Corporate perspectives on technology transfer: the expert-systems apprenticeship program

The authors describe their experiences in designing, marketing, implementing, and evaluating a six-month, $1.1 million technology-transfer program called the expert-systems apprenticeship program (ESAP). ESAP had a formal classroom component to instruct eight employees in expert-system concepts, followed by an apprenticeship phase, during which the staff designed and implemented prototype systems under the guidance of experienced knowledge engineers. These prototypes were company-sponsored projects that solved real business problems. The prototypes not only demonstrated the applicability of the technology to the company´s business, but also seeded the corporation with working systems to promote continued development of expert systems.<>