Module Three: Support systems for management (Notes)

Support systems are computerized systems that have been devised for the employees in the organization to help them complete their work efficiently and effectively. Support systems are systems designed to support workers in an organization with specific purposes and for specific users. We have several types of support systems depending on whom they support and what they support. 

Decision Support system

A decision support system (DSS) is a computer - based information system that supports business or organizational decision - making activities. DSSs serve the management, operations, and planning levels of an organization and help to make decisions, which may be rapidly changing and not easily specified in advance.

Helps strategic management staff (often senior managers) make decisions by providing information, models or analysis tools. For support of semi structured and unstructured decisions (structured decisions can be automated) used for analytical work rather than general office support. 

Group support system

A key aim of GSS is to improve group performance, may be of meeting productivity, the time taken to reach a decision, the degree of participation that is effected, the degree of satisfaction that is achieved and many other factors.

Groups themselves are pervasive and constitute an almost universal organizational structure. The rationale behind the superiority of the group over the individual lies in the fact that n+1 people are better at

solving complex organizational problems than a single person. This is particularly true for problems that require multi skilled input. 

Executive support system

It provides executives information in a readily accessible, interactive format. They are a form of MIS intended for top level executive use. An ESS usually allows summary over the entire organization and also allows drilling down tom specific levels of detail. They also use data produced by the ground – level TPS so the executives can gain an overview of the entire organization. Used by top level (strategic) management. They are designed to the individual. They let the CEO of an organization tie in to all levels of the organization. They are very expensive to run and require extensive staff support to operate. 

Expert information system

Expert systems are computer applications that combine computer equipment, software, and specialized information to imitate expert human reasoning and advice. As a branch of Artificial intelligence, expert systems provide discipline -specific advice and explanation to their users. While artificial intelligence is a broad field covering many aspects of computer - generated thought, expert systems are more narrowly focused. Typically, expert systems function best with specific activities or problems and a discrete database of digitized facts, rules, cases, and models. Expert systems are used widely in commercial and industrial settings, including medicine, finance, manufacturing, and sales. 

Developing information systems

Systems are created to solve problems. One can think of the systems approach as an organized way of dealing with a problem. In a system the different components are connected with each other and they are interdependent. For example, Human body represents a complete natural system.

Feasibility study

Feasibility study is the quick examination of the problems, goals and expected costs of the proposed system, whose objective is to determine whether the problem can reasonably be solved by the computer system

System analysis

The main goal of system analysis is to identify problems and determine how they can be solve with a computer system.

System design

Based on the user requirements and the detailed analysis of a new system, the new system must be designed. This is the phase of system designing. It is a most crucial phase in the development of a system. 

Testing

Testing and quality control must be performed at every stage of development, but a final system test is needed before staff entrust the company’s data to the new system.

Implementation

System implementation involves installation and change over from the previous system to the new one, including training users and making adjustments to the system.

System maintenance

Maintenance is necessary to eliminate errors in the system during its working life and to tune the system to any variations in its working environment.