DECISION

SUPPORT
SYSTEM
DEVELOPMENT
Fifth Lecture for Data Warehousing and Management
SYSTEMS DEVELOPMENT
LIFE CYCLE
▪ Four phases
▪ Planning
▪ Analysis
▪ Design
▪ Implementation

▪ Cyclical
▪ Can return to other phases
▪ Waterfall model
TOOLS
▪ Computer-aided software design tools
▪ Upper CASE –
▪ Creates systems diagrams
▪ Lower CASE
▪ Manages diagrams and code
▪ Integrated CASE
▪ Combination

▪ RAD design tools

▪ Enterprise class repository and collaboration
▪ UML modeling

▪ Analysis and design software

▪ Code debugging methods
▪ Testing and quality assurance tools
SUCCESSFUL PROJECT
MANAGEMENT
▪ Establish a baseline
▪ Define scope of project
▪ Manage change and scope creep
▪ Get support from upper management
▪ Establish timelines, milestones, and budgets based on realistic goals
▪ Involve users
▪ Document everything
IMPLEMENTATION FAILURES
▪ Lack of stakeholder involvement
▪ Incomplete requirements
▪ Scope creep
▪ Unrealistic expectations
▪ Project champion leaves
▪ Lack of skill or expertise
▪ Inadequate human resources
▪ New technologies
EVOLUTIONARY DISRUPTORS
▪Development environment
▪ Organizational cultural factors
▪ Loss of top management support
▪ User and analyst attitude
▪ User experience
▪ Development team capability
▪Development process
▪ User education, support, involvement, training
PROJECT MANAGEMENT
TOOLS
▪Project management software can allow:
▪Collaboration among disparate teams
▪Resource and program management
▪Portfolio management
▪Web enabled
▪Aggregates and analyses project data
ALTERNATIVE DEVELOPMENT
METHODOLOGIES
▪ Parallel development
▪ Multiple development on separate systems
▪ RAD
▪ Quick development allowing fast, but limited functionality
▪ Phased development
▪ Sequential serial development
▪ Prototyping
▪ Rapid development of portions of projects for user input and modification
▪ Small working model or may become functional part of final system
▪ Throwaway prototyping
▪ Pilot test or simple development platforms
AGILE DEVELOPMENT
▪Rapid prototyping
▪Used for:
▪ Unclear or rapidly changing requirements
▪ Speedy development
▪Heavy user input
▪Incremental delivery with short time frames
▪Tend to have integration problems
DSS DEVELOPMENT
METHODOLOGY
▪Prototyping
▪Iterative design
▪Evolutionary development
▪Middle out process
▪Adaptive design
▪Incremental design
DSS PROTOTYPING
▪ Short steps
▪ Planning
▪ Analysis
▪ Design
▪ Prototype
▪ Immediate stakeholder feedback
▪ Iterative
▪ In development of prototype
▪ Within the system in general
▪ Evaluation integral part
▪ Control mechanism
 DSS PROTOTYPING
▪ Advantages ▪ Disadvantages
▪ User and management involvement ▪ Changing requirements
▪ May not have thorough understanding of benefits and
▪ Learning explicitly integrated costs
▪ Prototyping bypasses information ▪ Poorly tested
requirement ▪ Dependencies, security, and safety may be ignored
▪ Short intervals between iterations ▪ High uncertainty
▪ Low cost ▪ Problem may get lost

▪ Improved user understanding of ▪ Reduction in quality

system ▪ Higher costs due to multiple productions
CHANGE MANAGEMENT
▪ Crucial to DSS
▪ People resistant to change
▪ Examine cause of change
▪ May require organizational culture shift
▪ Lewin-Schein change theory steps
▪ Unfreeze
▪ Create awareness of need for change
▪ People support what they help create
▪ Move
▪ Develop new methods and behaviors
▪ Create and maintain momentum
▪ Refreeze
▪ Reinforce desired changes
▪ Establish stable environment
DSS TECHNOLOGY LEVELS
▪ DSS primary tools
▪ Fundamental elements
▪ Programming languages, graphics, editors, query systems

▪ DSS generator (engine)

▪ Integrated software package for building specific DSS
▪ Modeling, report generation, graphics, risk analysis

▪ Specific DSS
▪ DSS application that accomplishes the work

▪ DSS primary tools are used to construct integrated tools that are used to
construct specific tools
DSS
▪Hardware
▪ PCs to multiprocessor mainframes

▪Software
▪ Involves multiple criteria
▪ Develop in house, outsource, or buy off the shelf
▪ Off the shelf software rapidly updated; many on market
▪ Prices fluctuate
▪ Different tools available
DSS
▪ Team developed DSS requires substantial effort to build and manage
▪ End user developed DSS
▪ Decision-makers and knowledge workers develop to solve problems or enhance
productivity
▪ Advantages
▪ Short delivery time
▪ User requirements specifications are eliminated
▪ Reduced implementation problems
▪ Low costs
▪ Risks
▪ Quality may be low
▪ May have lack of documentation
▪ Security risks may increase
DSS
▪DSS is much more than just a
DBMS, MBMS, GUI, interface,
and knowledge component