Graphs are perfect for data exploration

Graph databases can be used in a variety of ways and for a variety of use cases. We happen to love graphs because they store data in a shape that is perfect for ad-hoc data exploration and discovery.

One of the big challenges with Large Language Models (LLMs) and Generative AI is that they don't perform well when the user is not exactly sure what they are looking for. The ability to explore a graph in an ad-hoc fashion can in some cases work much better to find information.

We have all been in a situation where we are trying to recall something but cannot exactly piece together all of the facts. We start with a part of our memory that is more clear. For example, we know we ate this amazing meal at this restaurant called 'Charlies'. So we start our search looking for a restaurant called 'Charlies' and we are guessing it was in Boca Raton, Florida.

Once we find the correct restaurant we can then search their menu and 'ta-da' there is a picture of the meal we ate. We now have our answer.

If we could mimic the ability to navigate a graph, much like we navigate our memories, we could put the data in the graph to very good use. This is the thought process that went behind the design of our Graph Chart Explorer capability.

With a few mouse clicks a user can add a graph chart to a dashboard which would allow a user to search for content within a specific part of the graph. Their search can start with any graph node or graph node category. In our example, they may start with a search of restaurants with the name 'Charlies'.

Applied to the business world, this simple feature can save users a ton of time. It is especially useful when connected to knowledge graphs. Some sample questions that users could easily ask of the data:

• Has 'Janet L.' ever sold 'Chai' to a client before?
• What servers is Log4j installed on?
• Which dashboards rely on this data table?
• Who is the owner of this application?
• Which customers have purchased products from this location?

Hopefully, you get the point. The queries are endless and require next to no effort on the part of the user. No need to figure out how to prompt the AI chat box, no need to write queries, simply point and click. This is the value of having your data in a graph coupled with a simple to use interface that allow users to explore it.

To learn more about our Graph Chart Explorer please send us a message or visit www.processtempo.com.