Low End expert systems in business: high yields for stand‐alone applications

Abstract

This paper investigates an important issue emerging in information systems management—the decision to proceed with an expert system (ES) application in a business setting. The focus here is on knowledge based systems at the lower end of the complexity spectrum—small, very focused systems that can be implemented by the use of shell‐based development environments. This category represents the majority of ES that are currently being implemented and has some characteristics quite different from the larger systems. A classification scheme is suggested to differentiate three levels of ES development, from multi‐million dollar life cycle cost ES environments to those that are in the low five figure range. The Low End segment of the range, emphasized in this paper, is characterized by lower unit costs, powerful development tools and a large number of small, successful applications. The important role of Low End systems is discussed, with particular emphasis on their relatively high yield in stand‐alone applications. Such systems do not meet the AI demands of moderately or very complex problems but there is a surprising breadth in their use. A group of key success factors for Low End systems is proposed, based on a synthesis of the applications literature. To operationalize these factors three actual cases using Low End technology—from marketing, government, and agribusiness—are briefly described. Low End systems are not all gain. Low unit costs here can often mask the risks of proceeding headlong into an application without careful examination of the variables that can predict successful results. An agenda for action is offered for specific management policies for the planning of knowledge‐based applications.

Citation

Ruth, S.R. and Carlson, C.K. (1988), "Low End expert systems in business: high yields for stand‐alone applications", Office Technology and People, Vol. 4 No. 4, pp. 299-312. https://doi.org/10.1108/eb022668