Specifications

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brings the user to a resolution of his/her
problem. To facilitate the linking process,
and increase the accuracy of the resolu-
tion, the Knowledge Editor provides a
rich set of tools.)
Once we had reviewed the Printer
knowledge base, we sat in the user’s seat
for a test run. From our Windows 95
client, we were able to access the Printer
knowledge base’s initial screen (Figure
32). We followed a few paths to gain a
resolution to our problems and the sys-
tem was able to deliver good results.
We then decided to create a knowl-
edge base from scratch. From the
Knowledge Builder’s window, we cre-
ated a new knowledge base. The only
requirement here was to assign it a
name. Knowledge Builder also created
the templates and the .aob file for us
with the initial relationships already in
place. Then, we launched the
Knowledge Editor application and
added a few simple nodes to the knowl-
edge base’s relationship. From the
Knowledge Builder screen, we indexed
the knowledge base, and we were able
to access the knowledge base from our
client. Simple!
Web Authoring
Not only can you modify a knowl-
edge base with the Knowledge Editor,
you can use Web Authoring, which
works via the Web. More specifically,
Web Authoring allows authors and end
users to contribute resolutions to the
knowledge base using their Web
browsers.
The Web Authoring tool brings the
strengths of collaboration into the evo-
lution of a knowledge base. Individuals
from across the organization can con-
tribute their input into the knowledge
base, making it richer and more power-
ful. Web Authoring can be set up to
allow secure or unsecured access to the
knowledge base.
Web Advisor Escalation
If a knowledge base fails to resolve a
user’s problem satisfactorily, the user
can resort to the Escalation option,
which sends an e-mail to the appropriate
support personnel. Escalation requires
an SMTP server that is addressable from
Web Advisor. Once the user selects
Escalation, Web Advisor automatically
captures all the necessary information
and sends it to the specified destination
for further support.
ROOM FOR IMPROVEMENT
We hope ServiceSoft adds an Internet
telephony module for voice support.
Such an addition would augment the
product’s Escalation option. Also, the
Knowledge Editor needs some minor
improvements. We’d prefer standard
Windows scroll bars to the current
motif look. Bubble help for its toolbar
would be nice, too.
We occasionally noticed a slow
response from Web Advisor. We hope
that future versions will allow the
knowledge base designers to select
from a range of optimizations such as
speed, size, and search capabilities.
CONCLUSION
ServiceSoft has done a superb job
of bringing the knowledge base to the
World Wide Web. Using Web Advisor
and Knowledge Builder, you can cre-
ate powerful and dynamic knowledge
bases to support users and help them
find solutions to their problems. If
you are interested in providing
online, 24-hour support, reducing
help desk congestion, and increasing
your exposure, consider trying Web
Advisor and Knowledge Builder.
You must be aware, however, that
although Web Advisor and Knowledge
Builder are powerful and flexible
tools, they cannot, by themselves,
design and implement a robust knowl-
edge base. Ultimately, the success or
failure of a knowledge base depends
on the author(s). To help the author(s),
ServiceSoft provides Expert
Reasoning, a knowledge development
methodology. ServiceSoft also pro-
vides a two-day training session with
the product. Authors would be wise to
take advantage of these resources, and
thus combine good tools with good
craftsmanship.
For information about free subscriptions, call
our customer service department at 800-243-
6002 (toll free) or 203-852-6800, or visit our Web
site at www.ctimag.com. Contact the publisher,
Richard Tehrani, or the editor, Kevin M. Mayer,
with questions or comments about CTI ™. E-mail
(addressed to [e-mail] or kmay-
[e-mail]) is always welcome.
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Web Advisor:
Sample Web page generated
by Web Advisor.