EXPERT SYSTEM: [ES]

One of the most practical & widely implemented applications of

Artificial Intelligence in business is the Development of Expert
Systems & other Knowledge-Based Information Systems. A
knowledge-based information system (KBIS) adds a Knowledge
Base to the major Components found in other types of Computer-
Based Information Systems.
An Expert System (ES) is a Knowledge-Based Information
System that Uses its Knowledge about a Specific, Complex
Application Area to Act as an Expert Consultant to end users.
Expert systems Provide answers to questions in a very Specific
Problem Area by Making Humanlike Inferences about Knowledge
Contained in a Specialized Knowledge Base.
Able to Explain their Reasoning Process and Conclusions to a
User, so Expert Systems can Provide Decision Support to End
Users in the form of Advice from an Expert Consultant in a
Specific Problem Area
Components of an Expert System:
The above Figure illustrates the Interrelated Components of an
Expert System.
The Components of an Expert System include a Knowledge Base
and Software Modules that Perform Inferences on the knowledge
in the Knowledge Base and Communicate answers to a User’s
Questions..

{Sources: Book MIS- O’ Brien]

Figure illustrates: Components of an Expert System. The

Software Modules Perform Inferences on a Knowledge Base built
by an Expert and/or Knowledge Engineer. This Provides Expert
Answers to an end User’s Questions in an Interactive Process.
Knowledge Base:
The knowledge base of an Expert System contains:
(1) Facts about a Specific Subject Area (e.g. Mr. A is an Analyst )
(2) Heuristics (Rules of Thumb) that Express the Reasoning
Procedures of an Expert on the Subject (e.g. IF Mr. A is an
Analyst, THEN he Needs a Workstation). There are many ways
that such Knowledge is Represented in Expert Systems. Examples
are Rule-based, Frame-Based, Object-Based , and Case-Based
Methods of Knowledge Representation.[Ref: Fig.]

• Software Resources.: An Expert System Software Package

contains an Inference Engine and other Programs for Refining
Knowledge and Communicating with Users. The inference engine
Program Processes the Knowledge (such as Rules and Facts)
related to a Specific Problem. It then makes Associations and
Inferences resulting in Recommended Courses of Action for a
User. User Interface Programs for Communicating with End Users
are also Needed, including an Explanation Program to explain the
Reasoning Process to a User if Requested. Knowledge Acquisition
Programs are not part of an Expert System but are Software
Tools for Knowledge Base Development, as are Expert System
shells , which are Used for Developing Expert Systems.
Expert System Applications:
Using an Expert System involves an Interactive Computer-Based
Session in which the Solution to a Problem is Explored, with the
Expert System Acting as a Consultant to an End User.
The Expert System Asks Questions of the User, Searches its
Knowledge Base for Facts & Rules or other Knowledge, Explains
its Reasoning Process when Asked, & Gives Expert Advice to the
User in the Subject Area being Explored.
Expert Systems Used in various fields, e.g. Medicine, Engineering,
Physical Sciences, & Business. Expert Systems now Help Diagnose
Illnesses, Search for Minerals, Analyze Compounds, Recommend
Repairs, & Do Financial Planning. So from a Strategic Business
Standpoint, Expert Systems can be Used to Improve Every step of
the Product Cycle of a Business, from Finding Customers to
Shipping Products to Providing Customer Service.

Major application categories and examples of typical expert

systems. The variety of applications that can be supported by
such systems. [ As per below Figure]
[Source: Book MIS – O’ Brien]
Developing Expert Systems :
The Types of problems which are most suitable to Expert System
Solutions. Let us look at examples of the applications of current
expert systems,

Another way to Identify Criteria that make a Problem Situation

Suitable for an Expert System.—may be Hundreds of rules may
be required to Capture the Assumptions, Facts, and Reasoning
that are involved in even simple Problem Situations.

For example, a Task that might take an Expert a few minutes to

Accomplish might require an Expert System with Hundreds of
Rules and Take Several Months to Develop. The easiest way to
Develop an Expert System is to Use an Expert System Shell as a
Expert System Shells are now available as relatively Low-Cost
Software Packages that help users Develop their own Expert
Systems on Microcomputers. They allow trained Users to Develop
the Knowledge Base for a Specific Expert System Application.
For example, one Shell uses a Spreadsheet Format to Help End
users Develop IF–THEN Rules, Automatically Generating Rules
based on Examples Furnished by a User. Once a Knowledge Base
is Constructed, it is Used with the Shell’s Inference Engine & User
Interface Modules as a Complete Expert System on a Specific
Subject Area. Other Software Tools may Require an IT Specialist
to Develop Expert Systems.
A Knowledge Engineer is a Professional who works with Experts
to Capture the Knowledge (facts and rules of thumb) they
possess. The knowledge engineer then builds the knowledge base
(and the rest of the expert system if necessary), using an
iterative, prototyping process until the expert system is
acceptable. Thus, knowledge engineers perform a role similar to
that of systems analysts in conventional information systems
development. Once the decision is made to develop an expert
system, a team of one or more domain experts and a knowledge
engineer may be formed. Experts skilled in the use of expert
system shells could also develop their own expert systems. If a
shell is used, facts and rules of thumb about a specific domain
can be defined and entered into a knowledge base with the help
of a rule editor or other knowledge acquisition tool. A limited
working prototype of the knowledge base is then constructed,
tested, and evaluated using the inference engine and user
interface programs of the shell. The knowledge engineer and
domain experts can modify the knowledge base, and then retest
the system and evaluate the results. This process is repeated
until the knowledge base and the shell result in an acceptable
expert system.

Benefits of Expert Systems:

An expert system captures the expertise of an expert or group of
experts in a computer based information system. Thus, it can
outperform a single human expert in many problem situations. =
- Faster and more consistent, can have the knowledge of several
experts, and does not get tired or distracted by overwork or
stress.
- Expert systems also help preserve and reproduce the knowledge
of experts. They allow a company to preserve the expertise of an
expert before she leaves the organization.
- This expertise can then be shared by reproducing the software
and knowledge base of the expert system
Limitations of Expert Systems :
- Arise from their limited focus, inability to learn, maintenance
problems,& developmental cost.
- Excel only in solving specific types of problems in a limited
domain of knowledge. They fail miserably in solving problems
requiring a broad knowledge base & subjective problem solving.
--Do well with specific types of operational or analytical tasks but
falter at subjective managerial decision making.
- Difficult & costly to develop and maintain.
-The costs of knowledge engineers, lost expert time, & hardware
& software resources may be too high to offset the benefits
expected from some applications.
ES can’t maintain themselves; i.e. can’t learn from experience but
instead must be taught new knowledge & modified as new
expertise is needed to match developments in their subject areas.
- Practical applications for expert systems are limited & specific
because, ESs are narrow in their domain of knowledge.
- Most programmers and developers realized that common expert
systems were just more elaborate versions of the same decision
logic used in most computer programs.
- Today, many of the techniques used to develop expert systems
can now be found in most complex programs without any fuss
about them.
Criteria for applications that are suitable for expert systems
development.