Management Support Systems A Hierarchy and a Guide

Management Support Systems A Hierarchy and a Guide

What Is SUPPORTED? Tools for bringing things to conclusion • Managers are employed to create conclusions, to make things happen • Thus, any support they receive can be Tools for only of two types: helping others see that things happen have happenedor § To make it easier to make § To make others think things have happened (i. e. , to increase the perception of things happening)

What Is a Conclusion? • • • A Decision Agreement or consensus Realization of a model or plan Addition to knowledge Increase in confidence Any (presumed positive) change in resources (such as cash, staff, customers, etc. )

Relationship to Simon • • It’s all related to problem solving Simon says See, Think, Say (then Do) See: gather data Think: reflect current situation onto what is known about how the world works • Say: select the best course of action • Do: implement the decision

What is the Support in Management Support Systems ? Manage this Process SEE Gather better Data THINK Access, Analyze Knowledge SAY DO Display, Communicate Array, Compare Debate Compute LEARN Remember Archive WHAT A MANAGEMENT SUPPORT SYSTEM CAN DO FOR MANAGERS TO INCREASE CONFIDENCE AND EFFECTIVENESS OF PROBLEM-SOLVING

What Kinds of Tools Are There • Display and Data Formatting (Presentation) • Data Search and Processing (MIS) • Suggested Action (Consulting) • Evaluation of Action (DSS) • Logical Conclusion (Expert System) • Action (Operational System)

How These Tools Differ • Each one incorporates more “knowledge” than those above. • The value of the knowledge is higher and the knowledge is more specific. • Each removes some of the burden from the problem solver in generating and evaluating solutions

Display • • Displays and communicates Example: Presentation software Example: Word Processor Incorporates only “display” theories, ideas about how problems or situations might be expressed in words or pictures • Practical example = this slide

Data Search and Processing • • Locates Data and Makes it Available Example: Database Manager Example: Report Generator Incorporates “Data” theories, ideas about what descriptors of the current situation may be of interest • Practical example: Any MIS report (“Here is what is happening or has happened in the past”)

Suggested Action • Suggests best course of action • Examples: very few • Incorporates similarity theories, what makes situations similar, what matters in making choices • Physical example: Any consultant (“Usually when you see this kind of situation, you do X”) • Based on research of associations

Evaluation of Action • Puts a “figure of merit” or “tells a story” about each possible course of action. • Example: What iffing on a spreadsheet • Example: Computer program to calculate costs, risks, benefits, etc. • Real example: a cost-benefit ratio • Incorporates knowledge about the outcomes for specific actions in specific cases: very high level of theory (“So much of X gives you so much of Y”)

Logical Conclusion • Like previous, but logical instead of numerical • Example is an expert system or use of Artificial Intelligence • Incorporates knowledge of logical implications or knowledge of society, business or culture (“If you do this, you can expect this to happen. ”

Action • Tool actually carries out the operation • Example: factory, robot, automation • Based on the idea that everything that needs to be known is already known and encapsulated in a physical theory which predicts outputs more or less exactly based on available inputs. • Practical example is a stamping machine that can be primed with input dials and produces a result.

Who Uses These Systems Amount of tool discretion and input required and degree of certainty and accumulated knowledge Executive Upper Mgmt Middle Mgr Amount of user discretion and input required and degree of inclarity and confusion Supervisors Workers Display MIS Consulting DSS Operational

Structure of a Management Support System Knowledgeable Advisor MODELthe This takes place continually, refining CAPTURE BASE Quality and relevance of the stored data Manager in Need of Support DIALOG MANAGER LEARNING ADVICE

Structure of a Management Support System Knowledgeable Advisor Model Management MODEL CAPTURE Manager in Need of Support MODEL BASE System Management DIALOG MANAGER Model Usage ADVICE LEARNING

Example: Management Information System DATA the This takes place continually, refining CAPTURE BASE Knowledge stored in the knowledge base Transactions Manager in Need of Support Query/ Report Request QUERY/ REPORT MANAGER LEARNING REPORTS

Example: Evaluation of Action SPREAD This takes place continually, refining and SHEET Increasing CAPTUREthe stored spreadsheets BASE Analyses And Ideas Manager in Need of Support What-IF SPREADSHEET EXECUTION LEARNING PREDICTION

Example: Operational System MACHINE This. CONSTRUCtakes place continually, refining and CAPAImproving the machinery TION BILITY Design Specs Manager in Need of Support Goal COMMAND IMPROVEMENT RESULTS

User Roles in MSS Knowledge Capture User Knowledge BODY OF ADVICE Manager in Need of Support Description Application of Outcomes Appropriate Usage Feedback On Value

General Model of a Management Support System Advisors Knowledge Engineering Managers. Problem Description Knowledge Base Advising System Interface Advice Feedback LEARNING