Page 220 - DMGT505_MANAGEMENT_INFORMATION_SYSTEM

Unit 10: Enhancing Decision Making for the Digital Firm

 Decision Support Systems (DSS) are a class of computerized information systems that Notes
support decision-making activities.

 Business Intelligence describes the process of turning data into information and then into
knowledge.
 Decision making is a managerial process of choosing a particular course of action out of
several alternative courses for the purpose of achieving the given objective.
 To help groups make decisions, a new category of systems was developed—the group
decision-support system (GDSS).

 A geographic information system (GIS), or geographical information system captures,
stores, analyzes, manages, and presents data that is linked to location.
 A GIS can provide a great deal more problem-solving capabilities than using a simple
mapping program or adding data to an online mapping tool (creating a “mash-up”).

10.7 Keywords

Data Driven DSS: Data-Driven DSS take the massive amounts of data available through the
company's TPS and MIS systems and cull from it useful information which executives can use to
make more informed decisions.

Decision Support System (DSS): An information system that utilizes decision models, a database,
and a decision maker's own insights in an ad hoc, interactive analytical modeling process to
reach a specific decision by a specific decision maker.

Decision-Making Process: A process of intelligence, design, and choice activities that result in
the selection of a particular course of action.
Digital Terrain Modeling: Digital Terrain Modeling (DTM) is an important utility of GIS.

GIS: A geographic information system (GIS), or geographical information system captures,
stores, analyzes, manages, and presents data that is linked to location.
Group Decision Making: Decisions made by groups of people coming to an agreement on a
particular issue.
Group Decision Support System (GDSS): A decision support system that provides support for
decision making by groups of people.
Model Driven DSS: A Model- Driven DSS may use a simple flat-file database with fewer than
1,000 records, but the model component is very important.

10.8 Review Questions

1. What is a decision support system? Discuss its components, characteristics and capabilities
in detail.

2. Make distinction between structured and unstructured decision in detail.
3. Describe decision making process in detail.
4. How would you differentiate data driven DSS from model driven DSS?
5. What do you mean by GDSS? Also discuss the various features of GDSS in detail.
6. What do you mean by geographic information system in detail? Explain the various
views of GIS.

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