Types of Decision Support Systems (DSS)

What is Decision Support System?

Decision Support System is an information system that was created to support organization decision-making activities. It help the users to make decision by enable them to utilize communication technologies, data, documents and knowledge. In most situation, it may be aimed at business executives or knowledge worker.

What kind of Information Made up from Decision Support System?

Different information system consist of different information. In Decision Support System it including the information like:

• Information on organization inventory
• Comparative data figures
• Projected figures based on new data or assumption
• Consequences of different decision alternatives based on past experience

What Types of Decision Support System?

Commonly, there are five decision support system:

1. Communication-driven DSS
This kind of DSS are to help conduct a meeting, or for a group of users to collaborate. The most common technology used to deploy the DSS is a web or client server. The examples are charts and instant messaging software and online collaboration.

2. Data-driven DSS
It is mostly used by managers, staff and also 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. Examples: computer-based databases that have a query system to check (including the incorporation of data to add value to existing databases.

3. Document-driven DSS
This is the most common type of DSS and targeted at a broad base of users. It is useful when search web pages and find documents on a specific keywords.

4. Knowledge-driven DSS
Broad range of systems covering users within the organization seting it up, but may also include others interacting with the organization - for example, consumers of a business. Marketing usually use it to provide management advice or to choose products/services was covered.

5. Model-driven DSS
This is the complex DSS, because it help the users to analyze decisions or choose between different options. Managers and staff members use it to provide solutions to queries or problems.

Author: Dan Power
Retrieved from http://www.gdrc.org/decision/dss-types.html