TOPIC: THE DECISION SUPPORT SYSTEM (DSS)

Question # 3:
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.

1. A decision support system (DSS) is a computer program application that analyzes business data and presents it so that users can make business decisions more easily.DSS is extensively used in business and management. It is an "informational application" (to distinguish it from an "operational application" that collects the data in the course of normal business operation).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.

2. Management Information System a computer-based system that provides managers with the tools for organizing, evaluating and efficiently running their departments.Like Decision Support System MIS include software that helps the managers to their decision making process and also it is a computerized processes that enable the department to run efficiently,supports business and organization to its decision making.MIS are quite similar to DDS but it is distinguished because DDS 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.It is a properly-designed information system that used in decision making.

3. DSS can give big help to the company. The company can improve a lot and can compete to others because if the company has DSS system it could be easy for them to decide and easy for them to compile useful information from raw data, documents and personal knowledge.An example of it is bank loan officer verifying the credit of a loan applicant or an engineering firm that has bids on several projects and wants to know if they can be competitive with their costs.The company can improve its competitive advantage by having expedites problem solving of the company itself,the promoted learnings and training of the said company,increasing organizational control and others.The performance of the oganization is more flexible and easy if they apply Decision Support System.