MEDESS: A methodology for designing expert support systems

Improving the performance of an expert should be considered on an individual, organizational, and interorganizational level. Understanding problems should receive as much attention as solving problems. One should address ‘why,’ ‘what,’ ‘how,’ and ‘with what’ questions related to design problems. The authors used MEDESS in four cases as a framework for designing expert support systems (ESS) at KEMA, the shared laboratories of the Dutch electricity supply utilities, to improve the performance of experts. The ESS the authors describe here is used to help two consultants to double the amount of work they do and do it more accurately.