EXSYS Inc.
®
Knowledge Automation Expert Systems
Capture Knowledge, Deliver Answers TM
Presentation
• The Company
• Our Technology
• Our Products
• Competitors
• Future Directions
EXSYS, Inc.
• Founded in 1983
• Privately Held
• Headquartered in
Albuquerque, NM
EXSYS, Inc.
• Over 2 decades – Longest lived
expert system company
– One of the first PC expert system tools
– First to deliver interactive expert systems via
the Web
– Over 20,000 users worldwide
• Focus: Easy to use Knowledge
Automation Expert System
development tools
– Software, training, consulting, knowledge
engineering, implementation and integration
Some of Our Customers
Applicable
across multiple
industries and
knowledge
domains
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
3M
Accenture
American Express
American Stock Exchange
AT&T
Anheuser-Busch
Caterpillar
Cisco
Delta Airlines
Dow
DuPont
Eastman Chemical
EDS
Ford Motor Company
GE
Honeywell
Hewlett Packard
Los Alamos & Sandia Labs
Northrop Grumman
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Lockheed Martin
Martin Marietta
Exxon/Mobil
Monsanto
Motorola
NASA
Northrop Grumman
US Navy
Nestlé
OSHA
Polaroid
Proctor & Gamble
Prudential
Rockwell
SAIC
Texaco
US Postal Service
Unisys
Xerox
Knowledge Automation
• Computer programs to capture and automate
an expert’s decision-making process and the
underlying knowledge
• Provide an automated on-line emulation of
the interaction with a human expert
• Analyze data in a more complex way than
other approaches
– Logical combination of many rules and factors
– Probabilistic
– Multiple simultaneous recommendations
• Provide the end user with situation-specific
expert recommendations and advice via the
Web
Knowledge Dissemination
• Knowledge is a company’s most
valuable asset
– Enabling people to make quick, correct,
consistent decisions is incredibly valuable
– Errors can be very costly
• Traditional propagation of knowledge
is difficult
– Training
• Costly, turnover problem, often ineffective
recurring expense
• Newer Approach – Put data on the
Web
Typical Web Approach - Too Much Data
• The Web provided access to data, but
now people are often overloaded with
too much information
• Data overload prevents decisions
from being made
– “Do I have all the information?”
– “Does this mean what I think it does?”
– “This looks like it might be relevant,
but is it?”
– “Does this apply to my situation?”
– “Can’t I just get the answer?”
Where Data Alone Works
• Some decisions only require data
– What is the price?
– What voltage does it require?
– These can be solved by HTML and
database type solutions
• BUT, most decisions require more
than data – they require the
KNOWLEDGE of how to select,
combine and reason on items of data
to make the correct decision
Reality
• Most people do not have the
background, time, funds or inclination
to become knowledgeable in all
subjects that they must deal with
• Typical recourse is to “ask the expert”
– This is getting increasingly difficult to do
– Web-centric businesses further separate
customers from company experts
– Experts are expensive and busy
• EXSYS provides an alternative
automated on-line way to directly
deliver advice and recommendations
based on expert knowledge
Knowledge Automation
Making Sense of the Data
Deliver Answers, Not Just Data
• Capture a human expert decision-making process
–
–
–
–
•
How is a decision made
What data is relevant – when and how
How to decide among competing options
What data matters in a specific case
Web-based interaction and delivery to end users
• Interactive session emulating interaction with
expert
– Asks focused, appropriate questions
– Presents reasoned, user specific advice
– Interfaces to external programs / data as needed
• Expert knowledge available 24/7 worldwide
– Highly scalable
Benefits
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Correct decisions
Prevents mistakes
Increased efficiency
Reduced training
Consistent answers
Frees human experts to do other work
Documents decision process
Preserves corporate knowledge
Competitive Web site advantage
Significant, fast ROI
Proven Effective In:
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Customer Support
Regulatory Compliance
Diagnostics
Process Monitoring
Product Selection
Predictive Maintenance
Engineering Assistance
Inconsistency Detection
Probabilistic Identification
Help Desks
Scheduling
Smart Questionnaires
EXSYS Inc. provides the tools
to make knowledge automation
practical, affordable and effective
Capture Knowledge, Deliver Answers
Exsys CORVID Development Software
• Based on over 2 decades of experience in
what is actually needed to build real-world
knowledge automation systems
• Designed to be easy and practical for domain
experts to build and maintain their own
systems
– No “AI” or programming skills needed
– Learn fundamentals in single day – full training
class, 3 days
• Designed so that “typical tasks” are easy to
do, while still allowing special features,
capabilities and extensions for complex
problems
Exsys Users
• The typical system developer is:
– A domain expert
– Comfortable with a PC, but not a
computer expert
– NOT a programmer or IT specialist
– NOT an AI specialist
• The typical system end user is
assumed to only be able to run a
browser and answer simple,
specific questions
Exsys Software
• Similar in conceptual complexity to
using a spreadsheet or word
processor
• Developers (domain experts) describe
problem-solving steps in much the
same way as teaching a person
–
–
–
–
Heuristics – Rules of Thumb
If / Then rules
Stated in English and Algebra
Inference Engine combines rules
How A System Is Developed
1. Capture the human expert
decision-making steps in a way a
computer can use
2. Design an interface for the end
user, or to external data sources
3. Field the system (typically on the
Web, but can also be standalone)
4. Maintain and enhance the system
Exsys CORVID and RuleBooks
•
Two approaches to system
development
•
Exsys CORVID
–
–
–
•
®
Top-level tool
Any type of logical decision-making
problem
General purpose tool for handling
complex logic
Exsys RuleBook ® Suite
–
–
–
–
Specialized development environments
Very easy to learn (a few hours)
Development steps stated in the context
of the problem type
Upwardly compatible with CORVID
Exsys CORVID and RuleBooks
CORVID
RuleBooks
•
3 days to learn
•
A few hours to learn
•
General purpose
•
Specific problem type
•
Abstract representation
•
Steps in context of the
problem
•
Logic trees and rules
•
Spreadsheet
representation
•
Aimed more at
“Knowledge Engineer”
•
Typical manager or
product expert
•
Easy to integrate and
extend
•
Upwardly compatible
with CORVID
Exsys RuleBooks
•
Selector – product selection
–
–
–
–
•
Questionnaire
–
–
–
•
Build “Smart Questionnaires”
Produces reports / appraisals
Release Fall 2004
Diagnostics
–
–
•
Recommends “Best” product(s) for a user
Probabilistic
Competing factors
Released Spring 2004
Typical fault-tree diagnostics
Release Winter 2004/05
Others in planning
Exsys CORVID
Exsys CORVID is Rule-based
• IF/THEN rules in English and Algebra
• Describes the rules in the same terms as
explaining it to another person
• Visual Developer Interface – Easy to learn
and remember
• Displays rule details and overall structure at
the same time
• Object Structured – Much of the power of
Objects (OO) without the complexity
Exsys CORVID Runtime
• Systems are run via the CORVID
Inference Engine
– Java Applet Version (also standalone)
• Client-side processing
• Runs in Applet window on HTML page
– Java Servlet Version
• Server-side processing
• Thin client
• Interface dynamically built using HTML
and template screens
• Full power of HTML and all extensions
supported by browser
• Intrinsic Java Servlet capabilities for
security, concurrency and efficiency
System Look & Feel
• Applets
– Embedded in a Web page
– Full control over page design and applet
controls to ask / present data
– Supports image maps
• Servlet
– User screens are dynamically built HTML
• Based on templates and system
data/logic
–
–
–
–
Any functionality supported by a browser
Very advanced user interfaces
Easy to match look and feel of a site
Dynamic reports and email
Heuristics
• Rules of Thumb – small piece of
logic in IF / THEN form
• CORVID Inference Engine finds the
rules it needs and uses them
dynamically
• Each piece of information will be
used when (and if) it is needed
• Relatively small numbers of rules
can handle fairly complex problems
CORVID Inference Engine
• Backward and Forward Chaining
– Goal Driven / Data Driven
– Fast and efficient
• Logic in Logic Blocks
– Visually structure the Knowledge
• Procedural Control in Command Blocks
– Keeps procedural operations separate from
the logic
• Runtime Implemented in Java
– Delivery as applet, servlet, application
– Easily portable across multiple platforms
Backward Chaining
• Allows complex problems to be broken into
smaller logical parts that automatically
invoke other sections when needed
• Ideal for regulatory and business rules
which are typically written in “If/Then” or
“When/Do” form
• Any needed fact will be derived if possible,
obtained from external sources or asked of
the user
• Developer need only describe the logic –
CORVID will handle the internal relationships
and analysis between rules
Display of System Results
• Dynamically generated HTML page
• Detail of results - any level
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
Recommended actions
Explanations
Links
Action buttons
Dynamic graphics
Trace of execution (development)
Anything supported in HTML
Information can be sent to external
programs or databases
System Integration
• Very Open Interface
• SQL commands to any ODBC/JDBC
compliant database
• Call other programs
• Various ways to pass data
• Embeddable as an application
• Customer can add their own
functions to Inference Engine in Java
via API
• Automated email
CORVID Development Environment
• Variables
• Logic Blocks
• Command Blocks
• Running a system
• Sample – Monitor Diagnostic
System
Starting CORVID Sample System
Variables
Variables
Controls
CORVID Logic Blocks
CORVID Logic Blocks
CORVID Logic Blocks
CORVID Logic Blocks
Prompts
Viewing Rules
CORVID Command Blocks
Basic Applet Runtime Screen
Basic Applet Runtime Screen
Basic Applet Runtime Screen
A More Advanced User Interface
System Interface Using Servlet Runtime
System Results and Display
CORVID RuleBooks
• Development environment in
context of the problem
• Selector RuleBook
– Product selection
– What is the best product for the
customer
– Developer describes the solution in the
context of products, user needs, how a
product would meet the needs, and
data on the various products
CORVID Selector RuleBook
CORVID Selector RuleBook Attributes
CORVID Selector RuleBook Questions
CORVID Selector RuleBook Criteria
CORVID Selector RuleBook Criteria
CORVID Selector RuleBook Item Data
CORVID Selector RuleBook Item Data
CORVID Selector RuleBook System Run
CORVID Selector RuleBook System Run
EXSYS Software Pricing
• Licensed per developer
– Any number of systems
– Any number of users
(May require additional server licenses)
• CORVID - $10,000
– Drops to about $6,000 for 12 developers
– Packages with training and consulting
• RuleBook - $1000
– Packages with CORVID
Why We’ve Had Over Two Decades of Success
• Only rule-based knowledge
automation systems allow the
dissemination of known, understood
expert knowledge
• EXSYS is the leader in practical,
affordable, usable tools with a proven
record of successful implementation
of knowledge automation systems
• Very few companies offer what we do
– Either too simple and cannot handle real-world
problems
– Very complex and expensive requiring
dedicated staff and large scale implementation
Competitors
• Attar
– UK, poor US support
– Not as robust or flexible
– Java code generator
• G2
– Industrial process control
– 9 months learning curve
– Not justified for just Knowledge
Automation
– Very expensive
• CLIPS / JESS
– Public domain, little or no support
– Requires significant programming skills
Competitors
• Pega / Blaze / AION
– “Business Rules” Engine
– Very Expensive
– Not justified for normal Knowledge
Automation projects
– Very complex
– Specialist tool
– Primarily financial services
• Brightware
– Natural language
• Various “toy” tools
– Acquired intelligence
– Insufficient power and scalability
“Competing” Technologies
• Case-Based Reasoning
– Tries to find a previous case that is “similar”
in some respect – usually keywords
– Really just a way to search unstructured data
– No underlying rules or knowledge
– Common in help desk tools
– ONLY works where it is OK to be wrong
• Neural Nets / Genetic Algorithms / Data
Mining
– Finds correlations between data elements
– No explanation of reason or causality
– Sometimes a useful addition to rule-based
systems
– Requires “faith” that the system is correct
– Used in industrial processing
Competitive Advantages
• EXSYS tools have the correct match of
ease-of-use with flexible power
• Thousands of customer worldwide systems in use for many years
• Our pricing is affordable for individual
systems - scalable for enterprise-wide
implementation
• Systems easy integrate into existing
CRM and support systems to enhance
(rather than replace)
Future Directions
• RuleBooks
– Much larger customer base
– Very affordable <$1000
– Proves that the technology
works
– Opens the door
– Attractive packages with various
RuleBooks and CORVID
– Tremendous need on the Web
Future Directions
• Government
– Many Web initiatives
– Regulations are too complex to teach
• Some form of knowledge automation is the
only workable approach
• Regulatory systems are comparatively easy
to build
– Proven success in OSHA, SBA, USDA, DOE,
DOD, Homeland Security, USPS, DOJ, …
– Historical bipartisan support
– Cooperative agreements with established
contractors that build government systems
– High visibility
Future Directions
• E-Commerce
– Web-centric businesses need a better
way to communicate with customers
• Pre-sale advice
• Competitive advantage with online
interactive “consultations”
• Post sale support
– Data is not enough
– Knowledge Automation is the best way
to deal with many customers in an
affordable, scalable way
Future Directions
• Our Traditional Customers
– Industry
• Provide a better way to answer questions
and prevent mistakes
• Embedded systems
– Help Desks
• Answer questions quickly and consistently
• Reduce Training
• Front-end to other systems
– Academia
• Widely used in Colleges and Universities
– Various offers and incentives
What Our Customers Say:
Highly successful
system
development and
implementation
“For every $10,000 spent to develop expert systems
we realize $1 Million in savings and profits - adding up
to over a $1 billion.”
DuPont
“We’ve been using an expert system for 14 years to
predict component failure in diesel locomotive engines.
It has saved the company hundreds of millions of
dollars.”
Canadian Pacific Railroad
“By using EXSYS, we were able to have personnel with
little computer experience produce systems which
assist in many aspects of plant operation.”
Eastman Chemical
“The interactive advice system provides quick, accurate
hardware sizing, network configuration and usage
recommendations.”
Hewlett Packard
EXSYS Inc.
®
Knowledge Automation Expert Systems
Capture Knowledge, Deliver Answers TM