Group Decision Support Systems
1. Introduction
Group Decision Support Systems (GDSSs) are a class of “interactive computer-based systems”, a collaboration technology effort designed to underpin meetings and group efforts. They were first developed in the early 1970s as a response to the limitations of face-to-face meetings. In recent years, GDSSs have been applied in a wide range of domains such as business process improvement, large data analysis, Spatio-temporal knowledge discovery, and geospatial time-series data analysis.
2. What is a GDSS?
A GDSS is an interactive computer-based system that supports group work by providing facilities for information sharing, brainstorming, problem solving, and decision making. A typical GDSS has the following features:
(1) It is designed to facilitate communication and collaboration among a group of people;
(2) It provides means for members of the group to share information and expertise;
(3) It supports brainstorming, problem solving, and decision making;
(4) It is easy to use and does not require special training;
(5) It is flexible and can be customized to the specific needs of the group;
(6) It is scalable and can be used by groups of any size;
(7) It is accessible from anywhere in the world.
3. How Do GDSSs Work?
GDSSs are designed to facilitate communication and collaboration among a group of people. They provide means for members of the group to share information and expertise. They also support brainstorming, problem solving, and decision making. GDSSs are easy to use and do not require special training. They are flexible and can be customized to the specific needs of the group. GDSSs are scalable and can be used by groups of any size. They are accessible from anywhere in the world.
4. Applications of GDSSs
GDSSs have been applied in a wide range of domains such as business process improvement, large data analysis, Spatio-temporal knowledge discovery, and geospatial time-series data analysis. In recent years, GDSSs have been used in businesses for tasks such as customer service management, product development, strategic planning, project management, and human resource management. In education, GDSSs have been used for classroom collaboration, curriculum design, distance learning, and academic research. In government, they have been used for policy making, regulation compliance monitoring, disaster response coordination, and military command and control. In healthcare, they have been used for clinical decision support, disease surveillance, telemedicine, and patient education. In science and engineering, GDSSS have been used for requirements definition gathering during software development projects as well asfor research data sharing among scientists working on different continents. One notable application of GDSS is NASA’s Mars Pathfinder mission which used a GDSS called Groupware to support the work of the mission’s team members who were distributed around the world cite{mars}. Another example is IBM’s hugely successful Lotus Notes product which was originally developed as an internal tool for IBM employees but later evolved into a commercial groupware product cite{lotus}.
5. Benefits of Using GDSSs
There are many benefits of using GDSSs. They can improve the speed, quality, and efficiency of decision making. They can also help to improve business processes and to increase productivity. In addition, GDSSs can help groups to develop better relationships and to work more effectively together.
6. Drawbacks of GDSSs
There are some drawbacks of using GDSSs. One is that they can be expensive to purchase and maintain. Another is that they require users to have some computer skills. In addition, GDSSs can be time-consuming to set up and use.
7. GDSSs in the Future
GDSSs are likely to become more widely used in the future as businesses and other organizations increasingly adopt collaborative technologies. In addition, GDSSs are likely to become more sophisticated and user-friendly as they continue to evolve.