Decision Support Systems
Course Outline
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I. Introduction to Decision Support Systems
A. Overview of Decision Support Systems
B. Historical Development of DSS
C. Understanding the Role and Capabilities of DSS in Business
II. Components of Decision Support Systems
A. Database Management System (DBMS)
B. Model-based Management System (MBMS)
C. User Interface
III. Classification of Decision Support Systems
A. Data-Driven DSS
B. Model-Driven DSS
C. Knowledge-Driven DSS
D. Communication-Driven and Group DSS
E. Document-Driven DSS
IV. DSS Development Process and Methodologies
A. Understanding the System Development Life Cycle (SDLC) in the Context of DSS
B. Prototyping in DSS
C. Selecting Appropriate DSS Development Tools
V. DSS Modeling and Analysis
A. Understanding Decision Models: What-if Analysis, Goal Seeking Analysis, Optimization Analysis
B. Simulation in DSS
C. Risk Analysis in Decision Making
VI. Database Technology for DSS
A. Relational and Multidimensional Databases
B. Data Warehousing and Data Mining for DSS
C. Big Data and DSS
VII. Business Intelligence and DSS
A. Business Intelligence: An Overview
B. Business Performance Management
C. Data Visualization and Dashboards
VIII. Artificial Intelligence in DSS
A. Overview of AI Techniques in DSS
B. Expert Systems
C. Machine Learning and Predictive Modeling
IX. Implementing DSS
A. Organizational and Behavioral Aspects in DSS Implementation
B. Evaluating DSS Effectiveness
C. Future of DSS: Trends and Challenges
X. Case Studies in Decision Support Systems
A. DSS in Healthcare
B. DSS in Supply Chain Management
C. DSS in Financial Services
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Textbook: "Decision Support Systems and Intelligent Systems" by Efraim Turban and Jay E. Aronson.
1. Introduction to Decision Support Systems
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Hello and welcome to our first lecture on Decision Support Systems (DSS)! Today, we will discuss the overview of DSS, their historical development, and understanding the role and capabilities of DSS in business.
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A. Overview of Decision Support Systems
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A Decision Support System (DSS) is a computer-based system that helps in decision-making activities. It serves at the operational, tactical, and strategic levels of an organization to make informed decisions, solve semi-structured and unstructured problems, and manage knowledge and data.
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It includes analytical tools and interactive software that allow managers and decision-makers to combine personal knowledge with a broad range of information gathered from multiple sources to make informed business decisions.
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B. Historical Development of DSS
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The concept of DSS dates back to the 1960s and 1970s with the advent of mainframe computers. The earliest DSS were model-oriented, and they were used to assist management in their decision-making processes.
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In the 1980s, with the proliferation of personal computers, DSS moved closer to the end users by providing them with a hands-on approach to data manipulation and decision making.
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The emergence and rapid growth of the internet in the 1990s and 2000s has significantly impacted the development of DSS. Today, web-enabled and cloud-based DSS applications allow for unprecedented levels of collaboration, data sharing, and accessibility.
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C. Understanding the Role and Capabilities of DSS in Business
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The role of a DSS in a business context is to assist management in making decisions that are informed, data-driven, and beneficial for the organization. DSS are used in planning, analysis, and forecasting operations of a business.
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For example, a DSS can help a retailer analyze changing trends in market demographics to determine potential increases in product demand. A hospital might use a DSS to determine the potential outcomes of various patient treatment plans.
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The capabilities of DSS include high-speed calculations, analysis of large amounts of data, simulation of business scenarios, and enabling interactive and intuitive decision-making processes. A well-implemented DSS will improve the speed, quality, and consistency of decision-making within a business.