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OntologyStream Inc.

Copyright: 2001

Demand-side Knowledge Process Management (KPM)

and

Standard OSI Products

Dr. Paul Prueitt,

Director, BCNGroup.org

Founder, OntologyStream.com

June 1st, 2001

Community transformation involves the development of process models. For example, the Business Process Reengineering (BPR) methodologies provide for AS-IS models and TO-BE frameworks. However, human knowledge management at the level of the individual has not been part of the BPR methodology. New methodology is needed that empowers individual decision productivity and takes into account the complex nature of social networks.

In OSI’s methodology, Demand-side Knowledge Process Management (KPM) is used to create machine ontologies. These have topics with a "state gesture mechanism" attached to each topic. The state gesture mechanism is what drives information around the system. The mechanism is a process template defined over computer resources such as text files and databases. In the Topic Maps jargon, these computer resources are considered as “addressable” directly by the computer processor. Humans create the demand for supply-side knowledge sharing. Private and personal introspection, perception and decision-making processes are involved.

The OSI state gesture mechanism is algorithmic in nature. The push-pull of these algorithms allows the topics to be "assistant-to" decision making. The OSI machine ontologies are assistant-to human knowledge process because topics and topic properties are made visible as reminders (or signed informants within a sign system or natural language) about one specific universe of discourse. The specific universe of discourse is revealed in stages as the perceptual acuity of the user works with a voting procedure to produce vetted viewpoints.

The one specific universe of discourse is the one that is considered relevant by the user in a specific regularly occurring type of communicative act - like the reporting of a medical assessment. Knowledge of processes such as the reporting of a medical assessment is key to OSI KPM methodology.

Micro-ontologies act as signs about the knowledge process that are regularly occurring in the social network. Individuals make gestures (responses) and these gestures end up pushing information around in the system. That is the Demand side of this Innovation. Ontologies are streamed using XML formatted micro-ontologies from point to point in the knowledge ecosystem resident to the community of practice. The micro-ontology is simply a small Topic Map or similar resource that has been “pulled” from a large knowledge base.

This algorithmic state gesture mechanism is "assistant-to" determining the location where information is moved within the enterprise. So the state gesture mechanism acts as an automated reporting technology. Productivity goes up. Return on investment goes up.

The Standard OSI Product: Contracted evaluations about a new generation of a knowledge technologies

An evaluation process is available from OntologyStream.com. The process produces a knowledge-sharing/information flow diagram and a prototype Demand plus Supply-side KPM ™ system within any community of practice (or business unit). The cost of the evaluation is minimal.

1) Knowledge elicitation methods are used to gather information existing in the community/unit.

2) A specific knowledge/information flow map is produced. Such a flow map shows knowledge sharing flows occurring within the community/unit. The map is a diagram with nodes, labels and flow directed connectives.

3) Tangible and intangible evaluative processes and related process metrics are developed and reported as a White Paper. These metrics can be used to evaluate long-term implementation of micro-ontologies in either a for-profit or not-for-profit community.

4) An AS-IS model of the self-identity of the community/unit is produced. Community/unit mission, and high-level standard operating procedures is documented and reported in a White Paper.

5) A methodology of descriptively enumerated produces situational ontologies (on paper) about several specific transaction intersections in the knowledge flow map. The situational ontologies can be viewed in the form of a polling or survey instrument that when fully or partially filled out can completely hold the communication between transaction intersections. These will be developed as paper instruments.

6) Develop a small number of micro-ontologies. These micro-ontologies can be imported in and out of a XML text stream or a database.

7) OntologyStream.com will make micro-ontologies available via a web browser as a facilitation of specific knowledge/information sharing.

8) OntologyStream.com will support a web-based e-forum for the community for a period of 60 days. Questions about micro-ontology use will be answered within a few hours or immediately. During this time, some new micro-ontologies will be developed if requested by users.

9) OntologyStream.com will provide a training workshop.

The evaluation process fits into a three month knowledge elicitation and community/unit self awareness process. It is intended to be objective and not as a sales lead into a large project.

The new knowledge process management technologies have both a mature supply side KPM capability to compete with KM systems and a new Demand side KPM capability that supports common people in the development of micro-ontologies that reflect small areas of common discourse. For example a doctor's office reporting to an insurance office the events of a medical assessment, or a teacher reporting the results of instruction to a parent.

Decision Productivity with Acappella Software

OSI founders have experience with a simple to implement knowledge technology developed by Acappella Software.

Using knowledge propagation architecture, the current generation of Supply-side KM technology can be enhanced. Individual development of micro-ontologies is possible. A profile, smart agent, such as Autonomy’s Dynamic Reasoning Engine (DRE), is after all a micro-ontology of sorts. The micro-ontology is simply a concept space with a specific type of link structure. The Acappella Software empowers individuals to create and use these micro-ontologies as part of normal work experience.

Using Acappella Software, the average user develops micro-ontologies easily as part of daily activities. The ontologies are used to acquire situational information in a way similar to a poll or survey instrument. This information this pushed and pulled around the system in a way similar to the push – pull knowledge portal, e.g., with profile or ontology map comparisons.

In the Acappella Software micro-ontologies, the link structure has the state gesture mechanism (an evocative question can be answered in various ways). The answers made to a micro-ontology are used in an innovative natural language generation capability that "rolls-up" the answered topic/questions into a section / subsection / . . . / paragraph / sentence / phrase and thus can be read as a narrative text.

The Acappella Innovations represents the first of a new generation of more complete (supply side plus demand side) knowledge process management paradigms. Ontologies are projecting natural language that communicates to users in a way that is familiar. This drives knowledge sharing in a new way.