Knowledge Management

Valuemation Knowledge Management uses integration with the optionally available USU KnowledgeCenter application to simplify the problem resolution process.
Upon integration with Valuemation, USU KnowledgeCenter can be directly accessed in the ticket view. All information relevant for researching a solution is automatically added to the search results. By agreeing on a proposed solution, it is automatically added to the ticket and saved there. The solution is also remembered for future use in a similar situation.
The Knowledge Manager Business View provides settings for Valuemation-KnowledgeCenter integration.

Application Area

Application areas represent thematically delimited units within the system. They bring together the knowledge obtained from successful searches in the form of questions, contain news items for keeping users up to date on important occurrences connected to the topic, and are used for organizing the selection of topic-specific term maps, topic maps, and data pools.

In order to work with a particular application area, the relevant user groups need to be assigned the appropriate permissions. This creates links between organizationally defined user groups on the one hand and the thematically defined application areas on the other.

Each application area has an Application Area ID. Both Application Area name and ID are used when Knowledge Manager Settingssetting up the connection between Valuemation and KnowledgeMiner.

Data Pool

Data pools provide access to a set of documents. Thanks to the selection and de-selection options provided, searches can be restricted to run against particular sets of documents. Data pools are organized into data pool collections and can only be accessed by users with the appropriate permissions.

Data pool collection

A data pool collection is used for thematic or organizational structuring of data pools in the system. In a data pool collection, for example, data pools can be brought together that belong to same topic area or are used by people who work within the same organizational unit and therefore require a similar set of access rights.

Focus

Focus represents a means of defining specific interest groups such as "new employees" or "experienced employees" etc. When a query/solution combination is learned by the system, the focus to which the user is assigned to at the moment is also registered.

GateKeeper

GateKeeper is an application used to administer users of KnowledgeMiner, KnowledgeBase and KnowledgeGuide . It maintains a list of user, user groups, and domains and also contains some application-specific data.

Generic Search

In addition to using KnowledgeCenter functionality in Ticket, System and Contract, it is also possible to use so called 'Generic Search'. The 'Generic Search' opens up Valuemation to the world of KnowledgeCenter indexing possibilities by performing searches in global context. It can be used to search for e.g. a particular system using any kind of information conforming to the KnowledgeCenter indexing scheme.

Pre-configured search modes

For searching, the following pre-configured search modes are available:

• Simple Search

  Mode suitable for running rapid searches that require only limited user input.

• Power Search

  Mode for users who wish to refine their searches by using additional intelligent functions

• Combined Search

  Mode for complex searches where multiple text boxes are used for entering the search terms and where multiple topic and term maps are used at the same time.

Question

Questions are a means of storing successful searches and their associated solutions, so that the knowledge involved can be reused by other users. This can be of particular benefit in situations where the same questions frequently reoccur, such as call centres and user helpdesks.

Search profile

Search profiles are a means of guiding the selection of data pools and term and topic maps. Search profiles can, for example, be categorized thematically to help users in selecting the appropriate data pools and term and topic maps for the topic area concerned.

Solution

In USU KnowledgeMiner, a solution is a document that answers a search query entered by a user and that has been saved as a question-solution combination.

Solutions for

The documents listed under "Solutions for" (and known in German as a "bewertete Lösung" or "evaluated solution") are the ones that have been confirmed by users as representing an appropriate solution to a search.

Terms and Term Maps

Term maps are optimized for electronic processing. They are particularly well suited to being automatically created from sets of documents (see "Text analysis") and for the purposes of "learning" on the basis of user interaction. They can also be modelled manually.

• Term

  A term is the basic element within term maps. It contains the name of the term as well as information derived from the text analysis and "learning" processes. A term may be linked with other terms by means of relationships (sometimes referred to as "relations").

• Term map

  Term maps store information on terms and the relationships between them and thereby provide the user with intelligent assistance during the search process. Term maps are particularly relevant for the fuzzy search, the context search, and in refining users' search queries. Term maps are optimized for electronic processing, while topic maps are designed in a more appropriate way for manual modelling.

• Term map collection

  Term maps are organized into term map collections. These can only be accessed by users with appropriate permissions.

  A term map collection is used in the system for the thematic or organizational structuring of term maps. In a term map collection, for example, term maps can be brought together that belong to same topic area or are used by people who work within the same organizational unit and therefore require a similar set of access rights.

Topics/Terms

USU KnowledgeMiner makes use of topic and term maps for the purposes of intelligent searching. Such maps constitute a means of depicting semantic relationships that assist users in a variety of ways when they search for information.

Topics and Topic Maps

• Topics

  Topics are the lowest-level element in a topic map. They consist of search terms and conditions, they include the name of the topic plus its synonyms, information for the structured search, and any notes. Each topic represents a "node" that can be linked with other topics. Multiple topics and their relationships thereby form the basis for a comprehensive topic map.

• Topic map

  A topic map stores information on topics and the relationships between them. It thereby enables a subject area to be mapped out as a semantic network. Topic maps therefore assist users in the search process and in exploring particular subject areas. Topic maps are designed for manual modelling, while term maps are optimized for electronic processing. Topic maps are organized into topic map collections and can only be accessed by users with the appropriate permissions.

• Topic map collection

  A topic map collection is used in the system for the thematic or organizational structuring of topic maps. In a topic map collection, for example, topic maps can be brought together that belong to same topic area or are used by people who work within the same organizational unit and therefore require a similar set of access rights. See also: topic map.

Topic Map

KnowledgeCenter is based on the concept of semantic networks (topic maps). This technology complies with ISO standard 13250, which describes mapping of knowledge structures. A topic map represents core items of knowledge (nodes) graphically as topics in a multidimensional network.The relationships between the topics are displayed by means of so called edges.

URL Addresses

These are actual URL addresses calling external knowledge management related applications. Note that in these addresses the prefixes defined in URL prefixes are used.

URL Prefixes

In the URL prefix fields you specify values of URL variables found in complex URL addresses used to open KnowledgeCenter-related web pages. The prefixes substitute the angle brackets part at the beginning of complex URL addresses.