Author(s): |
Dragan
Stojanovic, Slobodanka Djordjevic-Kajan and Zoran Stojanovic |
| Abstract: |
In this paper, modeling and management of
spatio-temporal-thematic data within an object-oriented GIS application
framework, are presented. The object-oriented modeling concepts have been
applied in integration of spatial, thematic and temporal geographic
information in spatio-temporal object model. Based on model implementation
and development of appropriate components for temporal GIS application
functionality, a temporal GIS application framework has been developed.
Description of its architecture and functional components dedicated to
management of temporal aspect of geographic information is given. Planning
and development of telecommunication networks using temporal GIS
application, developed around application framework are presented. Great
performance and qualitative improvements and benefits enabled by such GIS
developments are described. |
|
| Title: |
STRATEGIC IS PLANNING PRACTICES |
| Author(s): |
Mario Spremic and Ivan Strugar |
| Abstract: |
The role of information technology in recent years grows
in its importance. Thus the strategic IS planning becomes a part of
company strategic business plans. This paper presents the results of
survey on the strategic IS planning practices of Croatian companies. The
result of the survey are compared with similar surveys in Slovenia and
Singapore. In large Croatian companies IT is still concerned just as a
tool for automatization of present business processes, completely
neglecting challenging role of IT as competitive resource on market. It is
obvious that source of this problems comes from lack of knowledge and
interest from top management structures of large corporations. Thus the
significant efforts must be done on management side, and solution lays
maybe in necessity to develop completely new hybrid manager profile.
Evidently that this type of manager must get additional knowledge in
strategic business planning and IT management. |
|
| Title: |
PRESENTATION OF AN INFORMATION SYSTEMS ARCHITECTURE MODEL
FOR PUBLIC SECTOR |
| Author(s): |
Tania Fatima Calvi Tait and Roberto C. S. Pacheco |
| Abstract: |
This paper presents an information systems architecture
(ISA) model that comprises the integration of information systems,
technology, business processes and users in public sector environment. The
ISA model presented considers specific aspects of the public sector as
well characteristics of information systems development and use in this
sector found in the literature and in the studies realized in informatic
services Brazilian State public enterprises. The model proposed is based
in the business, information technology (IT) and information systems
integration and it was structured with five components: (a) Government
structure (mission and organizational culture, Planning and government
platform); (b) Public services (considered the “ business” of public
structure, with the information for citizens, for top level and government
administrative technical); (c) Information systems (by including the
legacy systems and executives systems information); (d) Information
technology (centered in investment policies and the government
computational platforms – as micro-computer and mainframe relationship)
and (e) Users (centered in the necessities for public – training,
adaptation and use of the SI). The model proposed was submitted to
validation from informatic services Brazilian State public enterprises.
The results point out the relevance of the integrated vision of their
components and they permit to establish strategies for implantation of ISA
model, in order to observing public sector specificity. |
|
| Title: |
SUPPORTING QUERY PROCESSING ACROSS APPLICATION SYSTEMS |
| Author(s): |
Klaudia Hergula, Gunnar Beck and Theo Härder |
| Abstract: |
With the emergence of so-called application systems which
encapsulate data-bases and related application components, pure data
integration using, for example, a fed-erated database system is not
possible anymore. Instead, access via predefined functions is the only way
to get data from an application system. As a result, the combination of
generic query as well as predefined function access is needed in order to
integrate heterogeneous data sources. In this paper, we present a
middleware approach supporting this novel and extended kind of
integration. Starting with the overall architecture, we explain the
function-ality and cooperation of its core components: a federated
database system (FDBS) and a workflow management system (WfMS) connected
via a wrapper. Afterwards, we concen-trate on essential aspects of query
processing across these heterogeneous components. Motivated by
optimization demands for such query processing, we describe the native
func-tionality provided by the WfMS. Moreover, we discuss how this
functionality can be extended within the wrapper in order to obtain
salient features for query optimization. |
|
| Title: |
OBJECT EVOLUTION MECHANISMS IN OBJECT DATABASES |
| Author(s): |
Slimane Hammoudi |
| Abstract: |
Nowadays, most Object Oriented Database Systems (OODBs)
display serious shortcoming in their ability to model the evolving and
multifaceted nature of common real world entities. While researcher in
knowledge representation systems have been aware of this problem for some
time, database systems represent an environment in which this problem is
particularly severe. OODBs store objects over longer periods, during which
the represented entities evolve. The intimate and permanent binding of an
object to a single type (class) inhibits the tracking of real-world
entities over time. In recent years, various mechanisms for supporting
many-faceted and evolving objects in the context of object oriented data
models have been proposed in the literature. This paper examines in a
first part the semantics associated with object evolution and explores the
implications of these semantics on object oriented concepts. In a second
part, we discusses features regarding the functionality’s of various
object evolution mechanisms proposed in the literature in the context of
OODBs and finally compares four representatives and more recent works in
this area. |
|
| Title: |
INTEGRATION OF DIFFERENT DATA SOURCES AND MESSAGE QUEUING SYSTEM
IN POSTNET-CASE STUDIES |
| Author(s): |
Dejan Damnjanovic, Zoran Ristic, Miodrag Stanic, Petar Opacic, Boban Peric and Maja Radovanovic |
| Abstract: |
In the last 3 years the Post of Serbia has built a large
enterprise network called Postnet. It is organized like an intranet,
connecting all parts of the postal system nationwide. Besides connecting
internal users, the goal of Postnet was to connect various external
systems such as banks, the Telecom of Serbia, Internet providers, tourist
agencies etc. Many of them require on-line real time transactions to
different data sources like Oracle, IBM DB2 or MS SQL Server DBMS. Since
each post-office is using local SQL Server database with its copy of
necessary data, it was needed to ensure that each transaction should occur
across two, most likely different, databases. To solve this problem we
discussed several different technologies like Microsoft DNA, Sun’s EJB and
OMG CORBA. We decided to use multitired architecture based on Microsoft
Transaction Server (MTS) where each involved system is wrapped into one or
more MTS components. Each component exposes corporate data and business
logic through well-defined interfaces. The most interesting applications
are those that integrate Postnet as infrastructure for the PostBank in its
participation in new national payment system. These applications use MTS
as transaction integrator of IBM DB2, SQL Server and Microsoft Message
Queue (MSMQ) transactions. |
|
| Title: |
INFORMATION SYSTEMS INTEGRATION |
| Author(s): |
Fredrik Ericsson |
| Abstract: |
In this paper we address organizational and technological
issues on information systems integration and architectures when it comes
to self-developed relational database management systems, and how these
issues can be identified. Organizational and technological issues have
been identified using a three level of analysis that incorporates
organizational context, application, and data source. We introduce the
concept of data source interface and application interface in order to
analyze the relation between data sources and conformity in how systems
appear and behave on user’s command. The empirical research represented in
this paper has been conducted through a case study. The unit of analysis
is a Swedish small to medium-sized manufacturing company. The
organizational and technological issues outlined in this paper are valid
in a context where developers primary activity does not reside in the
field of information systems development and where the organization does
not have an IT function responsible for the organization’s use of
IT. |
|
| Title: |
MIDEA: A MULTIDIMENSIONAL DATA WAREHOUSE METHODOLOGY |
| Author(s): |
José María Cavero, Mario Piattini and Esperanza Marcos |
| Abstract: |
Developing a Data Warehouse has become a critical factor
for many companies. Specific issues, such as conceptual modeling, schemes
translation from operational systems, physical design, etc... have been
widely treated. Unfortunately, there is not a general accepted complete
methodology for data warehouse design. In this work we present MIDEA, a
multidimensional data warehouse development methodology based on a
multidimensional data model. The methodology is integrated within a
general software development methodology. |
|
| Title: |
INSERTING DATA WAREHOUSE IN CORPORATIONS |
| Author(s): |
Walter Adel Leite Pereira and Karin Becker |
| Abstract: |
A particular interest has been observed in the Data
Warehouse (DW) technology by corporations aiming to improve their decision
processes. A large number of corporations that have no tradition on the
use of computer systems for decision support, has to rely on a team
qualified in the development of traditional operational systems and
database technology, but inexperienced on DW development issues. Moreover,
for a number of reasons (e.g. availability, costs, privacy), it is not
always possible to count on external development teams or consultants.
This work presents a methodology targeted at the development of DW pilot
projects, which aims at the smooth adoption of DW technology by
corporations. The methodology has been successfully tested in a military
DW pilot project, and the results obtained so far confirm its adequacy and
consistency towards the established goals. The paper describes the
striking features of methodology and analyses its application in a real
case study. |
|
| Title: |
FRONT-END TOOLS IN DATA WAREHOUSING: INFORMIX METACUBE (ROLAP) VS.
COGNOS POWERPLAY (MOLAP) |
| Author(s): |
Enrique Medina and Juan C. Trujillo |
| Abstract: |
A Data Warehouse (DW) is a subject oriented, integrated,
nonvolatile, time variant collection of data in support of management
decisions. On-Line Analytical Processing (OLAP) tools based on the
Multidimensional (MD) model are the predominant front-end tools to analyze
data in DW. Current OLAP servers can be either relational systems (ROLAP)
or proprietary multidimensional systems (MOLAP). This paper presents the
underlying semantics to the MD model and compares how current ROLAP and
MOLAP front-end tools provide these semantics. |
|
| Title: |
AUTOMATION QUERY PROCESSING SELECTION ALGORITHMS |
| Author(s): |
Ying Wah Teh, Abu Bakar Zaitun and Sai Peck Lee |
| Abstract: |
In manufacturing environment, most of processing data is
stored in the commercial databases and the design of database depends on
the database designer. Given a query, the database management system picks
up one of query processing strategies to full the user requirement. A user
is given impression is hard to optimize the response time of a query. In
this paper, we introduce the readers to current research activities
pertaining to query processing in the manufacturing environment. We list
out the possible query result, and recommend the appropriate query
processing techniques for respective query result. And then we deduce an
automation query processing selection algorithms to propose the
appropriate query processing technique for users to improve the response
time. |
|
| Title: |
DESIGN OF TEXTUAL DATAWEB |
| Author(s): |
Kais Khrouf |
| Abstract: |
The development of the Internet generated the increase in
the volume of information available on this network. These information are
used more and more by the companies for economic, strategic, scientific or
technical development. The most common way for a user to search these
information across the web, is to use the "search robots". However,
results on this kind of tools don’t often satisfy the users. It is the
reason why, the dataweb constitutes today a need for the companies in
order to take maximum advantages of the web and information it contains.
The proposed warehouse allows us to store and analyze any type of
information extracted from the web. |
|
| Title: |
AN ARCHITECTURE FOR INCORPORATING BUSINESS RULES IN AN
OBJECT-ORIENTED SYSTEM |
| Author(s): |
Permanand Mohan and Sheik Yussuff |
| Abstract: |
This paper discusses the design of an object-oriented
system with business rules where the rules are treated as objects in their
own right. The paper argues that an architecture-centric approach is
essential in developing any software system and puts forward a
multi-tiered architecture for incorporating business rules in an
object-oriented environment. In the architecture, rule objects are
completely separate from the domain objects, promoting rule maintenance.
No assumption is made about other layers such as the persistence layer,
allowing domain objects to be stored in any manner such as in an object
database, a relational database, a flat file, or some other format. The
architecture also lends itself to object distribution of both domain and
rule objects using standards such as the Common Object Request Broker
Architecture. |
|
| Title: |
TOWARD MEASURING THE SCALABILITY OF ENTERPRISE INFORMATION SYSTEMS |
| Author(s): |
Ronald E. Giachetti, Chin-Shen Chen and Oscar A. Saenz |
| Abstract: |
Scalability describes a desirable characteristic of a
system that has come to the forefront with the emergence of the Internet
as a platform for business systems. Scalability broadly defined as the
ability of a system to adapt to change while maintaining an acceptable
level of performance is a critical characteristic any system dealing with
the Internet must possess. Most all software vendors, system
architectures, and system designers claim to have a scalable system. This
article develops a mathematical foundation on which scalability
measurement of enterprise information systems can be based. The
mathematical foundation is based on measurement theory and this paper
shows how this can be applied to measure scalability of enterprise systems
in the context of business-to-business commerce in supply chains. |
|
| Title: |
SPINO: A DISTRIBUTED ARCHITECTURE FOR MASSIVE TEXT STORAGE |
| Author(s): |
José Guimarães and Paulo Trezentos |
| Abstract: |
In this paper we introduce a framework for text data
storage and retrieval. As an alternative for proprietary solutions is used
a distributed architecture based on a Linux Beowulf Cluster and open
source tools. In order to validate the proposed solution an prototype
(Spino -Serviço de Pesquisa INteligente ou Orientada) had been builded.
The prototype is oriented for retrieving USENET articles through a Web
interface. Most of the points described can be applied for scenarios not
related with Internet. The framework proposed is within Databases and
Information Systems Integration area and describes simultaneously the
conceptual and pratical aspects of its implementation. Suggested solution
is presented in three different perspectives: web serving, off-line
processing and database querying. |
|
| Title: |
INTERACTIVE SEARCH IN WEB CATALOGUES |
| Author(s): |
G. Ciocca, I. Gagliardi, R. Schettini and S. Zuffi |
| Abstract: |
E-commerce is one of the most challenging fields of
application of the new Internet technologies. It is clear that the larger
the number of items available to be presented, the more difficult it is to
guide the user towards the product he is looking for. In this article we
present a prototype for the interactive search of images in high-quality
electronic catalogues. The system is based on a visual information search
engine, and integrates a Color Management System for the faithful display
of images. |
|
| Title: |
SPECIALIZING AGENTS ON DATA INTEGRATION IN A DATA WAREHOUSING
SYSTEM ENVIRONMENT |
| Author(s): |
Joaquim Gonçalves, Anália Lourenço and Orlando Belo |
| Abstract: |
Data selection, extraction and processing are frequent
tasks in enterprise information systems. Their relevance emerged from the
information requirements of enterprise managers to have permanently
available all the possible information about their working area. They try
to reach important pieces of data that will allow them to extract useful
and valuable knowledge in order to correct past misleads, to improve their
performance inside the organization, or even to foresee market
opportunities. Nowadays competitiveness between enterprises makes such
process crucial. It is necessary, and convenient, to surround the
decision-makers with all possible elements that might help them in their
daily activities. In fact, most of the enterprises' decision-making
processes need to be global and effective, as the enterprises’ success
depends on it. However, the data maintained in their operational systems
is not commonly arranged according to their analytical needs and
management perspectives, which do not contributes significantly to
decision-makers effectiveness. Usually, the data is structured and treated
aiming to support operational tasks and backup daily activities.
Obviously, some problems rise when it is intended to orient such data to
analytical purposes. Many times its structure has to be rebuilt and its
quality needs to be improved. With today’s data growth, more and more,
selecting, gathering and treating data are very complex and time-consuming
tasks. In order to make these tasks easier, more reliable and faster, it
was conceived and developed a specialized agent-based tool that provides a
distributed computational platform especially designed and conceived to
support such kind of tasks and provide a set of special means of bridging
to integrate operational data into specific data warehousing systems. This
paper describes it, presenting its main functional architecture and
components, and emphasizing the aspects related to its development and
implementation. |
|
| Title: |
SUPPORTING DECENTRALISED SOFTWARE-INTENSIVE PROCESSES
USING ZETA COMPONENT-BASED ARCHITECTURE DESCRIPTION LANGUAGE |
| Author(s): |
Ilham Alloui and Flavio Oquendo |
| Abstract: |
In order to provide a large variety of software products
and to reduce time to market, software engineering is nowadays moving
towards an architecture-based development where systems are built by
composing or assembling existing components that are often developed
independently. In this paper we advocate that a similar approach can be
adopted to build software-intensive processes that are characterised by
their complexity, heterogeneity and decentralisation. Indeed considering a
software-intensive process as monolithic is no longer true since parts of
it may exist and run separately from the others. Therefore those parts
referred to as processlets must be considered as the building blocks for
larger software processes. The paper presents ZETA, an interaction-based
architecture description language for building software-intensive
processes starting from existing processlets. ZETA is intended to be used
by process engineers in order to design the “software glue” that connects
processlets so that their interactions can be managed and/or controlled at
runtime. ZETA addresses the contents of interactions through an
intentional approach where interactions are guided by intentions that are
revoked/maintained given some defined conditions. The underlying theory of
the proposed approach is logic-based. The industrial relevance of the
proposed approach, in a decentralised and heterogeneous context, is
currently being demonstrated based on case studies from the automotive
industry within the framework of an ESPRIT IV LTR Project. |
|
| Title: |
A UNIFIED FRAMEWORK TO INCORPORATE SOFT QUERY INTO IMAGE RETRIEVAL SYSTEMS |
| Author(s): |
Cyrus Shahabi and Yi-Shin Chen |
| Abstract: |
We explore the use of soft computing and user de ned
classi cations in multimedia database systems for content- based queries.
With multimedia databases, due to subjectivity of human perception, an
object may belong to di erent classes with di erent probabilities (\soft"
membership), as opposed to \hard" membership supported by conventional
database systems. Therefore, we propose a uni ed model that captures both
hard and soft memberships. In practice, however, our model signi cantly
increases the computation complexity (both online and o -line) and the
storage complexity of content-based queries. Previously, we introduced a
novel fuzzy-logic based aggregation technique to address the online
computation complexity. In this paper, we propose novel techniques to
cluster sparse user profiles (i.e., items with missing data) to reduce
both the o -line computation complexity and the storage complexity. |
|
| Title: |
THE DECOR TOOLBOX FOR WORKFLOW-EMBEDDED ORGANIZATIONAL MEMORY ACCESS |
| Author(s): |
Andreas Abecker, Ansgar Bernardi, Spyridon Ntioudis, Gregory Mentzas, Rudi Herterich, Christian Houy, Stephan Müller
and Maria Legal |
| Abstract: |
We shortly motivate the idea of business-process oriented
knowledge management (BPOKM) and sketch the basic approaches to achieve
this goal. Then we describe the DECOR (Delivery of context-sensitive
organisational knowledge) project which develops, tests, and consolidates
new methods and tools for BPOKM. DECOR builds upon the KnowMore framework
[34,35] for organizational memories (OM), but tries to overcome some
limitations of this approach. In the DECOR project, three end-user
environments serve as test-beds for validation and iterative improvement
of innovative approaches to build: - knowledge archives organised around
formal representations of business processes to facilitate navigation and
access, - active information delivery services which - in collaboration
with a workflow tool to support weakly-structured knowledge-intensive work
- offer the user in a context-sensitive manner helpful information from
the knowledge archive, and - methods for an organisation analysis from the
knowledge perspective, required as supporting methods to design and
introduce the former two systems In this paper, we present the basic
modules of the DECOR toolkit and elaborate on their current status of
development. |
|
| Title: |
IINTEGRATING LEGACY APPLICATIONS WITHIN A JAVA/CORBA ENVIRONMENT |
| Author(s): |
Rod Fatoohi and Lance Smith |
| Abstract: |
This paper examines the design and implementation process
of applying a Java/CORBA solution to legacy code support environments. A
support environment is defined as a collection of programs and scripts
that support a monolithic application. The goal in developing an object
oriented support environment is to allow monolithic legacy codes to accept
inputs from and provide outputs to highly distributed applications and
databases. The monolithic codes for this research are Computational Fluid
Dynamics (CFD) applications. Batches of CFD jobs are currently run via a
collection of C shell scripts. As production demands have grown, the
scripts have become more complex. A Java/CORBA solution has been developed
in order to replace the scripting system with a flexible, extensible
production system. The implementation of four technologies is explored
here: Java, CORBA, UML, and software design patterns. The architecture,
implementation and design issues are presented. Finally, concluding
remarks are provided. |
|
| Title: |
CONCEPTUAL MODELING OF FUZZY OBJECT-ORIENTED DATABASE SYSTEMS |
| Author(s): |
A. Goswami and Prabin Kumar Panigrahi |
| Abstract: |
In this paper we propose a new approach for the
development of Fuzzy Object Oriented Database model. Real world database
application requires users to specify their need to represent, store and
manipulate imprecise, uncertain, vague information in a natural language
like English. The development of a model in a Relational Database
Management System starts with user requirement specifications,
normalization and then conversion to tables. Our aim is to develop an
equivalent methodology for Fuzzy Object Oriented Database System. |
|
| Title: |
THE MOMIS APPROACH TO INFORMATION INTEGRATION |
| Author(s): |
D. Beneventano, S. Bergamaschi, F. Guerra and M. Vincini |
| Abstract: |
The web explosion, both at internet and intranet level,
has transformed the electronic information system from single isolated
node to an entry points into a worldwide network of information exchange
and business transactions. |
|
Area 2 - ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE AND DECISION SUPPORT SYSTEMS
| Title: |
MOVING
CODE (SERVLET STRATEGY) VS. INVITING CODE (APPLET STRATEGY) |
| Author(s): |
Zakaria
Maamar |
| Abstract: |
In this position paper, we aim at describing two
strategies that could enhance the functioning of software agents. Servlet
and applet denote respectively these strategies. In the servlet strategy,
the flow takes place from the client to the server. The applet strategy
performs differently; the flow takes place from the server to the client.
Applying both strategies to workflows, as a potential application domain,
is also discussed. |
|
| Title: |
A
LAYERED ARCHITECTURE FOR MULTI-AGENT SYSTEMS TO SUPPORT A WATER MAIN
REHABILITATION STRATEGY 299 |
| Author(s): |
Bernadette
Sharp, E. Robert. Edwards and Angela Dean |
| Abstract: |
In complex applications like the water utilities the
expertise that we are trying to integrate into our system consists of the various kinds of knowledge, skills and
strategies possessed by different groups who collaborate to develop an efficient and pro-active water
main rehabilitation strategy. A single knowledge based system would fail to integrate this diversity of
knowledge and strategy. A multi agent system is an ideal set up to represent this diversity. This paper
describes how a layered architecture can bring the local expertise and strategies of various groups together to
meet the business objectives of an organisation and produce a coherent and pro-active rehabilitation strategy.
|
|
| Title: |
AGENT-BASED
APPLICATION ENGINEERING |
| Author(s): |
Rosario
Girardi |
| Abstract: |
Main difficulties in the practice of reuse techniques are
due to the lack of reusable software abstractions for the development of specific applications in various and
rapidly changing domains. Therefore, current research has been centered on problems related to building
reusable software artifacts in a high level of abstraction - like language and domain languages, reusable
software architectures and software patterns. Application Engineering is the main discipline addressing
solutions to these problems. This work proposes a model for developing reusable software using the agent
paradigm. Reusable software abstractions generated through Agent-based Application Engineering are analyzed
considering both their abstraction level and domain dependence.
|
|
| Title: |
A MULTIAGENT SYSTEM APPLIED TO THE DESIGN OF
PETROLEUM
OFF-SHORE PLATFORMS |
| Author(s): |
José
Avelino Placca and Ana Cristina Bicharra Garcia |
| Abstract: |
This paper presents a model for cooperative multi-agents
that interact in a closed environment, i.e., an environment where the rules are well known by the agents
and do not change dynamically. In a computational environment where several different software
agents share resources to reach their goals, the occurrence of conflicts is inevitable. Therefore it is of
highest importance to have an efficient mechanism to solve such conflicts. While other models in the literature
present solutions for conflict resolution based on centralized and distributed algorithms, our proposal is to
solve the conflicts in a hierarchical manner. The proposed model is based on the application of Social Laws
and it was inspired by the theory of Jean Jacques Rousseau’s Social Contract, being denominated Tri-Coord
Model, that is, of Triple Coordination. We implemented a prototype based on the Tri-Coord Model, and
applied to the task of oil and gas process floorplan design in a petroleum off-shore platform. In
that domain the project is divided in several subsystems, with an agent being responsible for each sub-system. Our
experiments indicate that the Tri-Coord Model can indeed yield a better performance in the
development of a project. First, because it decreases the interruptions for accomplishment of meetings to solve
conflicts related to customization of sub-system’s parameters. Second, because it removes the bottleneck
associated to a centralized model for conflict resolution. Third, because through the regulator
environment of Tri-Coord the agents behavior can be controlled implicitly by the environment. In that way the
agents learn how to interact correctly and the independence between the environment and the agents turns
the system more flexible.
|
|
| Title: |
MULTI-AGENT DYNAMIC SCHEDULING AND RE-SCHEDULING
WITH
GLOBAL TEMPORAL CONSTRAINTS |
| Author(s): |
Joaquim
Reis and Nuno Mamede |
| Abstract: |
A co-ordination mechanism is proposed for multi-agent
production-distribution co-operative scheduling problems, based on a purely temporal perspective. This
mechanism is based on communication among pairs of client-supplier agents involved in the problem, and
allows agents to locally perceive hard global temporal constraints. By exchanging limited specific information,
the agents are able to recognise non over-constrained problems and, in that case, rule out non
temporally-feasible solutions and establish an initial solution. The information is then used to guide re-scheduling and repair
the initial solution and converge to a final one.
|
|
| Title: |
AN
INTELLIGENT AGENT-BASED ORDER PLANNING FOR DYNAMIC NETWORKED ENTERPRISES |
| Author(s): |
Américo
L. Azevedo, César Toscano and João Bastos |
| Abstract: |
There is currently an increasing interest in exploring the
opportunities for competitive advantage that can be gained by reinforcing core competencies and innovative
capabilities through networks of industrial and business partners.
This paper firstly identifies some of the gaps that exist
within current information systems that claim to support eBusiness and eWork in networked enterprises and
describes some of the general requirements of distributed and decentralised information systems for
companies operating in networks. It goes on to cover some principles for the design of a distributed IS
providing an advanced infrastructure to support general co-operation, particular methodologies for co-operative
and collaborative planning and guidelines for network set-up and support.
The present work is one of the areas currently being
delivered as part of the European IST consortium called Co-OPERATE. A distributed and decentralised information
system, based on an architecture of agents and extensively using the internet, is being designed and
implemented as a means to provide new and more powerful decision support tools for networked enterprises.
|
|
| Title: |
MACHINE
LEARNING APPROACHES FOR IMAGE ANALYSIS: RECOGNITION OF HAND ORDERS BY A
MOBILE ROBOT |
| Author(s): |
Basilio
Sierra, Iñaki Rañó, Elena Lazkano and Unai Gisasola |
| Abstract: |
The work described in this paper is part of a project in
which the aim is to deliver hand signals to a mobile B21 robot equipped with a color digital camera that
captures these signals in order to be interpreted as robotic instructions. To carry out this objective, we
first need to distinguish the hand and its position in order to achieve the semantics of the order given to the
robot. To identify the hand from the background, we search for the skin colored pixels in the picture. In this
paper the task is presented as a machine learning classification problem in which the goal is to determine,
given a general picture, which of the pixels corresponds to the hand and which of them compose the
background. Results of the classification algorithms used are converted to black and white images,
where the white pixels indicate the hand and the black pixels indicate the background. We have used
different Machine Learning algorithms and compared the accuracy of different approaches used by the Machine
Learning community.
|
|
| Title: |
A
KNOWLEDGE-ACQUISITION METHODOLOGY FOR A BLAST FURNACE EXPERT SYSTEM USING
MACHINE LEARNING TECHNIQUES |
| Author(s): |
Eugenia
Díaz, Javier Tuya and Faustino Obeso |
| Abstract: |
This paper describes a methodology for obtaining the
knowledge that an expert system needs for controlling a blast furnace as if it were an expert operator. The
methodology separates useful knowledge from erroneous knowledge and refines the resulting rules so as
to achieve a manageable and effective rules system.
|
|
| Title: |
USING
VIRTUAL REALITY DATA MINING FOR NETWORK MANAGEMENT |
| Author(s): |
K.E.
Thornton and C. Radix |
| Abstract: |
In this paper a Virtual Reality Data Mining (VRDM) tool is
described which has been developed over the past two years in order to provide network management of
ATM networks. The tool enables network data capture, and visualization of this data. A demonstration
of the tool may be found at :- http://www.durham.ac.uk/CompSci/research/dmg.
In our work we have reduced the time costs of the use of VR environments by combining approaches taken in
Functional Programming and Data Mining. This has led to the production of a VRDM tool which enables rapid,
focused analysis of network information at a required layer, and element, of a network. The tool we
describe is the first application of Virtual Reality for network management via the use of embedded, distributed
(parallelized), Data Mining algorithms.
|
|
| Title: |
ONTOLOGY-DRIVE
VIRTUAL PRODUCTION NETWORK CONFIGURATION: A CONCEPT AND
CONSTRAINT-OBJECT-ORIENTED KNOWLEDGE MANAGEMENT |
| Author(s): |
Alexander
V. Smirnov |
| Abstract: |
Interest in global businesses and such a new form of
co-operation as Virtual Production Network (VPNet) is growing along with increasing use of Internet-based
engineering and management technologies, and the trend towards VPNet data & knowledge management.
Ontology-drive approach for VPNet configuration is a new approach to configuration of global production
network in order to improve knowledge efficiency for decision making over total VPNet facility life-time. A
kernel of this approach is a distributed multi-level constraint satisfaction technology based on a shared
constraint-object-oriented knowledge domain model "product – process - resources". This paper
discusses a generic methodology of VPNet configuration management and ontology-drive information support based on
Knowledge Management Technology for distributed decision making.
|
|
| Title: |
CONFLICT
AND NEGOTIATION AMONG INTENTIONAL AGENTS |
| Author(s): |
Fernando
Lopes, Nuno Mamede, A. Q. Novais and Helder Coelho |
| Abstract: |
Negotiation has been extensively discussed in management
science, economic, and social psychology. Recent growing interest in artificial agents and their
potential application in areas such as electronic commerce has given increased importance to automated
negotiation. This paper defines the social concept of conflict of interests, presents a formal prenegotiation
model that acknowledges the role of conflict as a driving force for negotiation, and introduces a generic
negotiation mechanism that handles multi-party, multi-issue and single or repeated rounds.
|
|
| Title: |
QUANTIFICATION
OF THE EMOTIONAL QUOTIENT OF THE INTELLIGENCE USING THE CLASSIC AND FUZZY
LOGIC |
| Author(s): |
Lucimar
F. de Carvalho, Roberto Rabello, Rosane R. de Morais, Sílvia M. Nassar
and Cristiane Koehler |
| Abstract: |
The objective of this paper is to integrate and compare
the results of several tests of Intelligence Quotient (IQ). To Integrate through the use of a software that
works the classic logic in the identification of the Emotional Intelligence (EI) and compare the tests of IQ,
after the identification of EI through the quantification of three scales: Wechsler of Adult
Intelligence Scale (Wais), Stanford Binet and Progressive Matrices using the modeling of the fuzzy logic. The
software can be used to quantify the people's emotional capacity – an important factor in the development of IQ,
howener it should not be used for the definitive diagnosis, but for aid to the taking of decision.
|
|
| Title: |
IMPLEMENTATION
AND APPLICATION OF FUZZY CASE-BASED EXPERT SYSTEM |
| Author(s): |
Du
Jianfeng and Song Junde |
| Abstract: |
Simulating the thought and inference of human being is an
important methodology to develop the knowledge-based intelligent system. This paper researches
on the implementation techniques of fuzzy casebased expert system (FC-ES). The emphasis is put on the design
and implementation of fuzzy case inference engine (FC-IE). This paper creates the structure of
frame-based classified fuzzy case representation, gives the definition of one case searching principle, puts
forward two kinds practical fuzzy case matching algorithm. Taking the mobile communication network
optimization as one application of FC-ES, one example is presented to prove the feasibility and
efficiency of FC-IE.
|
|
| Title: |
WINWIN
DECISION SUPPORT FRAMEWORK: A CASE STUDY ON STUDENTS’
IN-COURSE-ASSESSMENT IN A SOFTWARE ENGINEERING MODULE |
| Author(s): |
Peter
K Oriogun and R Mikusauskas |
| Abstract: |
This paper investigated how a particular group of students
implemented the WinWin decision support framework in the resolution of conflicts through
negotiation after the stakeholders have had the opportunity to raise issues, select options and finally arriving at a
negotiated agreements satisfying all the parties involved. A statistical analysis of students'
In-course-Assessment (ICA) for the module Software Engineering for Computer Science (IM283) is presented,
and, the paper is proposing the studens’ Negotiated Incremental Model (NIM) as a software process model for
developing software in a semester framework.
|
|
| Title: |
MODEL
MANAGEMENT FACILITIES FOR CYBERDSS |
| Author(s): |
Jamilin
Jais, H. Selamat, M. Azim A. Ghani ,A. Mamat, Zarina A. Rahman and H.
Hussein |
| Abstract: |
Model management in cyber decision support systems (Cyber
DSS) is a new approach to problem-solving. This is because professional judgement and insight are
critical in decision-making. DSS is designed to support a manager's skill at all stages of decision-making
such as problem identification, choosing relevant data to work with, picking an appropriate approach to be
used in making the decision and evaluating the alternative course of action. In complex decision
situations, it will often be necessary to coordinate the application of multiple decision models for solving a
problem. DSS need a model management component that handles the tasks of identifying appropriate models
from a problem description, sequencing their application, and in substantiating them with the necessary
data.
|
|
| Title: |
SARPlan:
A DECISION SUPPORT SYSTEM FOR CANADIAN SEARCH AND RESCUE OPERATIONS |
| Author(s): |
Irène
Abi-Zeid |
| Abstract: |
We present SARPlan, a decision support system designed to
assist search mission coordinators (SMC) of the Canadian Forces in the optimal planning of search and
rescue (SAR) missions. SARPlan is a geographic information system that provides an optimal allocation of
the available search effort. The optimization modules are based on search theory and on Constraint
Satisfaction Programming. Statistical models for determining the search object location distributions are
also included. The anticipated benefits of SARPlan include speeding up search and rescue operations hence
increasing the chances of finding lost aircraft and survivors, resulting in saved lives. In addition to being
a new tool for the SMC, SARPlan introduces new elements to the current working procedures.
|
|
| Title: |
THE
FIRST TAX RETURN ASSESSMENT EXPERT SYSTEM IN SWITZERLAND |
| Author(s): |
Marco
Bettoni and Georges Fuhrer |
| Abstract: |
In realising the first Tax Return Assessment Expert System
in Switzerland we had first to make a convincing business case for an AI innovation in a
traditional governmental environment, secondly to show in the daily business environment that what can be
demonstrated to be viable in theory does also work in practice, thirdly to minimize the gap between the
tacit knowledge in the head of
assessment experts and the explicit model
of expertise that specifies the domain knowledge and finally to minimize
the gap between the specified expert knowledge and the system knowledge
formalized in the knowledge base. We present the project, our approach to meeting these challenges, the
current state of the productive system and a sketch of the final system under development.
|
|
| Title: |
A
PRELIMINARY STUDY OF A NEW CLASSIFICATION TO BUILD HOMOGENEOUS PATIENT’S
GROUPS IN HOME-BASED CARE |
| Author(s): |
Céline
Robardet and Christine Verdier |
| Abstract: |
In the context of home based care evaluation, we propose a
new methodology for creating homogeneous groups of patients. This tool has the particularity of
providing two related partitions, one that gathers patients with similar descriptors, and the other that
groups together the descriptors, which characterized similar patients. The two partitions are linked by the
fact that at each set of descriptors fits a set of patients. These groups can be used for any types of evaluation in
health care: cost, quality of care and so on.
|
|
| Title: |
THE
EFFECTS OF DIFFERENT FEATURE SETS ON THE WEB PAGE CATEGORIZATION PROBLEM
USING THE ITERATIVE CROSS-TRAINING ALGORITHM |
| Author(s): |
Nuanwan
Soonthornphisaj and Boonserm Kijsirikul |
| Abstract: |
The paper presents the effects of different feature sets
on the Web page categorization problem. These features are words appearing in the content of a Web page,
words appearing on the hyperlinks, which link to the page and words appearing on every headings in the
page. The experiments are conducted using a new algorithm called the Iterative Cross-Training algorithm
(ICT) which was successfully applied to Thai Web page identification. The main concept of ICT is to
iteratively train two sub-classifiers by using unlabeled examples in crossing manner. We compare ICT against
supervised naï ve Bayes classifier and Co-Training classifier. The experimental results show that ICT obtains
the highest performance and the heading feature is considerably succeed in helping
classifiers to build
the correct model used in the Web page categorization task.
|
|
| Title: |
COMPUTER
AUGMENTED COMMUNICATION IN COOPERATIVE GROUPS |
| Author(s): |
Jean-Philippe
Kotowicz |
| Abstract: |
Companies are plunged into an unstable and
internationalised environment. This environment evolves very fast technologically and the companies have to adapt
themselves to it. The methods and tools of work organization can benefit from new technologies of
communication to return these more effective adaptations. We think that information and cooperation
mechanisms are going to move massively from a structured information system towards a communication
system without any a
priori structure. A new
type of software will be then necessary to disambiguate, to
facilitate, to structure and to allow complex searches in the exchanges arising
among the actors (human beings
and software agents) of a cooperative sociotechnical system. We thus propose a system of communication
mediation and of memories companies management, based on a multi-agent architecture. This
architecture allows a use adapted to the "professional" activities of tool users
associated to the various levels of language treatment.
|
|
| Title: |
RELATIONSHIPS
BETWEEN THE DECISION SUPPORT SYSTEM SUBSPECIALTIES AND ARTIFICIAL
INTELLIGENCE |
| Author(s): |
Sean
Eom |
| Abstract: |
This is a comprehensive study, that, by means of an
empirical assessment of the DSS literature, systematically identifies the DSS reference disciplines
and traces how concepts and findings by researchers in the contributing disciplines have been picked up by DSS
researchers to be applied, extended, and refined in the development of DSS research subspecialties. Cluster
analysis was employed to an author cocitation frequency matrix derived from a comprehensive database of
the DSS literature over the period of 1970
through 1993. Twelve clusters were uncovered consisting of
six major areas of DSS research (group DSS, foundations, model management, user interfaces,
implementation, and multiple criteria DSS) and six contributing disciplines (multiple criteria decision
making, cognitive science, organization science, artificial intelligence, group decision making, and systems science).
This study concludes that artificial intelligence has made important contributions to the development of
foundational concepts, model management, and multiple criteria decision support systems.
|
|
| Title: |
CASE-BASED
DECISION SUPPORT SYSTEMS |
| Author(s): |
Abdel-Badeeh
M. Salem and Nadia Baeshen |
| Abstract: |
Information systems (IS) development methodologies are
aimed at improving the management and control of development process, structuring it, reducing its
complexity, and standardising both the process and resulting product. Many of IS development methodologies
have been developed over the years, some from practice and some from theory. Recently artificial
intelligence researchers have begun to investigate the usage of the case-based reasoning (CBR) methodology in
improving human decision making. CBR means reasoning from experiences or "old cases" in an
effort to solve problems, critique solutions, and explain anomalous situations. This paper will explore what CBR
methodology involves and examine its processes and knowledge sources. These issues concerned with
representing, indexing, organizing past cases, retrieving and modifying old cases, and assimilating new
ones. Moreover, the paper discusses the potential role of the CBR methodology in the organizational
knowledge management approach, and in the lessons learned information systems.
|
|
| Title: |
IMPROVEMENTS
IN THE DECISION MAKING IN SOFTWARE PROJECTS |
| Author(s): |
I.
Ramos Román, J. Riquelme Santos and J. Aroba Páez |
| Abstract: |
The Simulators of Software Development Projects based on
dynamic models have supposed a significant advance in front of the traditional techniques | |
