Decision Support Systems (Dss)

Decision Support Systems (DSS)

Decision support systems are a class of computer-based information systems including knowledge based systems that support decision making activities.

Because there are many approaches to decision-making and because of the wide range of domains in which decisions are made, the concept of decision support system (DSS) is very broad. A DSS can take many different forms. In general, we can say that a DSS is a computerized system for helping make decisions. A decision is a choice between alternatives based on estimates of the values of those alternatives. Supporting a decision means helping people working alone or in a group gathers intelligence, generate alternatives and make choices. Supporting the choice making process involves supporting the estimation, the evaluation and/or the comparison of alternatives. In practice, references to DSS are usually references to computer applications that perform such a supporting role.

The term decision support system has been defined in various ways. Finaly and others define a DSS rather broadly as "a computer-based system that aids the process of decision making."

Turban defines it more specifically as "an interactive, flexible, and adaptable computer-based information system, especially developed for supporting the solution of a non-structured management problem for improved decision making. It utilizes data, provides an easy-to-use interface, and allows for the decision maker's own insights."

Other definitions fall between these two extremes. For Little, a DSS is a "model-based set of procedures for processing data and judgments to assist a manager in his decision-making." For Keen and Scott Morton, a DSS couples the intellectual resources of individuals with the capabilities of the computer to improve the quality of