Systems development life-cycle for expert systems

摘要

Existing life-cycles for the development of traditional information systems are shown to be inadequate for addressing expert system requirements. A life cycle for expert systems is constructed, outlining the tasks and activities to be performed at each stage of system development. The life cycle highlights the role of alternative development paradigms and the importance of social and organizational characteristics in system transfer to users. The operationalization of the life-cycle is illustrated through a case study, describing the development process and major architectural components of an expert system that configures air-conditioning units. Several important issues encountered in transferring the system from test to production mode and in system evaluation are highlighted. Such a life-cycle approach can enhance project management for expert systems.