End-user access to multiple sources: incorporating knowledge discovery into knowledge management

The End-User Access to Multiple Sources - Eams system - integrates given information sources into a knowledge management system. It relates the world of documents with the database world using an ontology. In the document world, a learning search engine adapts to user behaviour by analysing the click-through-data. In the database world, knowledge discovery in databases (KDD) bridges the gap between the fine granularity of relational databases and the actual information needs of users. A graphical user interface provides users with a uniform access to document collections on the Internet (Intranet) as well as to relational databases. Since the ontology generates the items in the user interface, a change in the ontology automatically changes the user interface without further efforts. The Eams system has been applied to customer relationship management in the insurance domain. Questions to be answered by the system concern customer acquisition, customer up- and cross-selling, and customer retention.