11. A computer readable medium in which is tangibly embodied computer program steps for aiding engineering personnel in a contact lens manufacturing, the computer program steps comprising: user interface code for receiving a query from a user regarding an element of a business entity's industrial environment in which the user works in a contact lens manufacturing capacity; database code containing information describing aspects of elements of the business entity's industrial environment; inference engine code for receiving the query via the user interface and obtaining solution information from the database by matching keyterms in the query, wherein the user interface outputs the solution information to the user; the inference engine code matches keyterms in the query with keyterms associated with rules to select a rule from the database; and the inference engine code obtains a further question from the database associated with the selected rule; the user interface code prompts the user to answer the further question; and the inference engine code determines if solution information associated with a user's answer to the further question is available in the database.
11. A computer readable medium in which is tangibly embodied computer program steps for aiding engineering personnel in a contact lens manufacturing, the computer program steps comprising: user interface code for receiving a query from a user regarding an element of a business entity's industrial environment in which the user works in a contact lens manufacturing capacity; database code containing information describing aspects of elements of the business entity's industrial environment; inference engine code for receiving the query via the user interface and obtaining solution information from the database by matching keyterms in the query, wherein the user interface outputs the solution information to the user; the inference engine code matches keyterms in the query with keyterms associated with rules to select a rule from the database; and the inference engine code obtains a further question from the database associated with the selected rule; the user interface code prompts the user to answer the further question; and the inference engine code determines if solution information associated with a user's answer to the further question is available in the database. 13. The computer program product claimed in claim 11 , wherein the inference engine code determines whether query relates to a knowledge-based solution or an expert consultation-based solution by matching keyterms in the query.