Knowledge Automation Overview

What Is Vanguard?

The Vanguard System™ is used to automate routine decision-making processes. Its application ranges from Web-based Expert Systems that replace telephone support staff to Business Rules Systems that perform complex planning operations.

Web-based Support Applications

A common use of Vanguard is in building Web-based guided support applications such as:

• Call center scripting,
• Customer self-service troubleshooting,
• Product configuration, and
• Sales scripting.

These applications rely on Vanguard's Expert System technology which provides a Web-based question-and-answer interface to help users troubleshoot. Vanguard is unique in its ability to elevate these applications from simple applets to complete, enterprise-scale systems.

The Vanguard System allows individuals who are spread throughout your
organization contribute to collaborative support applications.

For example, you might have your product designers maintain the troubleshooting logic that is used by a call center half way around the world. As your designers identify new problems, they enter the rules required to diagnose the problem and the call center support staff gets the benefit of the improved diagnostics instantly. There is no need to retrain your support group.

Collaborative Development

In building a guided support system for a complex product, there is probably no single person who can map out the entire troubleshooting process. Instead, you are likely to have individuals with specific knowledge about narrow aspects of your product who are spread throughout your organization. Vanguard allows each of these individuals to build and maintain the support knowledge applicable to their specific area. Vanguard handles the details required to make all of these disparate parts work together as a cohesive system.

A troubleshooting application used by a computer manufacturer is divided into components
that are maintained separately by individuals spread across the world.

Vanguard enforces access rights, version control, and other features required for large-scale systems. You can even edit the content of a support system while it is in use by customers. And, because the system is Web-based, your experts who maintain the knowledge-base can be located anywhere in the world.

Business Rules Automation

Most business rules engines handle only the logic associated with automating a knowledge process and ignore the analysis required to support that logic. Vanguard's unique mix of Expert System technology (rule-based systems) and powerful analytic abilities make it ideal for automating forecasting, production scheduling, resource planning, and other routine business processes that rely on a mix of rules and analytics. What's more, Vanguard supports a wide variety of protocols for integrating with your existing business systems.

Automating your business processes will lead to improved quality, reliability, speed, and overall business performance.

Expert System Development Without Programming

Vanguard Content Management System (CMS) is a Web-based expert systems development tool for non-programmers. CMS uses visual editors and a visual logic display to help business workers automate their expertise without requiring programming knowledge. Business workers spread across a company can collaborate on an expert system using only their Web browsers. User account management and version control is managed by the Vanguard System.

What Makes Vanguard Unique?

Vanguard is the only application that combines:

• Advanced knowledge-capture techniques,
• Collaborative development infrastructure,
• Powerful decision analysis capabilities,
• Easy integration with existing systems, and
• Flexible, Web-based deployment.

Knowledge Automation applications built on Vanguard don't require an expensive IT development, can be maintained by individuals without programming experience, and can be easily updated to reflect changing business requirements.