2. Management Support Management Support Software: types of software used to assist managers in making business decisions

3. Computer Support for Business Decisions Project Management Software ä Gantt charts ä PERT charts Decision Support Software ä DSS ä GDSS ä EIS & ESS Artificial Intelligence (AI) Technology ä ES ä Neural Networks

4. Types of Support Needed

5. Decision Support Systems (DSS) DSS: software that assists users with unstructured or semi-structured decisions. Model: a representation of some business activity or system that allows change to be tested on the model instead of on the actual system.

6. Slide 5-6 Excel (Spreadsheet) What-if analysis: capability of changing data in one location to see its effect on related data Goal seeking: capability of finding the solution when one sets a goal and allows one data to change

7. Comparison of DSS and AI DSS GDSSEIS Artificial Intelligence Expert Systems Neural Networks DSS models help decision makers manipulate existing data. AI models attempt to evaluate data by mimicking human thinking and reasoning skills.

8. Slide 5-8 Artificial Intelligence Artificial intelligence (AI) is concerned with: ä studying the thought processes of humans ä representing those processes via machines A theory of how the human mind works

9. To Evaluate MSS Options, Consider... Purpose Modification requirements (software, staffing...) Compatibility with existing software/hardware Cost (time, money) Expected length of usefulness