A unified perspective on decision making and decision support systems

Abstract

The lack of consensus on the meaning and role of decision support systems (DSSs), in the market and in academia, indicates that DSS as a field is not maturely defined and modeled. Moreover, an integrated view of the field is necessary to assess the role and value of DSS products and services. Such a view is also a prerequisite for understanding the issues of integration, as well as the potential contributions of artificial intelligence (AI) and expert systems (ES). This paper presents a unified and dynamic model showing the relationships of knowledge, information, decision, and action in the decision process. DSS modeling is viewed as a logical deduction of the utility (goal) structure. Using the framework of the model, the sequence and phases of decision making are revised. The concept of situation model is introduced. Four categories of information are addressed: instruction, historical, predicted value of alternatives, and patterns. The role of existing and potential support systems and their evolution toward utilization of ES and AI are discussed.