2.6.3.6 Other Decision Support Disciplines
In addition to the above major disciplines there are a number of others that can be considered a part of DS in its broadest sense. There are numerous tools and techniques that help people
in organizing data and thoughts, starting with “pencil and paperâ€, and including techniques such as brainstorming, Delphi, concept mapping and mind mapping. Another group of interesting DS-related techniques involves data storage, search and retrieval, such as the “query by example†technique (QBE). Especially in relation to DSS and data warehouses, there is a great emphasis on representation and visualization tools, such as report generators and charting tools. Visualization is also very important with data mining and expert modelling. Also, there are new developments that continuously provide new tools and techniques for DS: communication technology, multimedia, mediation systems, data mining, knowledge discovery, knowledge management systems, and many others.
2.7 Decision Support Systems (DSS)
Decision support systems are interactive, computer-based systems that aid users in judgment and choice activities. They provide data storage and retrieval but enhance the traditional information access and retrieval functions with support for model building and model-based reasoning. They support framing, modelling, and problem solving. Typical application areas of DSSs are recruitment in business, health care, the military, and any area in which management will encounter complex decision situations. Decision support systems are typically used for strategic and tactical decisions faced by upper-level management— decisions with a reasonably low frequency and high potential consequences in which the time taken for thinking through and modelling the problem pays off generously in the long run. It uses an interactive, flexible, adaptable computer-based information system CBIS especially developed for supporting the solution to a speciï¬c non-structured management problem. It uses data, provides an easy user interface, and can incorporate the decision maker’s own insights, includes models and is developed through an interactive and iterative process. A typical DSS supports all the phases of decision making and may include a knowledge component. It can be used by a single user on a PC or can be Web based for use by many
people at several locations. There are three fundamental components of Decision Support Systems (Sage, 1999) namely:
=> Data Management System
=> Model Based management System
=> Dialog Generation and Management System
=> DSS User
While a variety of Decision Support Systems exists, the above three components can be found in many DSS architectures and play a prominent role in their structure. Interaction among them is illustrated below. In Fig. 2.7.1 the user interacts with the DSS through the Dialog Generation Management System. This communicates with the Database Management System and Model base Management system, which screen the user and the user interface from the physical details of the model base and database implementation.
