Tools and Technologies for Knowledge Management

1. Tools and Technologies for Knowledge Management Al Berg Practice Director/Collaborative Computing AMC Computer Corporation New York City, NY USA alberg@amccorp.com www.amccorp.com

2. Unstructured Knowledge • Much of the knowledge we deal with is unstructured • Computers are used to dealing with structured knowledge • New challenges = new tools

3. Structured vs. Unstructured • Structured - we know the format of the data and can pick out each piece easily • Unstructured - the data can be in any format and we cannot count on data to be in a particular format

4. Structured information Accounting data Attendance records Chronologies Payroll records Unstructured information Conversations Meeting notes Training videos Procedures Structured vs. Unstructured

5. Most Knowledge is Unstructured • Most companies’ knowledge breaks down as: • 10 - 15 % structured • 85 - 90 % unstructured • PC Week 12/7/98: “In Search of Knowledge”

6. Indexing - what information is important for searching? Dealing with many knowledge types Text Graphics Audio Video Unstructured Knowledge = Challenges

7. Knowledge Repositories • Tools and technologies to collect and codify knowledge • …and make that knowledge accessible to workers

8. The Internet • The wealth of information on the Internet is a knowledge repository • US Patent Office(www.uspto.gov) • Inquisit(www.inquisit.com)

9. Electronic Mail • Electronic mail is a simple knowledge repository as well as a communication method • Archives messages and makes them searchable

10. Building business processes into computer systems Routing Review and Comment Approvals A more structured form of electronic mail with the “rules” of the organization built in Workflow Management

11. Leading Repository/Workflow Tools • The World Wide Web • Lotus Notes • Microsoft Exchange • Document Management Systems

12. Web Based Tools • The Global Internet • Corporate, Organizational and Governmental Intranets

13. Why the Web? • Ubiquitous client - everybody has a web browser on their computer • Agreed upon standards - for the most part • Extensibility - support for text, graphics, multimedia and other data

14. Why the Web? • Cost - many web tools (browsers, servers, etc.) can be obtained at low or no cost over the Internet • Platform independence - web based repositories can be accessed by different kinds of computers without reprogramming

15. Why the Web? • Modularity - Web based tools can serve as common front ends to other tools like: • Lotus Notes • Microsoft Exchange • Mainframe based data warehouses

16. Web Tools • Standards Based Web Servers • Microsoft Internet Information Server • Lotus Domino • Apache • Netscape • NCSA

17. Document Management • “Filing cabinet on steroids” • PC-DOCS • Documentum • Lotus Domino.Doc • A quick demo...

18. Not all documents are on paper - they may be Graphics Video clips Audio Presentations Content management is the next step from document management - storage and retrieval of different types of information Content Management

19. Imaging Tools • Capture pictures, drawings, documents • Scanners • Digital cameras • Digital notepads and “PDAs”

20. Optical Character Recognition • OCR - Turning images of documents (which can’t be edited or searched) into text (which can) • Players: Xerox, Caere

21. Speech Recognition • Direct dictation into a computer or into a digital recorder which is then downloaded into a computer • Voice to text

22. Speech to Text Limitations • Requires the computer to be “trained” for one person • Cannot differentiate between multiple speakers (meetings) • Accuracy varies

23. Speech Recognition • The technology is improving - look for significant changes in 1999 • Major players: Dragon Systems, IBM, Lernout & Hauspie

24. Knowledgebases • Using stored knowledge to answer questions • Problem solving • Customer service • Call centers • Natural language

25. Real Time Conferencing • Awareness of colleagues on line & their availability • Conversation: one to one and multi person chat • Shared documents and “objects”

26. Document Based Awareness • Smart documents that “know” when their authors, people mentioned in them, experts, or interested parties are on line and provide links to those people • Lotus SameTime is the pioneer in this area

27. Video Storage/Retrieval • Today, much information is stored within video clips - how to retrieve it? • Digitize and analyze it! • Excalibur Technologies Screening Roomwww.excalib.com

28. Screening Room

29. Captures and analyzes video, finding: scene changes cuts & fades pans, tilts and zooms closed caption text Allows users to: Browse ‘thumbnail’ images of important scenes Search for text in closed captioning Make digital copies of important sections Screening Room

31. Emerging Technologies • Natural Language Processing (NLP) • Neural Networks • XML • Knowledge representation and visualization (Themescape’s Cartia)

32. Association for Information & Image Managementwww.aiim.orgActive in promoting KM standards Knowledge Management World Magazinewww.kmworld.comNews on the industry, case studies, buyers guides Resources on the Web

33. The Big Vendors www.ibm.com www.lotus.com www.microsoft.com www.netscape.com www.documentum.com Use the search engines for more information… www.hotbot.com www.yahoo.com www.infoseek.com Resources on the Web

34. Resources on the Web • TechInfoCenterSponsored by KM World Magazine and Vendorshttp://www.techinfocenter.comVendor supplied white papers on KM technologies

35. Thank You! Al BergPractice Director/Collaborative Computing AMC Computer Corporation129 West 27th StreetNew York City, NY 10001Telephone +1-212-620-0700, extension 1243Facsimile +1-212-656-1785Web www.amccorp.comEmail alberg@amccorp.com