Proceedings of the 8th International Conference on Intellectual ...

Marko Anzelak et al.
virtually all relational database systems. This means that <strong>the</strong> web application KnowCad can easily be
integrated into and used within any relational system environment. The Templating Engine Velocity
(Harrop 2004) was used for <strong>the</strong> GUI output (View), to separate <strong>the</strong> Java Code from <strong>the</strong> Markup. By
employing Velocity components it was possible to achieve an optimal adjustment to <strong>the</strong> “Cooperative
Design”, without impacting <strong>the</strong> functionality.
6. Experiences / conclusion
Every knowledge management system has to be able to handle similar requirements and solve a
number <strong>of</strong> problems. Never<strong>the</strong>less, no ready system exists that can be purchased and used in a
simple manner. There are too many different branches and requirements, making it impossible for
one complete system to fulfil every single requirement perfectly. Knowledge management cannot be
compared with bookkeeping, where it is possible to adapt a huge s<strong>of</strong>tware tool accordingly.
Knowledge management depends on <strong>the</strong> human component and on <strong>the</strong> motivation to enter data.
In o<strong>the</strong>r words, we are dealing with <strong>the</strong> two issues <strong>of</strong> internalisation and externalisation. The better <strong>the</strong>
design engineer is able to externalise, <strong>the</strong> better are <strong>the</strong> search results as well as <strong>the</strong> quality <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong>
solutions found, and thus <strong>the</strong> swift internalisation <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> stored information. This dependency is <strong>the</strong>
reason why our approach to a solution focuses on <strong>the</strong> first part <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> problem: The search is
dependent on this to ensure that improvements in <strong>the</strong> area <strong>of</strong> data entry also lead to improved search
functionality.
Humans are unique in <strong>the</strong> way that <strong>the</strong>y work, think and search. Without standardisation and
regulation <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> entered data, even <strong>the</strong> best system has no chance <strong>of</strong> success. It is <strong>the</strong>refore not just
up to <strong>the</strong> system, but also depends on <strong>the</strong> users and <strong>the</strong>ir data entry quality. This entered data has to
be quality checked − at least during <strong>the</strong> introductory phase – to safeguard quality and to ensure that
all instructions are observed.
In this project it is difficult to precisely measure <strong>the</strong> improvements and <strong>the</strong> amount <strong>of</strong> time saved by
<strong>the</strong> introduction <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> system, as no two queries are <strong>the</strong> same. Every query is unique and even if <strong>the</strong>
same solution is sought twice, <strong>the</strong> user has already ga<strong>the</strong>red some knowledge during <strong>the</strong> first search,
which he or she uses – albeit subconsciously – when entering <strong>the</strong> second query. The objective here is
not <strong>the</strong> measuring <strong>of</strong> performance but ra<strong>the</strong>r <strong>the</strong> subjective improvement or simplification <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong>
programme operation. If <strong>the</strong> operation is simple and logical, <strong>the</strong> process is subjectively perceived as
being short. As soon as something becomes unclear or complicated, <strong>the</strong> process is <strong>of</strong>ten described
as being prolonged.
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