Problem Management: Neglected Elements in Decision Support Systems

:The majority of current decision support systems (dss) have concentrated on managing solutions rather than on managing the full range of problem-solving events. As a result, certain critical functions have been neglected. The authors define problem management in terms of problem finding, problem representation, information surveillance, solution generation, and evaluation. They propose a set of functional requirements for dss that actively aids decision makers in each of these processes. Elements of a dss architecture are presented to demonstrate the potential for support of these activities.