defining and distinguishing corporate portals · 2006. 7. 13. · 1. defining and distinguishing...

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Defining andDistinguishing Corporate Portals

Prepared By:Joseph M. Firestone, Ph.D.

Chief ScientistExecutive Information Systems, Inc

http://[email protected]

(703) 461-8823

January 23, 2001

Prepared For:IQPC Conference on Business to Employee Corporate Portals

Executive Information Systems, Inc.EIS

© 2000 Executive Information Systems, Inc.

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2© 2000 Executive Information Systems, Inc.

B2E Corporate Portals: A Rich Feastg Defining Objectives (Mark Lawrence, MasterCard)g How to build a Corporate Portal (Ted Laskaris, (Denver

Investment Advisors)g Merging Your Extranet and Intranet Initiatives (Ahmed Atwan

Altra Energy Technologies)g Implementing and Developing a Centralized Corporate Portal

(John Kessling, Ketchum)g Internal Benefits of a B2E Corporate Portal (Thomas Hoglund

and Todd Huskinson, Arthur Andersen)g A Business-Driven Knowledge Management Success Story: “

It’s not all about the Portal” (Robert Seiner, TDAN)

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B2E Corporate Portals: A Rich Feast (2)g Content Management: Organizing and Maintaining Your

Corporate Portal (Sean Heston and Dana Starkg Creating Taxonomies and Navigational Maps to Enhance

User productivity (Charlene Orcheski, Syncrude)g Reducing Barriers to Use: Designing and Implementing an

Enterprise Portal in the Upstream Energy Business (BillHewitt, BP Amoco)

g Making your B2E Corporate Portal “Sticky” (Doug McGowan,HP)

g Implementing and Managing your HR Portal (Roland deAgular, Ames Department Stores)

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B2E Corporate Portals: A Rich Feast (3)g How to Reduce HR Administration Costs with Self-Service

Systems (Jim Sciano, J. C. Penney)g Measuring the Success of your B2E Corporate Portal (Ted

Graham, Hill and Knowlton)g The Evolution and Future of the B2E Corporate Portal (Larry

Bowden, IBM)

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With All This Variety You Need Contextg How does it all fit together?g How can you put everything in evolutionary context?g How can you evaluate differing semantics?g How can you relate statements about corporate portals

that are not really talking about the same thing?

g What is the relationship between corporate portals andKM?

g Where does your organization fit into the corporateportal space?

g To answer these and other questions, you need aframework to provide context

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What We’ll Cover

gSome DefinitionsgThe Major Enterprise Information

Portal SegmentsgTrends in Segment Development

and a RoadmapgOther Trends

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What is anEnterprise Information Portal?

gAccording to Merrill Lynch's Shilakes andTylman:

g "Enterprise Information Portals are applications thatenable companies to unlock internally and externallystored information, and provide users a singlegateway to personalized information needed tomake informed business decisions. "


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What is an EnterpriseInformation Portal? (TWO)

g ". . . an amalgamation of software applicationsthat consolidate, manage, analyze and distributeinformation across and outside of an enterprise(including Business Intelligence, ContentManagement, Data Warehouse & Mart and DataManagement applications)."


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What’s An eIP?

g An eIP is an ebusiness Information Portal, thatis, it uses EIP technology to support e-businessprocesses that transcend the enterprise.

g There are two basic types of eIPs:gExtraprise Information Portals (ExIPs); andg Interprise information Portals (IIPs)


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Extraprise Information Portals

g An ExIP is an Information portal supporting anextended enterprise usually consisting of acommunity of trading partners revolving arounda common host enterprise of mutual interestwho do business with one another on a fairlypredictable and repetitive basis. The enterpriseat the center of the system usually hosts the“extended Intranet” (aka, the “Extranet”).


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Interprise Information Portals

g An Interprise Information Portal (IIP) is anInformation portal supporting web-likefederations of otherwise independentcompanies with no “network host” at the center.The members of the interprise do business withone another through the IIP on a fairlyunpredictable and irregular basis in responseto individual expressions of demand inmarketplaces of mutual interest


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g An EKP is an enhanced Enterprise InformationPortal (EIP)

g It is an EIP that supports knowledge production,knowledge integration, and knowledgemanagement

g It is an EIP that supports individuals, groups, andteams in the swirl of problem-solving activitiespermeating enterprise business processes

What is an EnterpriseKnowledge Portal (EKP)?


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g focus upon, provide, produce and integrate informationabout the validity of the information they supply

g provide information about your business and meta-information about the degree to which you can rely onthat information,

g distinguish knowledge from mere information,g provide a facility for producing knowledge from

informationg orient one toward producing and integrating knowledge

rather than information

Enterprise Knowledge Portals


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g An eKP uses EKP technology to support e-business processes that transcend theenterprise.

g There are two basic types of eKPs:gExtraprise Knowledge Portals (ExKPs); andg Interprise Knowledge Portals (IKPs)

What’s an eKP?


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Eight Portal Segments

g Decision Processing (Viador, ComputerAssociates, Brio One)

g Content Management (Plumtree, Autonomy,Verity, Oracle, IBM, KnowledgeTrack,SageMaker, DataChannel, Sequoia Software)

g Collaborative Processing (Practicity, Engenia,Intraspect, OpenText)

g Decision Processing/Content Management(Hummingbird, Sybase, Iona)

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Eight Portal Segmentsg Advanced Collaborative Processing (DP/CM +

Collaborative + some Knowledge Production +additional features)

g Structured Information Management (ACP minusMost CM features of ACP)

g Structured Knowledge Processing (ACP minus- MostCM features of ACP + Knowledge Processing andKM)

g Comprehensive Knowledge Processing (ACP +Knowledge Processing and KM)

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Decision Processing Portals Support:g structured data managementg querying and reporting against structured datag query and or agent-based searching on unstructured

contentg posting and broadcasting contentg Integrating information useful for information managementg portal interface integration - incrementalg Business process types or combinationsg Content and data sources include relational, OODBMS, flat

file, multidimensional, BI Reports, text, and wordprocessing

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Content Management Portals Support:

gQuery and or agent-based searching onunstructured content

gAgent-based scanning on unstructuredcontent

gQuery-based and continuous retrieval onunstructured content

gFiltering and manual and automatedclassification on unstructured content

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Content ManagementPortals Support: (Two)

gposting and broadcasting contentg Integrating information useful for information

managementgportal interface integration - incrementalgBusiness process types or combinationsgContent and data sources include relational,

OODBMS, flat file, multidimensional, BIReports, text, and word processing

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Collaborative Portals Support:

g Query-based searching and retrievingg Planningg Project Managementg Distributed Expertiseg Problem-solvingg Work Flow

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Collaborative Portals Support: (Two)

g posting and broadcasting contentg Integrating information useful for information

managementg portal interface integration - incrementalg Work Flow-based Integration

g Business process types or combinations

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DP/CM Portals Support:g Structured Data Management (OLTP Packaged,

ERP, ODS, legacy and Data Management Apps;DSS Data Mining, Packaged Analytical, Modelingand Simulation Apps; Batch Data Management andProcessing, Computer Simulation, and StatisticalEstimation Apps)

g Unstructured Content Management (Query andagent-based searching, agent-based scanning,Query-based and continuous retrieving, filteringand manual, automated, Bayesian, and fuzzyclassification)

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DP/CM Portals Support: (Two)g Unstructured Content Management (text mining

including semantic network development, textabstracting, full-text indexing, concept networkcreation in response to querying, concept taggingand metadata w/XML, and non-XML concepttagging)

g posting and broadcasting contentg Integrating information useful for information

managementg portal interface integration - incremental

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DP/CM Portals Support: (Three)

g Data federation-based Integration

g Business process types or combinationsg Content and data sources include relational,

OODBMS, flat file, multidimensional, XML, BIReports, text, e-mail, HTML, and word processing

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Advanced Collaborative Portals Support

g All Structured Data Management and UnstructuredContent Management Features of DP/CM portals

g Collaborative Prioritization, Planning, ProjectManagement, Expertise, Work Flow

g Knowledge Production (Individual and GroupLearning, Information Acquisition, and KnowledgeClaim Formulation)

g posting and broadcasting content

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Advanced CollaborativePortals Support: (Two)

g Information Management (Leadership, BuildingExternal Relations, Information Production,Information Integration, Changing Info ProcessingRules, Crisis Handing, Allocating Resources,Negotiating Agreements)

g Work flow-based and portal application integration --incremental

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Advanced CollaborativePortals Support: (Three)


OODBMS, flat file, multidimensional, XML, BIReports, text, e-mail, HTML, and word processing

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Structured InformationManagement Portals

g All Structured Data Management Features of DP/CMportals

g Query and Agent-based searchingg Collaborative Work Flowg posting and broadcasting contentg All Information Management Features of Advanced

Collaborative Portals

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Structured InformationManagement Portals

g Structured Application Integration -- incremental


OODBMS, flat file, multidimensional, XML, BIReports, text, , HTML, and word processing

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Structured KnowledgeProcessing Portals Support

g All Structured Data and unstructured ContentManagement features of Structured InformationManagement Portals

g Collaborative Prioritization, Planning, ProjectManagement, Problem-solving, KnowledgeProduction and Work Flow

g All Information Management Features of StructuredInformation Management Portals

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Structured KnowledgeProcessing Portals Support (Two)

g Knowledge Processing (Info Acquisition, I & GLearning, Knowledge Claim Formulation, KnowledgeClaim Validation, Broadcasting, Searching/Retrieving,Teaching, and Sharing)

g Knowledge Management ( Leadership, BuildingExternal Relationships, Knowledge Production,Knowledge Integration, Changing Knowledge ProcessRules, Crisis Handling, Allocating Resources,Negotiating Agreements)

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Structured KnowledgeProcessing Portals Support (Three)

g Structured Application Integration -- incremental


OODBMS, flat file, multidimensional, XML, BIReports, text, , HTML, e-mail, SGML, and wordprocessing

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Comprehensive KnowledgeProcessing Portals Support:

g All Structured Data and Unstructured ContentManagement Features of Advanced CollaborativePortals

g Collaborative Prioritization, Planning, ProjectManagement, Expertise, Training, Problem-solving,Knowledge Production and Work Flow

g All Knowledge Production, posting and broadcasting,Information and Knowledge Management Featuresof Structured Knowledge Processing Portals

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Comprehensive KnowledgeProcessing Portals Support: (Two)

g Portal Application Integration -- incremental


OODBMS, flat file, multidimensional, XML, BIReports, text, , HTML, e-mail, SGML, and wordprocessing

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DP IM SKn

CM DP/CM CompKn

AdvCollab

Collab

Pathways of Portal Evolution

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Other Trends

g Structuring unstructured content through XMLg More comprehensive EIP systems integration;

andg An increasingly common focus on knowledge

processing and knowledge management

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Structuring UnstructuredContent Through XML

g A basic distinction among EIPs at present is whetherthey support structured data management orunstructured content management. Some portalvendors currently emphasize their ability to handle XMLand to use it to structure content

g In the future, EIPs will increasingly support text miningand conversion of documents to XML for the purpose oftransforming unstructured to structured content. Onceeverything is structured all content will be open toanalytical applications.

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More Comprehensive Integration

g As EIPs develop we will see the following integrationtrends:g Interface Integration around cognitive maps and

personalized work flow, ending islands ofautomation;

gData and Content Store Integration throughUniversal Connectivity; and

gApplication Integration through Business ProcessEngines and Intelligent Agents.

As EIPs develop we will see the following integrationtrends:

Interface Integration around cognitive maps andpersonalized work flow for islands of automation;

Data and Content Store Integration through UniversalConnectivity; and

Application Integration through Business ProcessEngines and Intelligent Agents.

When these trends have run their course, EIP applicationswill have evolved into virtual enterprise applicationssolving both of the "islands problems," and integratingboth the user's window on the virtual enterprise, everydata, content, information, and knowledge store, and everyapplication in the modern enterprise..

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An Increasing Focus onKnowledge Processing and KM

g I think the distinction between information and knowledge,along with an explicit emphasis on KM, are both crucialelements in determining the long-run success of portalapplications. Ultimately it comes down to having the bestinformation it is possible to have to support one's decisions.Knowledge is information whose value has been enhanced bya competitive validation process, and more specifically, by thecontextual information about the result of the testing processthat is produced. This contextual information tells us whetherwe can rely on the knowledge claims it describes fordecisions.






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An Increasing Focus onKnowledge Processing and KM (Two)

g Given a choice between having such enhancedinformation and having mere information, it is areasonable guess that the market will choose theenhanced information produced by EnterpriseKnowledge Portals and the support for knowledgeproduction, integration and KM they provide, ratherthan the mere information produced by EIPs.

g So the EIP future is the EKP, and not simply theunenhanced EIP.






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The End

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Back-up Slides

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Most Advanced Portal Toolsg Decision Processing -- Viador Portal Suiteg Content Management -- Plumtree, Autonomy,

Sequoiag Basic Collaboration -- Practicity, Engeniag DP/CM -- Hummingbird EIP, Sybaseg Advanced Collaboration -- Noneg Structured Information Management -- Noneg Structured Knowledge Processing -- Noneg Comprehensive Knowledge Processing -- None






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Portal Browser Clients

DataMarts

Content and Data Stores

DDS DW ODS PersistentContent Store

(OODBMS)

OLTPRelational

Full-textIndexed

ApplicationServers

Collab

Text and Data Mining Server

Web Server

Portal JobContent Server

PageBuilder

Transaction &Report/Query

Scanner/Indexer

Agent Server

ETL, ROLAP &MOLAP

ERP &Legacy

ApplicationServers

Agent Agent

Agent

ArtificialKnowledge

Server

Artificial Knowledge Manager

The Architecture of an Enterprise Knowledge Portal


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EKP Generic Application Componentsg Browser and e-mail clientsg The Avatar -- a client-based intelligent agentg The portal application server(s),g The access management systemg Knowledge Claim Objectsg The enterprise Artificial Knowledge Server(s) (AKSs),g Complex adaptive system (cas) mobile intelligent agentsg The formal knowledge production application server(s) and its

associated clients supporting analytical and statisticalmodeling, KDD and Data Mining, Simulation, impact analysisand forecasting,

g The collaborative processing application server, andg A persistent storage component.


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Knowledge Claim Objectsg An important class of objects in the EKP system is the knowledge

claim object (KCO)g A KCO is distinguished from an ordinary business object by the

presence of validity metadata encapsulated in the objectg Such metadata compares the KCO to alternative, competing

KCO’s, and may be expressed in many different forms. The“metadata” may be qualitative or quantitative or it may be in theform of textual content. In relatively infrequent but importantspecial cases, the metadata may involve quantitative ratings of aknowledge claim compared to its competitors.

g When the KCO is accessed by a user, data, metadata, andmethods are all available, so the user can evaluate the KCO as abasis for decision against competing KCOs. This capability is notavailable in EIPs, which express knowledge claims as data orbusiness objects only.


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Process Control Services

Active In-Memory Object Model

Connectivity Services

The AKM


Process Control Services:

In-memory proactive object state management and synchronization across distributedobjects

Component management and Workflow Management

Transactional multithreading

business rule management and processing, and

metadata management.In-memory Active Object Model/Persistent Object Store is characterized by:

Event-driven behavior

EKP-wide model with shared representation

Declarative business rules

Caching along with partial instantiation of objects

A Persistent Object Store for the AKS and

Reflexive ObjectsConnectivity Services are:

Language APIs: C, C++, Java, CORBA, DCOM

Databases: Relational, ODBC, OODBMS, hierarchical, network, flat file, etc.

Wrapper connectivity for application software: custom, CORBA, or COM-based.

Applications connectivity including all the categories mentioned above, whether these aremainframe, server, or desktop - based.

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The Artificial Knowledge Serverg The distributed AKS provides Process Control Services, an Object Model of

the EKP system, and connectivity to all enterprise information, data stores,and applications

g Process Control Services provide:g In-memory proactive object state management and synchronization

across distributed objectsg Component management and Workflow Managementg Transactional multithreadingg business rule management and processing,g KCO management and processing andg metadata management

g In-memory Active Object Model/Persistent Object Store is characterized by:g Event-driven behaviorg EKP-wide model with shared representation


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The Artificial Knowledge Server (Two)g Declarative business rulesg Caching along with partial instantiation of objectsg A Persistent Object Store for the AKS andg Reflexive Objects and KCOsg Connectivity Services are:

g Language APIs: C, C++, Java, HTML, XML, CORBA, DCOMg Databases: Relational, ODBC, OODBMS, hierarchical,

network, flat file, XML, etc.g Wrapper connectivity for application software: custom,

CORBA, or COM-basedg Applications connectivity including all the categories

mentioned above, whether these are mainframe, server, ordesktop - based


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What is Knowledge Management?

g It is handling, directing, governing, controlling,coordinating, planning, and organizing agents,components, and activities participating in the basicknowledge processes (knowledge production andknowledge integration)

g That is, it is managing the KLC -- its processes and itsproducts (outcomes)

g Such management occurs through a range of activities


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Problems andSolutions in the Enterprise

g Every individual, team, or group within the enterpriseencounters problems in the course of the work day

g Every problem has alternative solutionsg And every alternative solution is subject to criticism

and to replacement if it performs less well than itscompetitors.

g The best problem solution is the competitivealternative that best survives criticism


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The Enterprise is a “Swirl” ofKnowledge-related Interactions

g The set of problem-solving interactions in anenterprise constitutes a continuous, dynamic “swirl”from which knowledge is produced and integratedwith the business processes of the enterprise

g For a given problem, it is useful to abstract from theswirl and to conceptualize an iteration of a knowledgelife cycle targeted on solving that problem.


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The Knowledge Life Cycle (KLC) Model

KnowledgeProduction

OK

InfoAboutVKC

VKC

InfoAboutUKC

UKC

InfoAbout

IKC

IKC

KnowledgeIntegration

Knowledge Processes

Knowledge Sets

UKC - Unvalidated Knowledge ClaimVKC - Validated Knowledge Claim

IKC - Invalidated Knowledge Claim

OK - Organizational Knowledge

ExternalInputs

Experiential Feedback Loop

Distributed Organizational

KnowledgeBase

Structures incorporating Organizational

Knowledge

Bus.ProcessBehavior

ExternalInputs

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Structures IncorporatingOrganizational Knowledge

gg Business ProcessesBusiness Processes

gg Organizational CultureOrganizational Culture

gg Organizational StrategyOrganizational Strategy

gg Organizational TeamsOrganizational Teams

gg Formal Org. Sub-divisionsFormal Org. Sub-divisions

gg IndividualsIndividuals

gg PoliciesPolicies

gg ProceduresProceduresg Products

g Servicesg Codified Organizational

Knowledgeg Information Systemsg Paper documentsg Images

g Artg Other Organizational

Cultural Artifacts


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Knowledge Production

CKC

InfoAcquisition

Indiv. &Group

Learning

CKC - CodifiedKnowledge Claims

KnowledgeValidation

KnowledgeClaim

Formulation

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KnowledgeSharing:

Face-To-Face,Document,Computer-

based

OK

Searching/Retrieving:Electronic

or Personal

Teaching:Face-To-Faceand Compu-

ter based

Broadcasting:Electronic

or Personal

Knowledge Integration

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KM Task Clusters and Task Patternsg There are three KM task clusters: interpersonal

behavior; knowledge processing behavior; and decisionmakingg Interpersonal behavior includes three task patterns:

gfigurehead,gleadership, and

gexternal relationship-building activity.g Knowledge processing behavior includes two task

patterns:gKM knowledge production; andgKM knowledge integration.


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KM Task Clusters andTask Patterns (TWO)

g Decision Making includes four task patterns:g changing knowledge process rules;g crisis handling;g allocating KM and knowledge processing

resources; and

g negotiating agreement with representatives ofother business processes.


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Decision Processing Portals will evolve intoStructured Information Management or into combined

Decision Processing/Content Management Portals

g This is the most likely immediate development path.DP portal vendors began by incorporating BI andDW capabilities into their products. Now they areincorporating access to SAP, PeopleSoft, Baan, andother OLTP sources. Also, DP vendors such asViador, and Computer Associates are rapidly movingto incorporate CM capabilities into their products

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Content Management Portals will evolve intocombined Decision Processing/Content Management

Portals or into Advanced Collaboration Portals

g The leaders in CM portals, such as Plumtree, arerushing to integrate DP capabilities into their offeringsor at least to provide the means of integrating thirdparty DP capabilities into their frameworks.

g On the other hand, IntegrationWare, now Practicity,while claiming the first knowledge portal, is actuallyusing a strong integrative architecture to unite CMand collaborative capabilities while also integratingsome DSS capabilities.

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Basic Collaboration Portals will evolve into Advanced Collaboration Portals

g This trend is already observable in Intraspect'sattempt to integrate its collaborative capabilities withSAS's structured IM capabilities and in Practicity’scontent management and structured datamanagement capabilities

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Structured Information Management Portals willevolve into Structured Knowledge Processing

Portals

g This will occur naturally as the distinction betweeninformation and knowledge portals enters industryconsciousness, and software companies figure outwhat needs to be done to incorporate formalknowledge production and validation, KM processes,and validity information into their portals.

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Combined DP/CM Portals will evolve intoComprehensive Knowledge Processing

Portals

g To do this they need to add Advanced CollaborativeCapabilities and incorporate formal knowledgeprocessing and KM capabilities. It will be a half year toa year before any software company approaches thissynthesis, and that assumes they're thinking about itright now.

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Advanced Collaboration Portals will evolveinto Comprehensive Knowledge Processing

Portals With KM capabilities

g ACPs need to add knowledge processing and KMcapabilities to evolve into Comprehensive KnowledgeProcessing Portals. Again it will be at least six monthsto a year before we see the first of these products.

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Structured Knowledge Processing Portalswill evolve into Comprehensive Knowledge

Processing Portalsg This requires incorporating collaborative and content

management capabilities. Provided a company is at thisstage to begin with, and has previously made the moredifficult transition from information processing andmanagement to knowledge processing andmanagement, this change should not be difficult.Particularly since by this time content management andcollaborative processing capabilities should bewidespread in the portal space.

defining and distinguishing corporate portals · 2006. 7. 13. · 1. defining and distinguishing...

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