Computer-Aided Decision Support: Is it what the Army Needs?

There has been a call for computer-aided decision support in Army and other military operations as a result of the increasing pace of current and future warfare. These tools are expected to speed up the critical thinking process, for example in battle planning and course of action analysis, by providing users with critical information and off-loading various cognitive tasks. There is a need, however, to determine the kinds of decision tools that are best suited to Army operational needs and to consider the potential implementation issues associated with application of automated tools to complex operations. A structured approach is needed to analyze Army operations and reveal the critical information needs associated with the various positions, and to determine what is appropriate in terms of decision aiding systems. Understanding information needs and adequately designing for human integration with decision tools will be important to successful overall system performance.