Compliance and productivity enhancement through the use of knowledge- engineering tools and techniques

A commercially available knowledge-engineering software development tool has been used to illustrate how regulatory compliance and productivity in the nuclear industry can be improved simultaneously. Given the complex nature of the industry regulatory requirements, organizations that rely heavily on written procedures and antiquated information systems face increasing difficulty in keeping pace with ever-changing regulations and information sources. Many existing knowledge-engineering tools provide an excellent means of making sense of the diverse information required for successful operation. Through the automation of complex decision-making processes and manual information gathering tasks, significant gains in productivity and compliance effectiveness can be realized. Productivity is improved though the lessening of impact on human resources, and compliance is enhanced though the assurance of a comprehensive and consistent decision-making process. 8 refs.