Article+Analysis

Article analysis
A **decision support system** (DSS) is a computer-based analysis tool that helps a manager with business or organization decision –making activities. With years of development, DSS is regarded as a popular and useful tool for organizations. With the booming of world-wide web and Global Internet, this renewal has been facilitated, nurtured and promoted in a new appearance, the Web-based Decision support system. It is not necessary to implement the complicated software to every employee’s computer. Web-based means the entire application is implemented using Web technologies

According to the features in the article, many advantages are revealed to users, such as reducing technology barriers, more smoothly data flow, convenient data sharing. Other advantages include providing a way to manage a company’s knowledge repository, bringing knowledge resources into the decision making process, also the reduction of IT management, support costs and users training costs. Disadvantages are also stated in the article. User’s unrealistic expectation is the first draw-back of the system. Some people also argue technical implementation should be taken into account, such as peak load/demand, training decision support provider and providing technical assistance. As other web-based technology does, web-based DSS also requires more protection for the data security. The continuing browser wars could be another issue where fierce competition between internet explorer, firefox, google chrome and safari would hinder the technology standardization process.

Questions: 1. According to both the advantage and disadvantage of the web-based DSS, would you choose this technology for your company? Why and why not? 2. Do you think Web-based DSS will completely take over the market share of traditional DSS in the future?

For discussion, please post it in discussion page. thx :)

Reference: Hemant K.Bhargava and Daniel J.Power. //Decision Support Systems and Web Technologies: A Status Report//. []

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