Features of Assistum Viewer
This is the application that allows a user to consult a Knowledge Base and save the resulting case or scenario.
The Viewer comes with every edition of the Knowledge Editor and can be used to view any Assistum knowledge base. See products.
For each feature of the Viewer described below, the version number when it was first introduced is given.
Network of issues (V1.0)
The issues involved in the decision are laid out in a framework. As you give it more information, the links between issues are coloured green or red depending on whether they are having a positive or negative effect. The thickness of the line shows the size of its impact.
Slider bar to answer questions (V1.0)
You can answer questions either by clicking on an answer or dragging the slider bar to an intermediate position between answers.
Note own reasoning (V2.2)
You can make a note of why you have answered any question the way you have. This will be saved with the scenario and can be sent to someone else or reviewed at a later date.
By clicking on the "More Info" button, you can access further information on this issue, either from the Internet/Intranet or a file on your LAN.
Challenge your answer(V1.0)
When Assistum disagrees with your conclusion, it tells you why with several lines of reasoning.
Reject Assistum reasoning (V2.2)
You can reject one or more lines or reasoning and Assistum will re-compute its conclusions. (It may still disagree with you!).
Nested Knowledge Bases (V2.2)
If a knowledge base has a question about an issue or factor that is in another knowledge base, it will automatically call up that knowledge base so you can explore the issue more thoroughly, and then automatically put your agreed answer back into the original knowledge base.
Link to Excel (V2.2)
If some of the answers to the questions in a knowledge base are quantitative and factual and do not need to be the subject of a discussion, they can be put into an MS Excel spreadsheet and automatically input when the knowledge base is run.
Some knowledge bases are designed to look for the latest data held in the bottom row of an MS Excel spreadsheet. This means that you can have a semi-automated knowledge base that looks up some answers (for example, the latest share price) in the associated Excel spreadsheet and re-computes its conclusions.
TreeView Report (V2.2)
The report is based on the Microsoft treeview allowing you to "drill down" into the reasoning. It also has red and green flags at the start of each line to indicate whether that line has a positive or negative effect on the top factor.
TreeView Report with notes (V3.0) and variable circle sizes (V3.1)
The notes that the user makes is shown in the report. The size of the circle indicates the importance of the factor. If an issue is unanswered, it is shown as "unknown".
Save Scenario (V1.0)
You can save a worked scenario for future reference or review and label it under Properties, noting the background and author(s).
VBA extensions (V4.0)
The Standard Viewer (from Version 4 onwards) can be used to consult knowledge bases with VBA extensions that have been created using the Enterprise Edition of the Knowledge Editor.
