Languages for Decision Support Systems

The accelerating complexity and size of modern private and public institutions and their increasing dependence on environmental factors such as multinational trade, world politics, and government regulations point to a need for computer-based decision support systems (DSSs). Several surveys(12,16) have indicated an increase in the use of such models especially in applications such as pro forma financial statement projection and budgeting. These systems can vary widely in both scope and objectives (see Table 1, which is based on Ref. 15). On the one hand a number of comprehensive corporate planning systems have been developed that attempt to model the firm’s complete production process in time and across geographic locations. Examples are the Potlatch Corporation(4) and Xerox(21) models. Such systems may contain 50 or 60 submodels and thousands of lines of code. At the other extreme are the currently popular microcomputer-based “accounting spread sheet” packages that are used in small financial and budgeting applications.

[1]  L. M. Rose.  The use of financial models in business : Financial Executives Research Foundation, 633 Third Avenue, New York, 1975, 162 pages, $ 6.50 , 1977 .

[2]  Joyce J. Elam,et al.  Model Management Systems: an Approach to Decision Support in Complex Organizations , 1980, ICIS.

[3]  Ronald A. Seaberg,et al.  Computer Based Decision Systems in Xerox Corporate Planning , 1973 .

[4]  E. F. Codd,et al.  A relational model of data for large shared data banks , 1970, CACM.

[5]  David M. Gilfoil,et al.  Warming up to computers: A study of cognitive and affective interaction over time , 1982, CHI '82.

[6]  Phyllis Reisner,et al.  Human Factors Studies of Database Query Languages: A Survey and Assessment , 1981, CSUR.

[7]  T. Naylor,et al.  A Survey of Users of Corporate Planning Models , 1976 .

[8]  Ralph H. Sprague,et al.  A decision support system for banks , 1976 .

[9]  Mohan Tanniru,et al.  A Data Base for Operations Research Models , 1979 .

[10]  Matthias Jarke,et al.  Query Languages - a Taxonomy , 1984 .

[11]  Ben Shneiderman,et al.  Software psychology: Human factors in computer and information systems (Winthrop computer systems series) , 1980 .

[12]  Robert H. Bonczek,et al.  A Generalized Decision Support System Using Predicate Calculus and Network Data Base Management , 1981, Oper. Res..

[13]  Ralph H. Sprague,et al.  Building Effective Decision Support Systems , 1982 .

[14]  James B. Boulden.  Computer-assisted planning systems: Management concept, application, and implementation , 1975 .

[15]  Hubert Lehmann,et al.  Interpretation of Natural Language in an Information System , 1978, IBM J. Res. Dev..

[16]  Larry R. Harris.  User Oriented Data Base Query with the ROBOT Natural Language Query System , 1977, Int. J. Man Mach. Stud..

[17]  Richard L. Nolan,et al.  What Kind of Corporate Modeling Functions Best , 1974 .

[18]  R. Zmud.  INDIVIDUAL DIFFERENCES AND MIS SUCCESS: A REVIEW OF THE EMPIRICAL LITERATURE* , 1979 .