Final Question # 2

1. Describe or define DSS.
2. Distinguish DSS from MIS.
3. Illustrate (give examples) how DSS can improve company's competitive advantage and organizational performance.

Cite your reference.

Decision Support Systems – DSS

Decision Support Systems (DSS) are a specific class of computerized information system 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.

is a subset of the overall internal controls of a business covering the application of people, documents, technologies, and procedures by management accountants to solving business problems such as costing a product, service or a business-wide strategy. Management Information Systems are distinct from regular information systems in that they are used to analyze other information systems applied in operational activities in the organization.

Academically, the term is commonly used to refer to the group of information management methods tied to the automation or support of human decision making, e.g. Decision Support System, Expert systems, and Executive information systems. MIS and DSS can help track customers and DSS can make it easier to serve a specialized customer group with special services.

DSS...

• Accessing all of current information assets, including legacy and relational data sources, cubes, data warehouses, and data marts
• Comparative sales figures between one week and the next
• Projected revenue figures based on new product sales assumptions
• The consequences of different decision alternatives, given past experience in a context that is described

DSS can help managers reduce the cost of rivalry actions by targeting expenditures and in some cases DSS may reduce the need for competitive actions and reactions.

A specific DSS can help differentiate a product or improve service and hence reduce the threat from substitute products.

DSS can potentially help a firm create a cost advantage. DSS can provide many benefits including improving personal efficiency and reducing staff needs, expediting problem solving and increasing organizational control.

DSS can create a major cost advantage by increasing efficiency or eliminating value chain activities.

DSS can be used to help a company better focus on a specific customer segment and hence gain an advantage in meeting that segment’s needs.


Posted by:
Nemarie Gandas


References:
DSSResources.com
InformationBuilders.com
Wikepedia.org