Ontology Development for Research and Materials Management

This document is a technical report detailing the development of ontologies for Procter & Gamble's Research & Development and Materials Management functions. The report outlines the challenges faced by Procter & Gamble, particularly the communication barriers among researchers in various domains and the impending loss of intellectual capital due to retiring scientists. It describes the methods employed to elicit and organize knowledge, including the creation of a modular ontology that encompasses all of R&D with fewer than 500 concepts. The ontology allows for extensions specific to individual disciplines. Additionally, the report discusses the application of the ontology in the Materials Management sector, highlighting its extensibility and the transition towards a semantic-driven system that aims to replace existing systems. The document emphasizes the importance of semantic solutions in overcoming integration challenges within the organization.