LECTURE 3: DSS FRAMEWORKS

3.1. Introduction

Decision Support Systems (DSS) are a class of computerized information system that support
decision-making activities. DSS are interactive computer-based systems and subsystems intended
to help decision makers use communications technologies, data, documents, knowledge and/or
models to complete decision process tasks. A decision support system may present information
graphically and may include an expert system or artificial intelligence (AI).
It may be aimed at business executives or some other group of knowledge workers.
Typical information that a decision support application might gather and present would be:
(a) Accessing all information assets, including legacy and relational data sources;
(b) Comparative data figures;
(c) Projected figures based on new data or assumptions;
(d) Consequences of different decision alternatives, given past experience in a specific context.

3.2. Framework of Decisions Support Systems

A conceptual Framework for Decision Support Systems (DSS is developed based on the
dominant technology component or driver of decision support, the targeted users, the specific
purpose of the system and the primary deployment technology. Five generic categories based on
the dominant technology component are proposed:

Communication-driven Decision support systems

Data -driven Decision support systems

Decision support systems Model-driven Decision support systems

Document-driven Decision support systems

Knowledge-driven Decision support systems

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Fig 1: Based on dominant technology.

Communication-driven DSS
Most communications-driven DSSs are targeted at internal teams, including partners. Its
purpose are to help conduct a meeting, or for users to collaborate. The most common
technology used to deploy the DSS is a web or client server. Examples: chats and instant
messaging softwares, online collaboration and net-meeting systems.

Data-driven DSS
Most data-driven DSSs are targeted at managers, staff and also product/service suppliers.
It is used to query a database or data warehouse to seek specific answers for specific
purposes. It is deployed via a main frame system, client/server link, or via the web.
Examples: computer-based databases that have a query system to check (including the
incorporation of data to add value to existing databases.

Document-driven DSS
Document-driven DSSs are more common, targeted at a broad base of user groups. The
purpose of such a DSS is to search web pages and find documents on a specific set of
keywords or search terms. The usual technology used to set up such DSSs are via the web
or a client/server system.

Knowledge-driven DSS:
Knowledge-driven DSSs or 'knowledgebase' are they are known, are a catch-all category
covering a broad range of systems covering users within the organization setup, but may
also include others interacting with the organization - for example, consumers of a
business. It is essentially used to provide management advice or to choose
products/services. The typical deployment technology used to set up such systems could
be client/server systems, the web, or software running on stand-alone PCs.

Model-driven DSS
Model-driven DSSs are complex systems that help analyze decisions or choose between
different options. These are used by managers and staff members of a business, or people

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 who interact with the organization, for a number of purposes depending on how the
model is set up - scheduling, decision analyses etc. These DSSs can be deployed via
software/hardware in stand-alone PCs, client/server systems, or the web.

3.3. Extended Framework for DSS

The Framework focuses on one major dimension with five generic types of DSS and three
secondary dimensions. The primary dimension is the dominant technology component or driver
of the decision support systems; the secondary dimensions are the targeted users, the specific
purpose of the system and the primary deployment technology. Some DSS are best classified as
hybrid systems driven by more than one major DSS component.

Decision support systems

Primary dimension Secondary dimension

Data -driven Decision support systems

Model-driven Decision support systems

Document-driven Decision support systems

Knowledge-driven Decision support systems

Communication-driven Decision support systems

Targeted users

Purpose
Inter-Organizational /Intra-Organizational DSS

Technology
Function-Specific /General Purpose DSS

Web based Decision support systems

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Fig 2: Extended DSS framework

Inter-Organizational or Intra-Organizational DSS

A relatively new category of DSS made possible by new technologies and the rapid growth of the
public Internet is Inter-Organizational DSS. These DSS serve a company's customers or suppliers.
The public Internet is creating communication links for many types of inter-organizational
systems, including DSS. An Inter-Organizational DSS provides stakeholders with access to a
company’s intranet and authority or privileges to use specific DSS capabilities. Companies can
make a Data-Driven DSS available to suppliers or a Model-Driven DSS available to customers to
design a product or choose a product. Most DSS are Intra-Organizational DSS that are designed
for use by individuals in a company as "stand-alone DSS" or for use by a group of managers in a
company as a Group or Enterprise-Wide DSS. The prefix "intra" means the DSS is used within
a specific organization and "inter" means the DSS is used more widely.

Function-Specific or General Purpose DSS

Many DSS are designed to support specific business functions or types of businesses and
industries. We can call such DSS function-specific or industry-specific DSS. A Function- Specific
DSS like a budgeting system may be purchased from a vendor or customized in-house using a
more general-purpose development package. Vendor developed or "off-the shelf" DSS support
functional areas of a business like marketing or finance; some DSS products are designed to
support decision tasks in a specific industry like a crew scheduling DSS for an airline. A task-
specific DSS has an important purpose in solving a routine or recurring decision task.
Function or task-specific DSS can be further classified and understood in terms of the dominant
DSS component that is as a Model-Driven, Data- Driven or Suggestion DSS. A function or task-
specific DSS holds and derives knowledge relevant for a decision about some function that an
organization performs (e.g., a marketing function or a production function). This type of DSS is
categorized by purpose; Function- Specific DSS help a person or group accomplish a specific
decision task. General-purpose DSS software helps support broad tasks like project management,
decision analysis, or business planning.

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Web-Based DSS
Finally, all of the above types of DSS can be implemented using Web technologies and we can
call these systems Web-Based DSS. A Web-Based DSS is a computerized system that delivers
decision support information or decision support tools to a manager or business analyst using a
"thin-client" Web browser like Netscape Navigator or Internet Explorer.
The computer server that is hosting the DSS application is linked to the user's computer by a
network with the TCP/IP protocol. In many companies, a Web-Based DSS is synonymous with
an intranet or Enterprise-Wide DSS. A company intranet is supporting a large group of managers
using Web browsers in a networked environment.

Managers often have Web access to a data warehouse as part of DSS architecture. Today Web
technologies are the primary tools used to create Inter-Organizational DSS that support the
decision-making of customers and suppliers. Web or Internet technologies are the leading edge
for building DSS, but some Intra-Organizational DSS will continue to be built using traditional
programming languages or fourth generation languages or application development tools using
"thick-client" or mainframe enabling technologies.

3.4. Revision questions

a) Describe any three types of information that a decision support application might
gather relevant to a business.
b) Discuss the THREE secondary dimensions of the extended DSS
Framework. c) Contrast the data-driven and model-driven decision support
systems.

3.5. Summary
In this lesson, we have looked at different ways of classifying decision support systems. We have
learnt that the primary dimension is the dominant technology component or driver of the decision
support systems which has five different categories of decision support systems- data driven,
model driven, document driven, communication driven and knowledge driven decision support
systems; the secondary dimensions are the targeted users, the specific purpose of the system and

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the primary deployment technology. In the secondary dimension, we discussed about Inter-
Organizational /Intra-Organizational DSS, Function-Specific or General Purpose DSS and web-
based DSS.