A decision support system (DSS) is usually used by businesses. It is a computerized system used to combine integrated resources people can use for decisional purposes. It is capable of collecting data from an array of sources and presenting them in an organized fashion to the end user. Decision support systems are often turned into applications. The difference between decision support systems and management information systems is that DSS is “to predict the effect of potential decisions beforehand” (McGraw-Hill, n.d.) and management information systems is for informational purposes to plan and direct business.
The fundamental components of a decision support system are the database, the model, and the user interface. The database is a collection of all the pertinent data necessary for retrieval. The model sets up the context of the decision and the user criteria. The user interface is “the screen menus and icons, keyboard shortcuts, mouse and gesture movements, command language and online help, as well as physical buttons, dials and levers” (McGraw-Hill, n.d.) .
At the Defense Logistics Agency where I work as a contract specialist, we procure state-of-the-art logistics and manufacturing systems in support of items and information technology systems critical for war fighting. These include decision support systems for On-Demand Manufacturing, military rations, chemical protective suits, and metal casting and forging. We use an enterprise business system for the procurements and it has functionalities that help in decision making during the pre-award process.
References
McGraw-Hill. (n.d.). Answers.com. Retrieved from Decision support system: http://www.answers.com/topic/decision-support-system
McGraw-Hill. (n.d.). Answers.com. Retrieved from User interface: http://www.answers.com/topic/user-interface
No comments:
Post a Comment