Using Ontologies and Soft Systems Methodology to Provide Multi-user Support in Problem Structuring
Decision support systems (DSS) are aimed at helping decision makers in devising appropriate solutions to business problems while negotiation support systems (NSS) are aimed at assisting stakeholders in reaching mutually satisfactory decisions. The successful use of these systems involves a combination of human ability and computer support. An implicit assumption underlying their use is that the business problems for which they are deployed have been carefully defined by the stakeholders prior to their use. This includes, in particular, understanding of the problem variables and their possible impact on the decision outcomes and knowing which information is necessary for supporting it. However, this assumption might not hold in the modern business environment. This is due to the increasing complexity and rate of change of the environment, the geographical and temporal dispersion of modern organizations, and the diversity and quantity of information sources that is available. In this paper we propose the idea of extending the scope of these systems to include a step preceding the solution process: problem framing. We claim that new technologies such as Web 2.0 provide novel opportunities to add this facility to DSS and NSS.
The full paper is available in the publications section
06.01.12 - Using Ontologies and Soft Systems Methodology to Provide Multi-user Support in Problem Structuring (pdf)
Modélisation ou création artistique: comment prédit-on l’avenir?
Se poser la question "où va la monde?", c’est à la fois vieux comme le monde et très nouveau. Car cela suppose sortir du sens donné à l’évolution de l’espèce humaine par les religions du monde et interroger sous un nouvel angle la condition historique héritée de la modernité.
La certitude du progrès est mise en doute, mais la science n’a jamais été aussi mobilisée pour imaginer notre avenir. La modélisation, les séries temporelles, les statistiques, la prospective sont des outils scientifiques aussi précieux que controversés pour se substituer aux boules de cristal du Moyen-Age.
Quelles sont les limites des instruments de prédiction? Quel est le rôle de l’État dans leur utilisation? L’avant-garde mondialisée de la création artistique ne préfigure-t-elle pas tout aussi bien notre futur?
Vous trouverez les vidéos, slidecasts, références et autres information sur la page consacrée au cours.
11.03.2009 - La science permet-elle de prédire l'avenir? (pdf)