Page 41 - DCAP208_Management Support Systems

Management Support Systems

Notes Support System so that you enter this personal information only as needed, or you can
keep the information in a personal database that is accessible by the Decision Support
System.

3.3.2 Model Management Component

The model management component consists of both the Decision Support System models and
the Decision Support System model management system. A model is a representation of some
event, fact, or situation. As it is not always practical, or wise, to experiment with reality, people
build models and use them for experimentation. Models can take various forms.

Businesses use models to represent variables and their relationships.

Example: You would use a statistical model called analysis of variance to determine
whether newspaper, TV, and billboard advertizing are equally effective in increasing sales.
Decision Support Systems help in various decision-making situations by utilizing models that
allow you to analyze information in many different ways. The models you use in a Decision
Support System depend on the decision you are making and, consequently, the kind of analysis
you require.

Example: You would use what-if analysis to see what effect the change of one or more
variables will have on other variables, or optimization to find the most profitable solution
given operating restrictions and limited resources.

Did u know? Spreadsheet software such as excel can be used as a Decision Support System
for what-if analysis.
The model management system stores and maintains the Decision Support System’s models.
Its function of managing models is similar to that of a database management system. The model
management component cannot select the best model for you to use for a particular problem
that requires your expertise but it can help you create and manipulate models quickly and
easily.

3.3.3 User Interface or Dialogue Management Component

The user interface management component allows you to communicate with the Decision Support
System. It consists of the user interface management system. This is the component that allows
you to combine your know-how with the storage and processing capabilities of the computer.
The user interface is the part of the system you see through it when enter information, commands,
and models.

!

Caution This is the only component of the system with which you have direct contract.
If you have a Decision Support System with a poorly designed user interface, if it is too rigid or
too cumbersome to use, you simply won’t use it no matter what its capabilities. The best user
interface uses your terminology and methods and is flexible, consistent, simple, and adaptable.

Example: The components of a Decision Support System, let’s consider the Decision
Support System that Land’s End has tens of millions of names in its customer database. It sells a

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