• Decision support systems (DSS) are interactive

software-based systems intended to help managers in

decision-making by accessing large volumes of
information generated from various related
information systems involved in organizational
business processes, such as office automation system,
transaction processing system, etc.
• DSS uses the summary information, exceptions,
patterns, and trends using the analytical models.
• A decision support system helps in decision-making
but does not necessarily give a decision itself.
• The decision makers compile useful information from
raw data, documents, personal knowledge, and/or
business models to identify and solve problems and
make decisions.
Programmed and Non-programmed
Decisions
• Programmed decisions are basically automated processes, general
routine work, where −
• These decisions have been taken several times.
• These decisions follow some guidelines or rules.
• For example, selecting a reorder level for inventories, is a
programmed decision.
• Non-programmed decisions occur in unusual and non-addressed situations, so −
• It would be a new decision.
• There will not be any rules to follow.
• These decisions are made based on the available information.
• These decisions are based on the manger's discretion, instinct, perception and
judgment.
• For example, investing in a new technology is a non-programmed decision.
• Decision support systems generally involve non-programmed decisions.
Therefore, there will be no exact report, content, or format for these systems.
Reports are generated on the fly.
Attributes of a DSS

• Adaptability and flexibility

• High level of Interactivity
• Ease of use
• Efficiency and effectiveness
• Complete control by decision-makers
• Ease of development
• Extendibility
• Support for modeling and analysis
• Support for data access
• Standalone, integrated, and Web-based
Characteristics of a DSS

• Support for decision-makers in semi-structured and unstructured problems.

• Support for managers at various managerial levels, ranging from top
executive to line managers.
• Support for individuals and groups. Less structured problems often requires
the involvement of several individuals from different departments and
organization level.
• Support for interdependent or sequential decisions.
• Support for intelligence, design, choice, and implementation.
• Support for variety of decision processes and styles.
• DSSs are adaptive over time.
Benefits of DSS

• Improves efficiency and speed of decision-making activities.

• Increases the control, competitiveness and capability of futuristic
decision-making of the organization.
• Facilitates interpersonal communication.
• Encourages learning or training.
• Since it is mostly used in non-programmed decisions, it reveals new
approaches and sets up new evidences for an unusual decision.
• Helps automate managerial processes.
Components of a DSS

• Following are the components of the Decision Support System −

• Database Management System (DBMS) − To solve a problem the necessary data may
come from internal or external database. In an organization, internal data are generated
by a system such as TPS (Transaction Processing System)and MIS. External data come
from a variety of sources such as newspapers, online data services, databases (financial,
marketing, human resources).
• Model Management System − It stores and accesses models that managers use to
make decisions. Such models are used for designing manufacturing facility, analyzing
the financial health of an organization, forecasting demand of a product or service, etc.
• Support Tools − Support tools like online help; pulls down menus, user interfaces,
graphical analysis, error correction mechanism, facilitates the user interactions with the
system.
Classification of DSS

• There are several ways to classify DSS. Hoi Apple and Whinstone classifies DSS as follows −
• Text Oriented DSS − It contains textually represented information that could have a bearing on
decision. It allows documents to be electronically created, revised and viewed as needed.
• Database Oriented DSS − Database plays a major role here; it contains organized and highly
structured data.
• Spreadsheet Oriented DSS − It contains information in spread sheets that allows create, view,
modify procedural knowledge and also instructs the system to execute self-contained
instructions. The most popular tool is Excel and Lotus 1-2-3.
• Solver Oriented DSS − It is based on a solver, which is an algorithm or procedure written for
performing certain calculations and particular program type.
• Rules Oriented DSS − It follows certain procedures adopted as rules.
• Rules Oriented DSS − Procedures are adopted in rules oriented DSS. Export system is the
example
Types of DSS

• Following are some typical DSSs −

• Status Inquiry System − It helps in taking operational, management level, or middle level
management decisions, for example daily schedules of jobs to machines or machines to
operators.
• Data Analysis System − It needs comparative analysis and makes use of formula or an
algorithm, for example cash flow analysis, inventory analysis etc.
• Information Analysis System − In this system data is analyzed and the information report is
generated. For example, sales analysis, accounts receivable systems, market analysis etc.
• Accounting System − It keeps track of accounting and finance related information, for
example, final account, accounts receivables, accounts payables, etc. that keep track of the
major aspects of the business.
• Model Based System − Simulation models or optimization models used for decision-making
are used infrequently and creates general guidelines for operation or management.
MIS - Knowledge Management
System
• What is Knowledge?
• Personalized information
• State of knowing and understanding
• An object to be stored and manipulated
• A process of applying expertise
• A condition of access to information
• Potential to influence action
Sources of Knowledge of an
Organization
• Intranet
• Data warehouses and knowledge repositories
• Decision support tools
• Groupware for supporting collaboration
• Networks of knowledge workers
• Internal expertise
Definition of KMS

• A knowledge management system comprises a range

of practices used in an organization to identify, create,
represent, distribute, and enable adoption to insight
and experience.
• Such insights and experience comprise knowledge,
either embodied in individual or embedded in
organizational processes and practices.
Purpose of KMS

• Improved performance
• Competitive advantage
• Innovation
• Sharing of knowledge
• Integration
• Continuous improvement by −
• Driving strategy
• Starting new lines of business
• Solving problems faster
• Developing professional skills
• Recruit and retain talent
Activities in Knowledge
Management
• Start with the business problem and the business value to be delivered
first.
• Identify what kind of strategy to pursue to deliver this value and
address the KM problem.
• Think about the system required from a people and process point of
view.
• Finally, think about what kind of technical infrastructure are required to
support the people and processes.
• Implement system and processes with appropriate change
management and iterative staged release.
Level of Knowledge Management
MIS - Content Management System

• A Content Management System (CMS) allows publishing,

editing, and modifying content as well as its maintenance by
combining rules, processes and/or workflows, from a central
interface, in a collaborative environment.
• A CMS may serve as a central repository for content, which
could be, textual data, documents, movies, pictures, phone
numbers, and/or scientific data.
Functions of Content Management

• Creating content
• Storing content
• Indexing content
• Searching content
• Retrieving content
• Publishing content
• Archiving content
• Revising content
• Managing content end-to-end
Content Management Workflow

• Designing content template, for example web administrator designs

webpage template for web content management.
• Creating content blocks, for example, a web administrator adds
empower CMS tags called "content blocks" to webpage template
using CMS.
• Positioning content blocks on the document, for example, web
administrator positions content blocks in webpage.
• Authoring content providers to search, retrieve, view and update
content.
Advantages of CMS

• Content management system helps to secure privacy and currency of the content and enhances
performance by −
• Ensuring integrity and accuracy of content by ensuring only one user modifies the content at a time.
• Implementing audit trails to monitor changes made in content over time.
• Providing secured user access to content.
• Organization of content into related groups and folders.
• Allowing searching and retrieval of content.
• Recording information and meta-data related to the content, like author and title of content, version
of content, date and time of creating the content etc.
• Workflow based routing of content from one user to another.
• Converting paper-based content to digital format.
• Organizing content into groups and distributing it to target audience.
MIS - Executive Support System

• Executive support systems are intended to be used by the senior

managers directly to provide support to non-programmed decisions in
strategic management.
• These information are often external, unstructured and even uncertain.
Exact scope and context of such information is often not known
beforehand.
• This information is intelligence based −
• Market intelligence
• Investment intelligence
• Technology intelligence
Examples of Intelligent Information

• Following are some examples of intelligent information, which is often the

source of an ESS −
• External databases
• Technology reports like patent records etc.
• Technical reports from consultants
• Market reports
• Confidential information about competitors
• Speculative information like market conditions
• Government policies
• Financial reports and information
Features of Executive Information
System
Advantages of ESS

• Easy for upper level executive to use

• Ability to analyze trends
• Augmentation of managers' leadership capabilities
• Enhance personal thinking and decision-making
• Contribution to strategic control flexibility
• Enhance organizational competitiveness in the market place
• Instruments of change
• Increased executive time horizons.
Advantages of ESS
• Better reporting system
• Improved mental model of business executive
• Help improve consensus building and communication
• Improve office automation
• Reduce time for finding information
• Early identification of company performance
• Detail examination of critical success factor
• Better understanding
• Time management
• Increased communication capacity and quality
Disadvantage of ESS

• Functions are limited

• Hard to quantify benefits
• Executive may encounter information overload
• System may become slow
• Difficult to keep current data
• May lead to less reliable and insecure data
• Excessive cost for small company
MIS - Business Intelligence System

• The term 'Business Intelligence' has evolved from the decision

support systems and gained strength with the technology and
applications like data warehouses, Executive Information Systems and
Online Analytical Processing (OLAP).
• Business Intelligence System is basically a system used for finding
patterns from existing data from operations.
Characteristics of BIS

• It is created by procuring data and information for use in decision-making.

• It is a combination of skills, processes, technologies, applications and practices.
• It contains background data along with the reporting tools.
• It is a combination of a set of concepts and methods strengthened by fact-based
support systems.
• It is an extension of Executive Support System or Executive Information System.
• It collects, integrates, stores, analyzes, and provides access to business information
• It is an environment in which business users get reliable, secure, consistent,
comprehensible, easily manipulated and timely information.
• It provides business insights that lead to better, faster, more relevant decisions.
Benefits of BIS

• Improved Management Processes.

• Planning, controlling, measuring and/or applying changes that results
in increased revenues and reduced costs.
• Improved business operations.
• Fraud detection, order processing, purchasing that results in
increased revenues and reduced costs.
• Intelligent prediction of future.
Approaches of BIS

• For most companies, it is not possible to implement a proactive business intelligence

system at one go. The following techniques and methodologies could be taken as
approaches to BIS −
• Improving reporting and analytical capabilities
• Using scorecards and dashboards
• Enterprise Reporting
• On-line Analytical Processing (OLAP) Analysis
• Advanced and Predictive Analysis
• Alerts and Proactive Notification
• Automated generation of reports with user subscriptions and "alerts" to problems
and/or opportunities.
Capabilities of BIS

• Data Storage and Management −

• Data ware house
• Ad hoc analysis
• Data quality
• Data mining
• Information Delivery
• Dashboard
• Collaboration /search
• Managed reporting
• Visualization
• Scorecard
• Query, Reporting and Analysis
• Ad hoc Analysis
• Production reporting
• OLAP analysis