At the prestigious European Conference on Information Systems (ECIS) 2024—one of the world’s most significant gatherings for academics and practitioners in the field of information systems—Lijo Johny and Associate Professor Johannes Schneider from the University of Liechtenstein, together with their colleague Hannes Dechant from the Technical University of Munich, presented a new study that could revolutionize product design.

The Problem: Too Much Dependence on Data Experts

Machine Learning (ML), a subfield of Artificial Intelligence, has the potential to transform product design. However, challenges remain: engineers, as domain experts, often rely heavily on data scientists to understand and apply complex ML models. This leads to three major issues:

• A lack of digital support systems for decision-makers
• Excessive reliance on data scientists
• Insufficient ML skills among domain experts

The Solution: An Intelligent Assistance System for Design Engineers

In their ongoing research, the authors have developed an ML system specifically designed to support engineers in their work without requiring constant help from data scientists.

Imagine being able to utilize complex ML models without being a data expert yourself. This new system promises exactly that: a user-friendly, web-based application that helps engineers accelerate their design processes while also fostering a better understanding of the role of data science. This makes working with advanced technology easier and more efficient.

About the Conference:

The European Conference on Information Systems (ECIS) is the flagship conference of the Association of Information Systems in Region 2, which includes Europe, Africa, and the Middle East. It is considered one of the most important international gatherings of researchers and practice-oriented experts in the field of information systems.

Further Information:

The original article is available in the AIS Electronic Library (AISeL) under the ECIS 2024 Proceedings: Taking Data Scientists Out-of-the-Loop in Knowledge Intense Analytics — A Case Study for Product Designs (aisnet.org).