Management’s Role in the Approval and Administration of Decision Support Systems

Decision support systems (DSS) have become an increasingly important type of computer-based information system. However, there has been limited research on management’s role in DSS approval and administration. Because of this, the authors recently investigated eighteen decision support systems and report the findings here. The specific areas explored include motivations for developing a DSS, methods for evaluating the desirability of creating a DSS, planning and organizing for building a DSS, techniques for reviewing and controlling DSS projects, and managing a DSS as an organizational entity.