×

You are using an outdated browser that does not fully support the intranda viewer.
As a result, some pages may not be displayed correctly.

We recommend you use one of the following browsers:

Full text

Title
Proceedings of the Symposium on Progress in Data Processing and Analysis

307
resources. Too late introduction of new techniques may cause
substantial economic losses, whereas too early introduction can lead
to failures. Thus assessment of the operational maturity of the new
techniques is important.
On the other hand, the knowledge gained from experience in
production provides an invaluable feedback for further development
and optimization of the techniques.
2.4 Techniques for GI applications
These techniques represent a significant part of the state of the
art in the GI users' domains. The specific GI should be balanced
against the users' problem-solving models, i.e., it should be
conditioned for the processes in the specific user's domain. This
can be achieved by mutually adapting the techniques for GI
production and those for GI use. The production and use of GI are
linked by the corresponding specifications. Hence, the specifying
process should be strongly interactive between the users and
producers of GI, and iterative from coarse to fine.
3. CRITERIA
The criteria for evaluation emerge from the objectives and context
of the two techniques or system types. Most essential is to identify
the significant criteria and to quantify their importance. They can
be structured into the overall criteria and the institution-specific
ones; the latter change from one institution to another, and are
beyond the scope here.
The overall criteria address general technical features and economic
factors, such as:
- Versatility: diverse input, procedures and GI products;
- Flexibility: ability to change, expand, integrate, modularity,
compatibility;
- Cost of system acquisition, operation, support;
- Performance of components, procedures, and GI products;
- Reliability of components, procedures, and GI products;
- Time efficiency of processes and operations;
- Automation: degree, suitability;
- Interactive capability and human factors; sensory, processing,
control;
- Support for training, maintenance, upgrading, etc.
- System introduction in the production environment, etc.
Each of these main classes can be subdivided into more specific
criteria. They can be structured hierarchically and weighted.
Accordingly, a value model can be formulated, which is beyond the
scope here (Me Kenzie, 1980).
Evaluation may pertain to a technique or a system as a whole, or to
its individual parts, such as the hardware components, software
modules, process stages, GI products, and support. The criteria and
thus the value model should reflect the aim of the evaluation.