What is this DSS that everyone keeps talking about?
DSS is a computer program which analyzes business data, reports and presents it so that users can make business decisions more easily. It is an informational application.Typical information that a decision support application might gather and present would be:
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
A decision support system may present information graphically and may include an expert system or artificial intelligence . It may be aimed at business executives or some other group of knowledge workers.
Let me make it more simple. In current business world an effective decision making capability is most to thrive in highly competitive market. A poor decision can hamper performance of an organization in long run. So while making a decision regarding business affairs one ought to be very careful and cautious.
Users in an organization need information to help them make decisions. Decision making is the process of developing and analyzing alternatives to make a decision - a choice from the available alternatives. Most decisions are made in response to a problem. A sales manager, for example, may be required to determine how high to set yearly sales quotas based on increased sales and lowered product costs. Decision Support systems help provides information to support such decisions. A decision support system (DSS) is thus a computer-based information system that supports business or organisational decision-making activities.
DSS serve the management, operations, and planning levels of an organisation and help to make decisions, which may be rapidly changing and not easily specified in advance. DSSs include knowledge-based systems. A properly designed DSS is an interactive software-based system intended to help decision makers compile useful information from a combination of raw data, documents, personal knowledge, or business models to identify and solve problems and make decisions. They offer the potential to generate higher profits, lower costs and better products and services.