1. DECISION SUPPORT SYSTEM DEVELOPMENT
The Traditional SDLC
Alternate Development Methodologies
Prototyping
DSS Technology Levels and Tools
DSS Development Platforms
DSS Development Tool Selection
Team Developed DSS
End User Developed DSS

2. Project Management (PM)
Team leader must have good PM skills
Major reason for IS development failures-bad PM skills
Only 26% of all projects surveyed (23,000) in 1998 succeeded
28% failed, 46% challenged
Lower success rates for large companies
Better PM skills needed

3. Skills for Project Managers
Technology and business knowledge
Judgment
Negotiation
Good communication
Organization

4. THE TRADITIONAL SYSTEM DEVELOPMENT LIFE CYCLE
Need
Planning
Analysis
Design
Implementation
System

5. PLANNING Business needs not being met
possible opportunities identified through environment scanning
feasibility analysis is conducted for project initiation
technical, cost and organization feasibility are considered
if the project is approved the staffing is planned

6. ANALYSIS who will be the users ? what will be the systems output ?
where and when it will run ?
starts with the development of analysis strategy.
if there is an existing system, it is analyzed, along with the ways of moving to the new system.

7. DESIGN indicates how system will work
all details of hardware, software, network infrastructure, user interface are all considered
user interface forms, displays, reports and programs, database and files are specified
amount of system to be purchased or contracted is decided-on.

8. IMPLEMENTATION
involves not only building the system but also testing it to verify that it works
better planning will result in fewer bugs
installation is the last step and involves actually getting the system up and running

9. CASE TOOLS
for complex projects, the SDLC should be managed with CASE tools
these tools are information systems for systems analyst and can help manage every aspects of developing a system
upper CASE tools (analysis phase)
lower CASE tools (code)
I-CASE tools (both)
oracle enterprise development suite, rational rose, paradigm plus, visible analyst, logic works suite

10. Visible Analyst Courtesy of Visible System Corporation

11. ALTERNATIVE DEVELOPMENT METHODOLOGIES
Parallel Development
the design and implementation phases split into multiple copies
involves development of a separate subsystem or subproject
A systems integrator puts the pieces together in a cohesive system while implementing
Rapid Application Development Methodologies
will adjust the SDLC in such away that parts of a system can be developed quickly and users can obtain some functionality as soon as possible

12. Methods
a) Phased development
b) Prototyping
c) Throwaway prototyping
involves breaking a system into a series or versions that are developed sequentially
each version has more functionality than the previous one
user will gain functionality quickly
system is incomplete by design

13. b) Prototyping
involves performing the analysis, design and implementation phases concurrently and repeatedly
system prototypes are quickly developed and demonstrated to users
feedback is obtained, and the system can be modified on moving to the next prototype
c) Throwaway prototyping
design prototypes are developed to assist in understanding more about the system being developed
developed as pilot tests on simple development platforms to learn about user requirements and the final system to be deployed
once the pilot test is successful, the prototype is discarded and a preliminary design of the real systems takes place

14. Prototyping Need Planning Analysis Design Implementation Prototype
Prototype Not OK
Prototype OK
System

15. Throwaway Prototyping
Need
Planning
Analysis
Design
Design
Implementation
Design Prototype
Not OK
Implementation
System
Design
Prototype

16. Prototyping for DSS Development
Problems are semistructured or unstructured
Managers and developers may not completely understand problem
Use prototyping

17. Why Prototyping?
Users and managers involved in every phase and iteration
Learning is part of design
Prototyping bypasses the information requirement definition
Short interval between iterations
Initial prototype must be low cost

18. Advantages of Prototyping
Short development time
Short user reaction time
Improved user understanding
Low cost

19. DSS TECHNOLOGY LEVELS AND TOOLS
Specific DSS
DSS Generations
DSS Tools
Technology levels
DSS Primary tools
DSS Integrated tools
Specific DSS

20. DSS PRIMARY TOOLS Lowest level of DSS technology
Facilitate the development of either the DSS generator or a specific DSS
Examples of these tools are programming languages, graphics, editors, query systems and random numbers generators

21. DSS INTEGRATED TOOLS Integrated development software package
Provides a set of capabilities for building specific DSS
Quick, inexpensive and easy
Capabilities ranging from modeling, report generation and graphical display to performing risk-analysis.

22. SPECIFIC DSS
Final product or the DSS application

23. DSS DEVELOPMENT PLATFORMS
General purpose programming language
Fourth-generation language (4 GL)
OLAP with a data warehouse or a large database
DSS integrated development tool
CASE methodology

24. DSS DEVELOPMENT TOOL SELECTION
Hardware selection
-- from individual PC’s to Multiprocessor computers
-- existing hardware architecture of the Organisation & no. of Users
Software selection
-- DSS information requirements & Outputs
-- Large DSS might be developed with different tools
-- Technical, functional, end-user and managerial issues
DSS generator selection

25. TEAM-DEVELOPED DSS
A group of people from different categories such as users, intermediaries, DSS developers, technical support experts, and IS personnel who join together to develop a particular DSS is called a Team-Developed DSS. Team-Developed DSS is a complex, lengthy and costly process.
Need extensive planning and organization
The team members may be as few as 2-3 people or as many as people
The no of members depends on the nature of DSS application and the tools used for developing the DSS
The team may be temporary or permanent

26. END USER-DEVELOPED DSS
End- user computing / End-user development is the development and use of computer-base information systems by people outside the formal information system area.
User-developed DSS includes decision makers and professionals who build or use computers directly to solve problems or enhance their productivity.

27. ADVANTAGE
Delivery time is short
No need for IS development team
DSS implementation problems are reduced
Cost is very low
DISADVANTAGE
Can lead to low-quality system
Security risk
Lack of documentation and maintenance procedures may cause problems
Quality risks: Substandard, inappropriate tools and facilities used in DSS development