6/29/10

An Overview of a Decision Support System

Known as a group of computerized systems that are helpful in the decision making activities of organizations and enterprises, a decision support system (also known as DSS) is important to assist executives and decision makers in the integration of documents, raw data as well as business models. The types of information that this computer software can gather and combine include sales figures, forecasted revenue figures, relational data sources, legacy information sources and data marts. Learn more about this application by identifying its taxonomies and the basic components of an architecture that features this support system.

The Taxonomies of a Decision Support System

A decision support system can be categorized into three, namely the active, cooperative and passive systems. A passive DSS is helpful in the decision making process of an enterprise, however, it does not have the capability to provide decision solutions as well as decision suggestions. On the other hand, an active DSS is known for its assistance in making effective decision solutions. Finally, a cooperative support system enables users to complete or alter suggestions before it validates them.

Aside from these classifications, DSS can also be categorized into five types, which are the communication-driven DSS type, the data-driven DSS, a document-driven system, a knowledge-driven system as well as a model-driven DSS. The first type is useful if there are at least two people doing a shared task. The second type focuses on establishing an efficient access to simulation models and statistical data. The third type emphasizes the proper management and retrieval of data that are stored using electronic formats. The fourth type specializes in problem solving tasks. Lastly, the fifth type excels in manipulating statistical data.

The Basic Components and Levels of DSS

A decision support system has three basic components, namely the user interface, database and the model. In terms of DSS levels, the system includes the actual application, the generator and the tools. The actual application is the part of the system that enables the user to make decisions. On the other hand, the generator includes software and hardware that are used for the functioning of the system. Moreover, the function libraries, special languages as well as linking modules are included in the tools.

Additional Information and Other Important Details

A decision support system has various uses. They include the use in medical diagnosis as well as in business management, especially in determining negative and positive trends in businesses. Furthermore, it is also useful in performing efficient forest management tasks.

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