Ontology-based multi-agent system to support business users and management

TL;DR

This paper presents DSS-MAS, an ontology-based multi-agent system that integrates internal data warehouses with external web data to support business decision-making, verified through a mobile communications case study.

Contribution

It introduces a novel agent-based integration approach using ontologies that allows non-technical business users to easily acquire and utilize enterprise knowledge.

Findings

Effective integration of internal and external data sources.

Facilitated decision making through semantic data analysis.

Validated approach with a mobile communications case study.

Abstract

For some decision processes a significant added value is achieved when enterprises' internal Data Warehouse (DW) can be integrated and combined with external data gained from web sites of competitors and other relevant Web sources. In this paper we discuss the agent-based integration approach using ontologies (DSS-MAS). In this approach data from internal DW and external sources are scanned by coordinated group of agents, while semantically integrated and relevant data is reported to business users according to business rules. After data from internal DW, Web sources and business rules are acquired, agents using these data and rules can infer new knowledge and therefore facilitate decision making process. Knowledge represented in enterprises' ontologies is acquired from business users without extensive technical knowledge using user friendly user interface based on constraints and predefined templates. The approach presented in the paper was verified using the case study from the domain of mobile communications with the emphasis on supply and demand of mobile phones.