Finals Question #4

Finals Question #4

TOPIC: THE DECISION SUPPORT SYSTEMS (DSS)


1. Describe or define DSS.
Answer:Decision Support Systems (DSS) are a specific class of computerized information systems that supports business and organizational decision-making activities. A properly-designed DSS is an interactive software-based system intended to help decision makers compile useful information from raw data, documents, personal knowledge, and/or business models to identify and solve problems and make decisions.

2. Distinguish DSS from MIS.
Answer:The terms MIS and DSS stand for Management Information Systems and Decision Support Systems respectively. There has been a lot of talk regarding these two, whether they are actually the same thing or if there are any significant differences between the two.

MIS is basically a kind of link to facilitate communcation between managers across different areas in a business organization. MIS plays a pivotal role in enabling communications across the floor of an organization, between various entities therein.

DSS, many consider, is an advancement from the original MIS. However,this is not the sole difference between the two. While there may not be too much separating the two, the difference is still there,as is apparent when we say DSS is an advancement over MIS.

The essential difference between the two is in focus. DSS, as the term indicates, is about leadership and senior management in an organization providing good, reliable judgment as well as vision. MIS, on the other hand, is about focusing on the actual flow of information itself.

3.Illustrate (give examples) how DSS can improve company's competitive advantage and organizational performance.
Answer:DSS can create positive benefits for both the individual decision makers and the companies who will use the system.
1. Time Savings: Research has demonstrated that all categories of decision support systems reduce decision cycle time, increase employee productivity, and provide more timely information for decision making. DSS can also create a cost advantage by increasing efficiency or eliminating activities.
2. Improved Interpersonal Communication: Improved communication and collaboration between decision makers can be a result of DSS. Model-driven DSS allows users to share facts and assumptions. Data-driven DSS allows fact-based decision making by creating one version of the truth about company operations available to managers.
3. Increased Decision Maker Satisfaction: DSS can help reduce frustrations of decision makers by providing the perception that better information is being used.
4. Increased Organizational Control: Data-driven DSS often makes business transaction data available for performance monitoring. Such a system can provide users with an enhanced understanding of business operations, although the financial benefit from increasingly detailed data is not always immediately clear.
5. Targeted Marketing: DSS can be used to target a specific customer segment and gain an advantage in meeting needs in that particular segment. DSS can help track customers and make it easier to serve a specialized customer group.



Cite your reference.www.wikiAnswers.com
www.google.com
Student: Jessa Daquil