Building a Small Expert System for a Routine Task: A Case Study Available to Purchase

Expert systems are computer programs which can emulate certain functions of human expertise. They are now used in many areas of business. In the last five years or so a number of software packages have become available, called “shells”, which offer the prospect of users building their own systems. They are relatively cheap and provide a framework into which knowledge or expertise can be built. Describes the development – using one of these shells ‐ of a prototype expert system for evaluating tenders for the supply of new freight containers. The prototype was tested using some data from a previous tender and was found to save more than 90 per cent of the time normally taken to carry out this function. Further benefits were obtained in respect of improved quality of the analysis which could result in additional substantial cost savings. This expert system was built by the manager responsible for the tender evaluation, with a limited amount of assistance. Concludes with some suggestions for managers considering building similar small expert systems.