A synopsis of present day practices concerning decision support systems

Selecting a decision support system that fits specific needs, both technically and financially, is a difficult task. The marketplace has been flooded with software bearing the “DSS” label. To provide a clearer picture, the article examines a number of popular DSS definitions and its development. DSS are broken into groups with similar characteristics to examine current software and applications. These groups include Personal Support Systems, DSS and Local Area Networks, DSS and Emulation, Timesharing Systems, Commercial Data Base Systems, and Integrated System. Within each group, current software and practices are reviewed. The potential buyer has the opportunity to compare DSS packages and possible applications. In addition, a list of important questions to ask when choosing DSS Software is included.