Page 20 - DCAP208_Management Support Systems

Unit 1: Support Systems

Decision-making is the focal point of all organizational dynamics, and management Notes
effectiveness is judged on the basis of the quality of these decisions.

Many people use computerized decision support for work and in recent years to aid in
personal decision making.
A Decision Support System (DSS) is a computerized system that assists in corporate decision
making, with a decision being a choice between alternatives based on the estimated
values of those alternatives.

Decision support even extends into the justice system and is therefore another area where
mistakes simply cannot be made.
Management Support Systems (MSS) are computer-based systems that are supposed to
provide information to be used by or at least to support managerial decision making.
A major problem in management support systems development is requirements
specification.

A Decision Support Tool (DST) is any guidance, procedure, or analysis tool that can be
used to help support a decision.

1.7 Keywords

Communication-driven DSS: Communication-driven DSS supports more collaboration on a
shared task.
Data-driven DSS: Data-driven DSS emphasizes manipulation of a chronological series of
corporate internal data or occasionally, external data.
Document-driven DSS: Document-driven DSS manages and manipulates unstructured
information in from a variety of electronic formats.

DSS: A Decision Support System is a collection of integrated software applications and hardware
that form the backbone of an organization’s decision making process.
DST: A decision support tool is any guidance, procedure, or analysis tool that can be used to help
support a decision.
Knowledge-driven DSS: Knowledge-driven DSS provides specialized problem solving expertise
stored as facts, rules, procedures, or in similar structures.
Management Support Systems: Management Support Systems are computer-based systems that
are supposed to provide information to be used by or at least to support managerial decision
making.
Model-driven DSS: Model-driven DSS puts emphasis on manipulation of a statistical, financial,
or simulation model.

1.8 Review Questions

1. Discuss the changes developed in external business environment and external business
environment.

2. Illustrate the Key Drivers of Change in the Business Environment.
3. Explain the concept of Managerial Decision Making.
4. Describe the different types of strategic and administrative decisions taken by the
management.

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