(See related pages)
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| Analytical Modeling | Interactive use of computer-based mathematical models to explore decision alternatives using what-if analysis, sensitivity analysis, goal-seeking analysis, and optimization analysis. Goal-Seeking Analysis: Making repeated changes to selected variables until a chosen variable reaches a target value. Optimization Analysis: Finding an optimum value for selected variables in a mathematical model, given certain constraints. Sensitivity Analysis: Observing how repeated changes to a single variable affect other variables in a mathematical model. What-If Analysis: Observing how changes to selected variables affect other variables in a mathematical model. |
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| Artificial Intelligence (AI) | A science and technology whose goal is to develop computers that can think, as well as see, hear, walk, talk, and feel. A major thrust is the development of computer functions normally associated with human intelligence, for example, reasoning, inference, learning, and problem solving. |
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| Business Intelligence (BI) | A term primarily used in industry that incorporates a range of analytical and decision support applications in business including data mining, decision support systems, knowledge management systems, and online analytical processing. |
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| Data Mining | Using special purpose software to analyze data from a data warehouse to find hidden patterns and trends. |
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| Decision Support System (DSS) | An information system that utilizes decision models, a database, and a decision maker’s own insights in an ad hoc, interactive analytical modeling process to reach a specific decision by a specific decision maker. |
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| Enterprise Information Portal | A customized and personalized Web-based interface for corporate intranets and extranets that gives qualified users access to a variety of internal and external e-business and e-commerce applications, databases, software tools, and information services. |
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| Enterprise Knowledge Portal | An enterprise information portal that serves as a knowledge management system by providing users with access to enterprise knowledge bases. |
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| Executive Information System (EIS) | An information system that provides strategic information tailored to the needs of executives and other decision makers. |
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| Expert System (ES) | A computer-based information system that uses its knowledge about a specific complex application area to act as an expert consultant to users. The system consists of a knowledge base and software modules that perform inferences on the knowledge and communicate answers to a user’s questions. |
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| Fuzzy Logic Systems | Computer-based systems that can process data that are incomplete or only partially correct, that is, fuzzy data. Such systems can solve unstructured problems with incomplete knowledge, as humans do. |
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| Genetic Algorithm | An application of artificial intelligence software that uses Darwinian (survival of the fittest) randomizing and other functions to simulate an evolutionary process that can yield increasingly better solutions to a problem. |
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| Inference Engine | The software component of an expert system, which processes the rules and facts related to a specific problem and makes associations and inferences resulting in recommended courses of action. |
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| Intelligent Agent | A special-purpose knowledge-based system that serves as a software surrogate to accomplish specific tasks for end users. |
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| Knowledge Base | A computer-accessible collection of knowledge about a subject in a variety of forms, such as facts and rules of inference, frames, and objects. |
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| Knowledge Engineer | A specialist who works with experts to capture the knowledge they possess to develop a knowledge base for expert systems and other knowledge based systems. |
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| Knowledge Management | Organizing and sharing the diverse forms of business information created within an organization. Includes managing project and enterprise document libraries, discussion databases, intranet Web site databases, and other types of knowledge bases. |
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| Management Information System (MIS) | A management support system that produces pre-specified reports, displays, and responses on a periodic, exception, demand, or push reporting basis. |
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| Model Base | An organized software collection of conceptual, mathematical, and logical models that express business relationships, computational routines, or analytical techniques. |
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| Neural Networks | Computer processors or software whose architecture is based on the human brain’s mesh like neuron structure. Neural networks can process many pieces of information simultaneously and learn to recognize patterns and programs to solve related problems on their own. |
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| Online Analytical Processing (OLAP) | A capability of some management, decision support, and executive information systems that supports interactive examination and manipulation of large amounts of data from many perspectives. |
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| Robotics | The technology of building machines (robots) with computer intelligence and humanlike physical capabilities. |
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| Virtual Reality | The use of multi-sensory human/computer interfaces that enable human users to experience computer-simulated objects, entities, spaces, and "worlds" as if they actually existed. |