INTRODUCTION

THE DECISION SUPPORT SYSTEM (DSS) ARE

INTERACTIVE INFORMATION SYSTEM,THAT
RELY ON AN INTERGRATED SET OF USER
FRIENDLY HARDWARE AND SOFTWARE TOOL
TO PRODUCE AND PRESENT INFORMATION
THAT IS TARGETED TO SUPPORT MANAGEMENT
IN THE DECISION MAKING PROCESS
 THE DECISION SUPPORT SYSTEM
COMPONENTS :

2THE DATABASE
2A MODEL BASE
2DSS SOFTWARE SYSTEM
 THE DATABASE

THE DSS DATABASE IS A COLLECTION OF CURRENT

OR HISTORICAL DATA FROM A NUMBER OF
APPLICATIONS OR GROUPS.IT IS ORGANISED IN SUCH
A MANNER THAT IT PROVIDES EASY ACCESS FOR A
RANGE OF APPLICATIONS.DSS DONOT DIRECT
ACCESS TO ORGANISATIONAL DATA BUT USUALLY
USE DATA THAT HAVE BEEN EXTRACTED FROM
RELEVANT DATABASE ± BOTH INTERNAL & EXTERNAL
AND STORE SPECIFICALLY FOR THE DSS.
 THE MODELBASE
A MODEL IS AN ABSTRACT REPRESENTATION
THAT ILLUSTRATES THE COMPONENTS OR
RELATIONSHIP OF A PHENOMENON.A MODEL
CAN BE PHYSICAL MODEL, A MATHEMATICALLY
OR A VERBAL MODEL.
THE MODEL COULD BE BROADLY CLASSIFIED
INTO THREE TYPES AS FOLLOW :
2 BEHAVIOURAL MODEL
2MANAGEMENT SCIENCE MODEL
2OPERATIONS RESEARCH MODEL
 THE DSS SOFTWARE SYSTEM

PERMITS EASY INTERACTION BETWEEN USER

OF THE SYSTEM AND THE DSS DATABASE AND
MODELBASE.IT MANAGERS THE CREATION
STORAGE AND RETRIEVAL OF MODELS IN THE
MODELBASE AND INTERGRATES THEM WITH
THE DATA IN THE DSS DATABASE. PROVIDES A
GRAPHIC, EASY TO USE FLEXIBLE USER
INTERFACE THAT SUPPORT THE DIALOGUE
BETWEEN THE USER AND THE DSS.
DESIRABLE CHARACTERISTICS
OF DSS :
2 AID THE DECISION MAKER IN DECISION MAKING
2ABLE TO ADDRESS SEMI/UNSTRUCTURE DECISION MAKING SITUATION
2ENABLE USER TO USE DSS WITHOUT ASSISTANCE FROM MIS
PROFESSIONALS
2READILY ADAPTEDTO MEET INFORMATON REQUIREMENT FOR ANY
DECISION ENVIRONMENT
2PROVIDE MECHANISM TO ENABLE RAPID RESPONSE TO DECISION
MAKER
2HAVE CAPABILITY TO INTERFACE WITH CORPATE DATABASE
2SHOULD BE FLEXIBLE TO ACCOMMODATE VARIETY OF MNGT STYLE
2COMMUNICATE BETWEEN VARIOUS LEVELS OF DECISION MAKING
2IN BUILT FLEXIBILITY AND ABILITY TO ENVOLVE AS USER
SOPHISTICATION GROWS
 FACTORS IN DSS

2 USER TRAINING/ INVOLVEMENT

2USER EXPERIENCE
2TOP MANAGENEMT SUPPORT
2ORIENATION TOWARDS TOP
MANAGEMENT
2LENGTH OF USE
2NOVELTY OF APPLICATION
2RETURN ON INVESTMENT
 MODEL BASE
Model MANAGEMEN
management T
COMMAN
MODEL D MODEL
BASE PROCESS EXECUTIO
OR N

Dialogue Management DATABASE

DIALOG REQUES
USER UE T Data management
INTERFA CONTR TRANSL
CE OL ATOR QUERY/DATAB
ASE
COMMAND
LOCAL
INTERPRETER
DSS
MANAGE
USE MENT
DBMS DATA
DICTIONARY
R INTERFACE TO DATA
ENTERPRI SERVICE
EXTERNAL
SE DATA
DATA
SOURCES