Validating an expert support system for tender enquiry evaluation: A case study

An expert system was developed as a support tool for a large electro-mechanical engineering company. The system was developed to assist in tender enquiry evaluation and the bid versus no bid decision. It was developed using repertory grid techniques based on the expertise of two senior managers. The importance of the system’s validation is stressed and an appropriate formal validation framework developed. The results from the validation study suggest that the system provides an appropriate model of the organization’s consensual business perspective regarding the bid versus no bid decision. Furthermore, the study drew attention to some dissenting views amongst the organization’s senior management which the management believed to be helpful in clarifying their understanding of the issues affecting the bid versus no bid decision.