CommonKADS Context Models

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CommonKADS Context Models

• Organization Model
• Task Model
• Agent Model

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Knowledge always functions within an
organizational context

• Why context modelling?
• Role of aspect models organization, task, and
  agent models
• Steps and techniques in knowledge-oriented
  business analysis
• Illustrations ice-cream case study, housing case
  study

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Why context modeling?

• Often difficult to identify profitable use of
  (knowledge) technology
• Laboratory is different from the ''real'' world
• Acceptability to users very important
• Fielding into ongoing process not self evident
• Often not clear what additional measures to take

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Goals for context modeling

• Identify problems and opportunities
• Decide about solutions and their feasibility
• Improve tasks and task-related knowledge
• Plan for needed organizational changes

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Role of knowledge systems

• "automation" is not the right way to look at KSs
• tasks are usually too complex
• much better view KS as process-improvement tool
• typical role of KS active intelligent assistant

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Context modelling process

• Step 1 Carry out a scoping and feasibility study
• Tool Organization Model (OM)
• Step 2 Carry out impact and improvement study
• Tool Task and Agent Models (TM, AM)
• zooming in/refinement of organization model
• Each study consists of an analysis part and a
  constructive decision-making part

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Step 1 scoping and feasibility study

• Step 1a analysis
• Identify problem/opportunity areas and potential
  solutions
• Put them into a wider organizational perspective.
• Step 1b synthesis
• Decide about economic, technical and project
  feasibility
• Select the most promising focus area and target
  solution.

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Step 2 impacts and improvements study

• Step 2a analysis
• study interrelationships between the task, agents
  involved, and use of knowledge for successful
  performance
• what improvements may be achieved here?
• Step 2b synthesis
• Decide about organizational measures and task
  changes,
• Ensure organizational acceptance and integration
  of a knowledge system solution

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Three context models

• scope and feasibility study
• organization model (OM)
• description and analysis of the broader
  organizational environment
• impacts and improvements study
• task model (TM) and agent model (AM)
• more focused and detailed
• zooms in on the relevant part of the organization
• TM tasks plus knowledge directly related to the
  target problem
• AM agents involved in TM tasks

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Worksheets

• Modeling process supported by worksheets
• Organization model 5 worksheets
• Task model 2 worksheets
• Agent model 1 worksheet
• Summary 1 worksheet
• Act as checklist and information archive
• Should be used flexibly

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How to analyze a knowledge-intensive organization?

• describe organization aspects
• opportunity/problems portfolio
• business context, goals, strategy
• internal organization
• structure
• processes
• people (staff functional roles)
• power and culture
• resources (knowledge, support systems,
  equipment,)
• do this for both current and future organization
• comparison, and first decisions on where to go

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Worksheets Organization Model
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OM-1 problem /opportunity identification

• shortlist of perceived problems/opportunities
• organizational context invariant part
• mission, vision, goals of the organization
• important external factors
• strategy of the organization, value chain
• list possible solutions
• for the perceived problems and opportunities
• compatible with organizational context.
• techniques interviews, brainstorming

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Case Study Ice-cream product development

• Unilever food/personal care industry worldwide
• First analysis step by worksheet OM-1
• Perceived problem/opportunity issues
• Speed-up time to market of new ice-cream products
• Leverage best-practice knowledge throughout the
  company
• Vision

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OM-1 for Housing
Organization Model Problems and Opportunities Worksheet OM-1
Problems and opportunities assessment takes too much time not sufficient time for urgent cases
Organizational context Mission transparency of procedure, clear applicant responsibility External actors local council, public opinion, national regulations, Strategy broaden scope of market
Solutions Automated assessment system Training program for assessors to be come urgency handlers
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Case Housing

• Local government institution is responsible for
  assignment of rental houses to applicants
• Transparent assignment procedure
• two-weekly magazine with house offers
• publication of results
• Partially automated process
• Existing databases of applicants and residences

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Problem opportunity

• Two sides of the same coin
• Opportunity
• a part of the business process in which it might
  be useful to introduce knowledge technology
• Problem
• an opportunity, that is currently being perceived
  as a problem in the organization

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Organization boundary

• Sometimes difficult to define the scope of what
  is the organization
• Example in the housing domain
• baseline organization assignment office
• includes applicants?
• includes rental agencies?
• Decide on variant and invariant parts
• invariant parts are assumed to be stable from the
  development point of view

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OM-2 variant aspects

• refers to a single problem-opportunity area of
  OM-1
• describes the subpart of the organization
  involved
• describes the aspects that might change or be
  affected by a knowledge-system solution

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Variant aspects OM-2 (1)

• structure
• structure chart of departments, groups, units
• process
• decomposed into tasks plus dependencies
• detailed in Worksheet OM-3
• people
• staff members involved as actors or stakeholders
• decision makers, providers, users, customers
• not "actual" people but functional roles

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Variant aspects OM-2 (2)

• resources
• information systems
• equipment and materials
• non-knowledge skills and competencies.
• knowledge
• special resource in this context
• detailed in Worksheet OM-4
• culture and power
• "unwritten rules of the game, styles of working
  and communicating, informal relationships

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OM-2 ice-cream organization analysis

• Example part of OM-2 analysis
• Structure

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Structure people Housing
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Process Housing
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Remainder of OM-2 for Housing
Organization model Variant aspects Worksheet OM-2
Resources Existing database of applicants and residences Priority calculator for computing a priority list of applicants for a residence.
Knowledge Assessment criteria knowledge for judging correctness of individual applications Assignment rules knowledge used for selecting an applicant for a particular house. Urgency rules special rules and regulations for urgent cases (e.g., handicapped people).
Culture power Hierarchical organization Employees view the future with some trepidation Management style history as civil servant
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OM-3 Process Breakdown

• Key element gt described in more detail
• Fill-in for each task in the Process description
• OM-3 elements
• Task name identifier
• Performed by agent (People or Resource)
• Where? location in Structure
• Knowledge required list of Knowledge assets
• Knowledge-intensive? yes/no
• Significance qualitative value, e.g. five-point
  scale

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OM-3 example breakdown of ice-cream process

• In ice-cream product development the main
  subprocesses are
• product idea generation
• feasibility phase
• production and sales planning
• implementation and role-out
• post-launch review
• All subprocesses are knowledge-intensive, but
  feasibility and planning phases in particular

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Example OM-3 for Housing
Task Performed by Where Knowledge asset(s) KI? Signifi- cance
1. Magazine production Magazine editor Public service - No 3
2. Data entry applications Data typist / automated telephone Residence assignment - No 2
3. Application assessment Assigner Residence assignment Assessment criteria Yes 5
4. Residence assignment Assigner Residence Assignment Assignment urgency rules Yes 5
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OM-4 Knowledge Assets

• details the "Knowledge" element of OM-2
• coarse-grained description
• refined in task model and knowledge model
• elements
• Knowledge Asset Name (OM-3)
• Possessed by Agent (OM-3)
• Used in Task ID (OM-3)
• Right Form? Right Place? Right Time? Right
  Quality?
• yes/no comments

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OM-4 knowledge assets for ice-cream business
process
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Knowledge asset Housing

• Knowledge asset
• general residence-application norms
• right form?
• no, should be also in electronic form
• right place, time, quality?
• yes

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Feasibility document contents

• One copy of Worksheet OM-1
• For each problem/opportunity area OM-2
• For each task OM-3
• For each knowledge asset OM-4
• For each suggested solution decision to
  "automate" yes/no plus reasons
• Worksheet OM-5 checklist for this decision
• Proposed actions

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Business Feasibility

• expected benefits
• tangible (economic) and intangible
• expected added value
• expected costs
• comparison to possible alternative solutions
• organizational changes required
• economic and business risks and uncertainties

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Technical Feasibility

• complexity of knowledge/reasoning process
• availability of state-of-the-art methods
• has it been done before?
• critical aspects involved?
• time, quality, needed resources
• measurable success factors
• tests for validity, quality and performance
• complexity of user/system interaction
• availability of state-of-the-art methods

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Project Feasibility

• commitment from the agents and stakeholders
• availability of resources in terms of time,
  budget, equipment, staff
• availablity of required knowledge and other
  competencies
• realistic expectations
• adequate project organization and external
  communication

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Proposed Actions

• recommended concrete steps for action
• List of focus areas
• Target solution for focus area
• Expected results and benefits
• Required project actions
• When to reconsider?

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OM-5 feasibility decision document for
ice-cream example

• Business, technical and project feasibility
• Proposed actions for solution direction

• Ice-cream case study
• Clarification of knowledge bottlenecks achieved
• Different knowledge improvement scenarios
  outlined
• Requirements for technical and project
  feasibility stated
• Proposed actions
• Prioritize knowledge improvement scenarios as
  next step
• .

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Feasibility Housing

• Automation of application assignment
• feasible from all perspectives
• Actions
• application construction
• job changes within assignment department
• provide additional training
• consider also resource transfer to computer dept.
  

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Case social security services (SSS)

• Problem-opportunity-context see book
• Problem
• laws and regulations are so complex
• gt long time to reach a decision gt backlog
• gt social uproar gt headlines in the papers
• Solution (a priori formulated by SSS management)
• knowledge system stores the legal decision-making
  knowledge
• gt backlog reduced

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SSS scope and feasibility decision making

• Context analysis see book
• Solution "KS for solving backlog problem"
• Business feasibility
• does not solve the problem as main task load is
  in archiving
• requires organizational changes
• status of people will change
• Technical/project feasibility
• state-of-the-art work
• Proposed actions
• redirect the project to simplify procedures for
  archiving and reporting.

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Next step of context modelling zooming in on
tasks

• Task subpart of a business process
• goal-oriented value-adding activity
• handles inputs and delivers desired outputs
• in a structured and controlled way
• consumes resources
• requires (and provides) knowledge/skills
• adheres to quality and performance criteria
• carried out by responsible and accountable agents

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Task Model aspects
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TM-1 Task Analysis

• zoom in on a task
• more detailed description than OM-3
• link to BPR/BPA methods
• task is part of business process
• link to SE analysis model
• dependency and flow
• data, function, control view on task

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Task description internal

• data dependency and data flow
• preceding task, follow-up tasks
• objects handled
• simple information model
• timing control
• frequency, duration, when performed
• constraints pre- and post-conditions

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TM-1 Top-level task model

• Fill in TM components (see TM Figure)
• Example task decomposition and flow of
  feasibility phase
• Gives first-cut version for task layer of
  knowledge model

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Data flow Housing
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Control flow Housing
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Task description external

• goal and value
• agents involved
• knowledge
• list of knowledge items further detailed in TM-2
• other competencies and skills
• resources
• refinement of OM-2
• quality and performance
• yardsticks for measuring task execution

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TM-2 knowledge item description

• Possessed by Agent
• Used inTask ID
• Domain
• specialist field, discipline, branch of science
  or engineering, professional community
• Indicate nature, form and availability of
  knowledge
• tick if bottleneck

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Characterizations of knowledge items

• Nature
• formal, rigorous empirical, quantitative
  heuristic, rules of thumb, .....
• Form
• mind, paper, electronic, action skill, ...
• Availability
• limitations in time, space, access, quality, form

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TM-2 Detailing of knowledge items bottlenecks

• Ice-cream case
• Knowledge item consumer desires
• Bottlenecks exist in
• Nature incomplete, tacit, hard to verify
• Form in mind of marketers only
• Availability limitations in space and quality

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Agent Model

• OM and TM gt process/task perspective
• AM perspective of individual agents
• staff, software systems
• large part rearrangement of information already
  in other worksheets
• just a single worksheet
• agent view useful for judging impact
• See attitude matrix
• important input for communication model

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Agent Worksheet AM-1the assigner agent
Name Assigner
Organization Residence-assignment department
Involved In 3. Application assessment 4. Residence assignment
Communicates with Database Priority calculator
Knowledge Assessment criteria Assignment rules Urgency rules
Other competencies Ability to handle problematic non-standard cases
Responsibilities constraints Make sure that people are treated equally (no favors). This has been a problem in the past
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Final step impacts and and improvements document

• checklist in Worksheet OTA-1
• measures for improvement accompany development
  work
• major issues for decision making
• organizational changes recommended
• measures for specific tasks and/or workers
• improvements regarding use and availability of
  knowledge
• is the expected result sufficient?
• future directions

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Impacts and Changes (1)Organization as a whole

• Structure
• Process
• Resources
• People
• Knowledge
• Culture and Power

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Impacts and Changes (2)Task/Agent-Specific

• comparison future/current models
• impact and change types
• task lay-out
• needed resources
• performance and quality criteria
• staffing, involved agents
• individual positions, responsibilities,
  authority, constraints in task execution
• knowledge and competencies
• communication

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Proposed Actions

• improvements/changes in organization
• accompanying measures
• training, facilities
• further project action
• when to reconsider

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OTA-1 impacts and improvements decisions

• Ice-cream case processing scenario ranks best
• Proposed actions
• Develop processing KBS module
• Archive past formulations
• Structured knowledge management for knowledge
  sharing

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Stakeholder-driven approach in Unilever PARIS
ice-cream project
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Actors and stakeholders attitudes and
commitments

• Important guideline always consider attitudes of
  actors and stakeholders toward changes
• Ask yourself is there a sufficient basis to
  successfully carry through proposed changes?
• Technique stakeholder attitude matrix
• (EMS case, IEEE Intell. Syst. 1997)

Stakeholder/Solution SQ I II III IV V VI
Hospital specialist -
General Practitioner o o - - - -
EMS personnel o - -
Consumer - o (SQ
status quo)
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Attitude matrix internal

• Sponsor/Solutions SQ I II III IV V VI
• Manager - - o - -
• System manager - o o o o o
• Dispatcher - - o - -
• Paramedic - o -
• Driver - o o o o
• Consumer -

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Summary

• Organizational aspects critical success factor
• Envisaged systems must be well-integrated
• Step 1 portfolio of solutions feasibility
• organization model
• feasibility document
• Step 2 zoom in and assess changes/measures
• task, knowledge item, and agent descriptions
• plan for organizational changes
• Context analysis is wider applicable

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Overall process of business analysis in KEM
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Exercise knowledge workshop

• Management group discussions, structured by using
  worksheets OM1-5, TM1-2, OTA-1, as a
  self-assessment instrument for management in own
  area of responsibility
• Used by, e.g., Unilever and Dutch Tax Authority
• In particular
• Focus on valuable business area or process,
  sketch the workflow of this process, and list
  problem/opportunity portfolio
• Identify the knowledge assets of importance to
  this process
• Investigate whether there exists bottlenecks here
  (OM-4, TM-2)
• Devise possible solutions and analyze their
  feasibility
• Problem/cause/solution QFD-type matrices
• Stakeholder attitude matrices
• Take follow-up managerial action