Chapter 3:

CHARACTERISTICS OF
DSS
What is DSS?
Decision Support System

An interactive, flexible, and adaptable

Computer Based Information System (CBIS),
specially developed for supporting the
solution of a non structured management
problem for improved decision making.
 1. Ability to support solutions to complex problems
2. Fast response to frequent changes in scenarios
3. Quick ability to try different strategies for different
problems configurations
4. New insights and learning through model analysis
5. Facilitates communication, thus improving
Benefits of DSS: teamwork
6. Improved management control and performance
7. Cost savings in reducing wrong decision making
8. Objective decision-consistent decision
9. Improving managerial effectiveness
10. Improving productivity of analyst
Characteristics and Capabilities of a DSS

8. Ease of use
1. Semi-structured decisions
9. Effectiveness not efficiency
2. For managers at different levels
10. Humans control the machine
3. For group and individuals
11. Evolutionary usage
4. Interdependent or sequential decisions
12. Ease of construction
5. Support intelligence, design, choice
13. Modeling
6. Support variety of decision styles and
processes 14. Knowledge
7. Adaptability and flexibility
Components of a DSS
Components of a DSS

1 2

4 Optional

3
 DM Subsystem is composed of:
 Database: a collection of interrelated
organized data
Data  Database Management Systems
(DBMS): enables storage, retrieval and
Management control of database
(DM)  Data Directory: a catalog of all the data
in the database
 Query facility: provides the basis of
access to data
 MM composed of:
 Model base: contains routine, statistical,
financial, management science and other models
 Model base management system: a software
system for model creation, generating new
Model routines, reports; model updating and changing;
and data manipulation
Management
 Modeling language: High level language or
(MM) Fourth-Generation language
 Model directory: a catalog of all models in the
model base
 Model Execution, Integration, and Command:
the execution of the model base control through
model management
 Are a software and a hardware that
provides the user interface for DSS.
Dialog
It also deals with ease of use,
Subsystem:
accessibility, and human-machine
interactions.
 An optional tool in enhancing regular
DSS capabilities. The knowledge is
Knowledge compose of one or more expert systems.
Subsystem: A DSS that include knowledge
subsystem is called intelligent DSS, a
DSS/ES or knowledge-based DSS.
 An intermediary allows a manager to benefit from a
DSS:
 Staff assistants have specialized knowledge about
The User: management problems and some experience with
decision support technology.
The user, manager or  Expert tool users perform tasks that the problem
decision maker can be an solver does not have the skill or training to perform.
individual or a group,  Business analysts have a knowledge of the
depending on who is application area, a formal business administration
responsible for the education and considerable skill in using DSS
decision, and provides the construction tools.
human intellect.  Facilitators control and coordinate the use of
software to support the work of people working in
groups, and are also responsible for the conduct of
workgroups sessions.
 Major hardware options are:
 Time sharing network
 Mainframe computer
 Minicomputer
DSS Hardware  Personal computer
and Software  Distributed system

DSS software is discussed in the next

topic.
 1. Type of support: Data-oriented versus
Model-oriented
Classification of 2. Institutional vs. Ad Hoc DSS
DSS and their 3. Degree of Nonprocedural
support 4. Individual vs. Group DSS
5. Custom-made vs. Ready-made systems
 Data-oriented:
 File Drawer systems
 Data Analysis systems
Data-oriented  Analysis information systems

versus Model-oriented:
Model-oriented  Accounting model
 Representation model
 Optimization model
 Suggestion model
  Institutional DSS deals with
decisions of a recurring nature.

Institutional
versus
Ad Hoc DSS:
 Ad Hoc DSS deals with specific
problems that are usually neither
anticipated nor recurring.
  Procedural language such as COBOL,
Java, C and etc., require step-by-step
specifications of how data are to be
retrieved and how computations are to be
performed.
Degree of
Nonprocedural:  Non procedural languages (fourth-
generation language) the system itself is
programmed so that programmers
required to specify only what results are
needed. There is no need to specify the
sequence of execution.
  For individual DSS, most of the time the
decision reached is minor decisions.
Individual
versus
Group DSS:  Major decisions are collectively reached
through group DSS.
  Custom-made DSS normally cater for
individual users and organizations.
Custom-made
versus
Ready-made
 Ready-made DSS is a generic DSS that can
systems be used in several organizations with similar
business nature.
 In constructing a DSS, three levels of DSS
technology has been derived:
 Specific DSS: the DSS application that
actually accomplishes the work.
Technology  DSS Generators: is an integrated
development software that provides a set
Levels capabilities to build a specific DSS quickly,
inexpensively and easily.
 DSS Tools: example of DSS tools is
graphics, editors, query systems, random
number generators and spreadsheets.