In reading MC Er’s 1988 article “Decision Support Systems: A Summary, Problems, and Future Trends” I am left with the question of how the concept of DSS can produce technologies that are at once broad and specific, such that they can account for both individual and group needs. I wonder too, how much further we can take (and undoubtedly have taken in the 25 years since this article’s publication) this idea before it extends beyond support and into a more active tool.
An interesting aspect of this paper to me was Er’s mention of a DSS that might be tailored to ones’ decision making style (as determined by a Myers-Briggs test). While the idea seems somewhat absurd or flaky, it does point towards the concept of technology designed around the needs of the user as opposed to some abstract population. However, in making decisions that are influential to people other than the user, would such specification truly prove helpful, or to the contrary? Further, Er notes the need for development of group DSS. How do we design a DSS that can account for the diverse styles and needs of a group coming to consensus? What does support mean in this context? Does it merely mean an interface for the organization of ideas, or one that may evaluate figures?
There are, in any problem, many factors that must be considered, some of which may not always be quantified or obectively assessed against one another. How can we produce a DSS that may aid us to weigh the options that may be actively analysed while not losing sight of those that may not be?
Wyatt
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