decision support system

A decision support system (DSS) is a computer applica-tion that focuses on providing access to or analysis of the key information needed to make decisions, particularly in business. (It can be thought of as a more narrowly focused approach to computer assistance to management—see man-agement information system.)

The development of DSS has several roots reaching back to the 1950s. This includes operational analysis and the the-ory of organizations and the development of the first inter-active (rather than batch-processing) computer systems. Indeed, the SAGE automated air defense system developed starting in the 1950s could be described as a military DSS. The system presented real-time information (radar plots) and enabled the operator to select and focus on particular elements using a light pen. By the 1960s more-systematic research on DSS was underway and included the provoca-tive idea of “human-computer symbiosis” for problem solv-ing (see Licklider, J. C. R.).

The “back end” of a DSS is one or more large databases (see data warehouse) that might be compiled from transac-tion records, statistics, online news services, or other sources. The “middle” of the DSS process includes the ability to ana-lyze the data (online analytical processing, or OLAP; see also data mining). Other elements that might be included in a DSS are rules-based systems (see expert system) and inter-active models (see simulation). These elements can help the user explore alternatives and “what if” scenarios.

The structure of a DSS is sometimes described as model driven (generally using a small amount of selected data), data driven (based on a large collection of historical data), knowledge driven (perhaps using an expert system), or communications driven (focusing on use of collaborative software—see groupware, as well as more recent develop-ments) (see wikis and Wikipedia).

User Interface—The “Front End”

All the data and tools in the world are of little use if the user cannot work with it effectively (see user interface). Information or the results of queries or modeling must be displayed in a way that is easy to grasp and use. (A spread-sheet with nothing highlighted or marked would be a poor choice.) Graphical “widgets” such as dials, buttons, sliders, and so on can help the user see the results and decide what to look at next (see digital dashboard).

Another key principle is that decision making in the modern world is as much a social as an individual process. Therefore a DSS should facilitate communication and col-laboration (or interface with software that does so).

A variety of specialized DSSs have been developed for various fields. Examples include PROMIS (for medical deci-sion making) and Carnegie Mellon’s ZOG/KMS, which has been used in military and business settings.