Making Decisions with Data: Using Computational Intelligence Within a Business Environment

Abstract

This chapter identifies important barriers to the successful application of computational intelligence (CI) techniques in a commercial environment and suggests a number of ways in which they may be overcome. It identifies key conceptual, cultural and technical barriers and describes the different ways in which they affect both the business user and the CI practitioner. The chapter does not provide technical detail on how to implement any given technique, rather it discusses the practical consequences for the business user of issues such as non-linearity and extrapolation. For the CI practitioner, we discuss several cultural issues that need to be addressed when seeking to find a commercial application for CI techniques. The authors aim to highlight to technical and business readers how their different expectations can affect the successful outcome of a CI project. The authors hope that by enabling both parties to understand each other’s perspective, the true potential of CI can be realized.