Capturing Agent

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BIDSAVER Business Integrator Dynamic Support
Agents For Virtual Enterprises Dr Nicholas
Protogeros Heletel Ltdproto_at_heletel.gr
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Problem

• Finding qualified SMEs to join and assist the VE
• Which is the setting that will be used
• What is the most efficient mechanism for our case

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Proposed Solution

• SMEs will be matched against their company
  profiles
• The WWW is the most suitable setting
• Agents offer a lot of benefits

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Current Approaches for Searching the Web

• General search engines (robot based indexes)
• Subject and/or regional based search engines
  (robot based more specific indexes)
• Meta Searching (higher-level of abstraction by
  automatically interfacing and accessing multiple
  search engines)

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Assisting the Search Process

• Agents can collaborate to solve complex problems
• URL Retrieval agents
• Information Analysis Agents
• They offer assistance to the Business Integrator
  (BI) with two valuable characteristics
• Autonomy (working without the supervision of the
  BI)
• Learning (use BI feedback to adopt to his/her
  preferences)

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Comparison of approaches

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Functions that agents could perform

• Managing the interaction with Search Engines (SE)
• Deciding which SE to query
• Analyzing results and matching against specific
  patterns
• Discarding duplicate results
• Restructuring results
• Ranking results
• Adjusting the search process

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Describing PBS in XML

Level 1 Level 2 Level 3 Space System Launch
Vehicle Propulsion Stage I Stage
II Strap-On Units Shroud Guidance and
Control Orbital Transfer Vehicle
Propulsion Stage I Stage II Strap-On
Units Shroud Guidance and Control
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Describing WBS in XML
Product Breakdown Structure of Launch
Vehicle nameLaunch Vehicle/ namePropulsion/ 1/ nameStrap-On Units/ nameShroud/ Control/  Work Breakdown
Structure of Launch Vehicle namePropulsion PropulsionStart fromTarget Propulsion toRequirement Analysis
DocumentRequirement
Analysis . . .
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URL Retrieval Agent (Internal Architecture)
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Information Analysis Agent (Internal Architecture)
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General Architecture and Information Flow
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Matching Profiles

• Create a searchable profile out of the PBS WBS,
  in XML
• If the company has not an XML profile then
  generate an empty template of the company's
  profile

• Fill in the gaps from companys Web site ( gaps
  contain weights and interrelations)
• Match between the two profiles

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Conclusions

• Agents offer a new approach to Virtual Enterprise
  establishment
• XML offers flexibility in describing PBS, and WBS
  structures
• XML will offer a unique way for companies to
  describe their company profiles