If an organization does not record information or does not record it unambiguously, misunderstandings inevitably arise. If the sales manager considers a prospect to be a customer, while for the accountant customers are only parties with whom an agreement has been made … then once there will be speech confusion. Confusion of speech that can eventually seep into the information systems, with dire consequences. We have seen plenty of examples of that in recent years.
With the cogNIAM® method (which stands for: Cognition enhanced Natural language Information Analysis Method) we structure and connect semantics, data, rules and processes in your organization, and provide unambiguous capture that -where possible- can be easily automated.
This way you avoid wasting knowledge, time and money.
PNA also provides training in cogNIAM® so that you can learn to apply the method yourself in your organization.
cogNIAM® is the “recipe” for creating (with open world standards) a coherent knowledge model with semantics, data, rules and processes as “ingredients.
A method (science-based) that is repeatable and reproducible.
cogNIAM® is not constrained by the laws and limitations of IT systems, notation modes or programming languages; we are agile with an eye on future-proofing.
With cogNIAM®, you have the space to communicate with all stakeholders in their own language and using their own jargon. But that communication always has the same source: the knowledge model.
We do not get stuck in abstractions, but constantly ask and provide concrete, practical examples to verify and validate assumptions with real-life people (fact-based consulting). These examples are also part of the knowledge model.
We work not only for you, but more importantly with you: we try to structure, validate and capture your reality as much as possible. For this reason, too, validation with your practitioners is essential.
Semantics is the art of assigning and recognizing meaning. Crucial in knowledge and data management, yet often an understudied child. For the sales manager, a prospect turns out to be a customer, while the accountant only sees parties as customers with whom a contract has been concluded.
In cogNIAM® we do more than just draw up a list of terms: we also structure it by connecting concepts. We place high demands on concept definitions. We use strict criteria for concept definitions to ensure that they are unambiguous.
We link all concepts to data, rules and processes. In this way, the meaning is always accessible and we can guarantee that everyone in the organization can know, in any situation, exactly what a particular term means in a specific context.
We live in a knowledge economy built on data. Data without context, however, has no value. To assign and retain that value, you need to properly structure data and provide it with context. With cogNIAM, we do this in natural language, which also makes the results understandable to everyone.
In addition to attaching meaning to data, we also control data with rules. Rules determine what data may occur where and under what conditions, and also how new data is derived or retrieved. When data is retrieved or derived, linking data to processes also allows us to specify who does it, how and when.
PNA also provides training in Fact Based Modeling (FBM). Click here for more information.
Rules are indispensable in a world that revolves around data. Rules come in all shapes and sizes: for example, you don’t want to be able to record two dates of birth for one person. These kinds of rules ensure that your data remain correct and consistent. But there are also rules that govern how new data can be derived from existing data. Think of calculations or logical clauses. In addition, you can also use rules to determine when in the process certain information is retrieved.
The meaning of all terms used to describe rules must be known. Rules always refer to data. Also, rules are called at specific places in a process. Here it is essential that the rule is called from within the process without that rule being part of the process in terms of content: “separate the know from the flow!”
Processes are at the heart of many organizations. Processes largely determine how business is conducted.
In cogNIAM®, processes do not stand alone. Processes use data and are subject to rules. Concepts are also needed to describe a process. To understand these concepts, good concept definitions are necessary. For each process step in a process design, we define what data are needed to execute a process step. We also record which data result from a process step. Decision rules, for example modeled with the open standard DMN, can be linked to a process step. As a result, they are executed at the right time.
PNA also provides Business Process Modeling and Notation (BPMN 2.0) training courses. Click here for more information.
