A risk-identification tool for managers planning expert system applications

摘要

Expert System (ES) technology is gaining acceptance in organizations. Many managers, however, have little understanding of or experience with this technology, leading to uncertainty in choosing a good expert system application. A manager's primary concern in such situations is identifying and limiting risk factors. This paper describes a tool the authors developed to assist managers in identifying major risk factors associated with ES applications. The Risk Identification Tool for Expert Systems (RITES) also aids managers in devising strategies for controlling the risk. We discuss results of a pilot study of the RITES tool and compare it with other evaluation tools described in the literature. Finally, we discuss plans for future comprehensive studies using RITES.