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ABSTRACT

Computer Based Consumer Information Systems

Consumers often purchase goods and services without having a real chance to make an optimal choice. If it would be feasible to manufacture a computer programme, a so called expert system, which would serve as an adviser for the consumer, such a programme might satisfy a need. The programme would ask the consumer questions, using text, sound, pictures, and film, and the consumer answers by choosing among ready-made answers, until the expert system can deduce which product the consumer should be recommended.

My conclusion is that it is feasible to produce effective expert systems for the guidance of consumers. This conclusion is based on the following items:

• It is possible to specify the features that such a programme should have. This specification is based on the assumption that the programme must be able to communicate with the expert (to utilize his knowledge) as well as with the consumer, to be able to give her appropriate information. The properties of the expert and the consumer constitute restrictions on the expert system.

Computer based consumer information systems might, in the future, become widely used media to inform consumers. This result has been derived using marketing theories to compare computer based consumer information systems with the properties given above with existing media for consumer information.