Knowledge-Based Configuration: From Research to Business Cases

by Alexander Felfernig, Lothar Hotz, Claire Bagley, Juha Tiihonen

Overview

Knowledge-based Configuration incorporates knowledge representation formalisms to capture complex product models and reasoning methods to provide intelligent interactive behavior with the user. This book represents the first time that corporate and academic worlds collaborate integrating research and commercial benefits of knowledge-based configuration. Foundational interdisciplinary material is provided for composing models from increasingly complex products and services. Case studies, the latest research, and graphical knowledge representations that increase understanding of knowledge-based configuration provide a toolkit to continue to push the boundaries of what configurators can do and how they enable companies and customers to thrive.

• Includes detailed discussion of state-of-the art configuration knowledge engineering approaches such as automated testing and debugging, redundancy detection, and conflict management
• Provides an overview of the application of knowledge-based configuration technologies in the form of real-world case studies from SAP, Siemens, Kapsch, and more
• Explores the commercial benefits of knowledge-based configuration technologies to business sectors from services to industrial equipment
• Uses concepts that are based on an example personal computer configuration knowledge base that is represented in an UML-based graphical language

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780124158696
Publisher:	Elsevier Science
Publication date:	04/02/2014
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	384
File size:	10 MB

About the Author

Alexander Felfernig is professor of Applied Software Engineering at the Graz University of Technology. In his research he focuses on the areas of knowledge-based configuration and recommender systems. He has written over 150 articles in this area.
Lothar Hotz is a researcher at the University of Hamburg. In his research he focuses on knowledge representation issue within the context of knowledge based configuration. He is the author of several books and articles in artificial intelligence
Claire Bagley is the Research&Development Director of the Advanced Constraint Technology group at Oracle. In her research and development, she focuses on the application of constraint technology in the industry and specifically but not exclusively in Supply Chain Management business domains such as Configuration applications.

Table of Contents

PART 1 INTRODUCTION1. Motivation for the Book2. A Short History of Configuration3. Configuration-Related Topics4. Benefits of Configuration Systems5. Overview of the Book

PART 2 BASICS6. Configuration Knowledge Representation and Reasoning7. Conflict Detection and Diagnosis in Configuration 8. User Interfaces for Configuration Environments 9. Core Capabilities of Sustainable Mass Customization 10. Smarthome Configuration Model

PART 3 ADVANCED TOPICS11. Knowledge Engineering for Configuration Systems12. Redundancy Detection in Configuration Knowledge13. Personalized Configuration 14. Consumer Decision-Making and Configuration Systems15. Configuration-Related Research Challenges

PART 4 CASE STUDIES16. SIEMENS: Configuration and Reconfiguration in Industry 17. Tacton: Use of Tacton Configurator at FLSmidth18. encoway: From ERP-Based to Sales-Oriented Configuration19. Kapsch: Reconfiguration of Mobile Phone Networks 20. Configuring and Generating Technical Documents21. Configuring Services and Processes

PART 5 CONFIGURATION ENVIRONMENTS22. S'UPREME23. Encoway 24. Konwerk 25. WeeVis 26. VariSales 27. Product Configuration in SAP: A Retrospective

PART 6 APPENDIX

Editorial Reviews

"...quite informative, touching on most aspects of configuration…a good reference if your work involves configuration systems. There are also plenty of references to related items in the literature."--Computing Reviews

"This book is an excellent introduction and overview of the field of Configuration Systems. It covers the most important developments in the field." - HPCMagazine.com, August 2014

"I've always said that the key to mass customizing is a design tool that helps customers figure out what they want and then gets that information back into operations. Now here comesKnowledge-Based Configurationto guide you through the technologies behind such design tools. You won't truly understand Mass Customization without it!" - B. Joseph Pine II, author, Mass Customizationand Infinite Possibility: Creating Customer Value on the Digital Frontier

"An essential book to keep abreast of configuration-related research and practice and, at the same time, a useful introduction to key configuration concepts. A source of inspiration that promises to broaden the scope of configuration systems applications and enrich the variety of perspectives from which this subject is studied." -Cipriano Forza, Professor of Operations Management and General Management at Padova University, Italy

"Perfectly on the road that enhances the fit between customer and supplier! A great book that: -is not promoting a single point of view! - gathers the diversity of industrial expectations, software solutions and theoretical foundations! - will be THE reference on CONFIGURATION for the 10 coming years!" - Michel Aldanondo, Head of Industrial Engineering Laboratory of Toulouse University Mines Albi.

From the Publisher