Guisseppi A. Forgionne

An integrative evaluation framework for intelligent decision support systems

Evaluation of the overall effectiveness of decision support systems (DSS) has been a research topic since the early 1980s. As artificial intelligence methods have been incorporated into systems to create intelligent decision support systems (IDSS), researchers have attempted to quantify the value of the additional capabilities. Despite the useful and relevant insights generated by previous research, existing evaluation methodologies offer only a fragmented and incomplete view of IDSS value and the contribution of its technical infrastructure. This paper proposes an integrative, multiple criteria IDSS evaluation framework through a model that links the decision value of an IDSS to both the outcome from, and process of, decision making and down to specific components of the IDSS. The proposed methodology provides the designer and developer specific guidance on the intelligent tools most useful for a specific user with a particular decision problem. The proposed framework is illustrated by evaluating an actual IDSS that coordinates management of urban infrastructures.

Assessing the impact of recommender agents on on-line consumer unplanned purchase behavior

Recommendation agents (RAs) have been used by many Internet businesses such as Amazon and Netflix. However, few authors have studied how consumer behavior is affected by those that make suggestions to online consumers based on their recent shopping behavior. Fewer still have examined the role that RAs play in influencing impulse purchasing decisions online. Our study developed a theoretical model to illustrate the impact of RAs on online consumer behavior. The model was tested through an online shopping simulation which used a collaborative filtering based product RA. Particular attention was paid to the effects of an RA on consumer behavior; we found that it increased promotion and product search effectiveness, user satisfaction with the website, and unplanned purchases. Results showed that our model provided insights into the impact of an RA on online consumer behavior and thus provided suggestions for implementing effective systems.

HMSS: a management support system for concurrent hospital decision making

Abstract Mounting health care costs have escalated the pressure on hospitals and other health care providers to control expenses. Conventional hospital information systems help meet the challenge by providing data necessary for policy formation and outcome measurement. Additional decision support systems deliver models that can be used to systematically evaluate the policies. When deployed successfully, each stand-alone system can effectively support a segment of the hospital decision making process. Integrating the stand-alone functions can enhance the quality and efficiency of the segmented support, create synergistic effects, and augment decision making performance and value. A high-level integration framework, known as the management support system (MSS), can be adapted to provide the desired synthesis. This paper demonstrates how management support systems can improve hospital decision making. It overviews the hospital decision making process, presents an MSS for supporting this process, and measures the impact of the MSS on the process and outcomes of decision making. The paper also examines the implications of the analyses for information systems research and health care practice.

Decision technology systems: A vehicle to consolidate decision making support

Abstract The practice of management is a complex process that requires art, science and technology. Methodologies from a variety of disciplines have been generated to facilitate this process. Computer information systems (CIS) have been developed to deliver these methodologies and to provide knowledge relevant for effective management. Since accurate decisions are required at each step of the process, the development effort has focused on CISs that support decision making. Traditionally, the support has been provided in a segmented fashion and for separate phases of the decision making process. To be absolutely effective, the support should be integrated and complete. There have been efforts to provide the required CIS support, but these systems have inherent conceptual shortcomings. Moreover, the newer and enhanced systems create additional problems that will prevent them from providing integrated support for all phases of the decision making process. This paper examines the practice of management. Then traditional and enhanced information systems support is reviewed and the inherent shortcomings and unresolved integration problems are explained. Finally, an alternative approach, referred to as a Decision Technology System (DTS), is proposed to resolve the difficulties.

An AHP analysis of quality in AI and DSS journals

Over the years, a number of researchers have assessed the quality of information systems (IS) journals. Most of these studies have assessed general IS journals, but few have specifically examined journals that focus on decision-making support systems. Furthermore, even though there are many factors that measure journal quality, very few gauges have been used in the previous evaluations. Recently, the authors reported a study that utilized the analytical hierarchy process to evaluate 20 top decision-making support system journals. This paper extends the earlier work by providing separate ratings for artificial intelligence and decision support system journals. Initially, the article reviews the criteria and AHP methodology to evaluate decision-making support system journal quality. Next, there is an updated discussion of the data collection process and the resulting multiple criteria evaluation. The paper concludes with a summary of the evaluation and the implications for information systems theory and practice.

An experiment on the effectiveness of creativity enhancing decision-making support systems

Recent research suggests that creativity can enhance the performance of people for a variety of tasks, including decision-making. Creativity enhancements can be delivered through a decision-making support system. In theory, such delivery should improve the decision performance of the systems user. This paper tests the theory empirically and discusses the implications for decision-making.

Toward a comprehensive framework for the design and evaluation of intelligent decision-making support systems (i-DMSS)

Design and evaluation frameworks for Decision-making Support Systems (DMSS) and Intelligent DMSS (i-DMSS) have been posed in last 20 years. Useful findings to match the required general system’s capabilities with decision phases and steps in several managerial levels have been also generated. However, current status of i-DMSS capabilities suggests that the full realization of them is still a long-term aim. This paper seeks to advance in it. By extending a previous work and integrating the Chandrasekaran’s task-structure concept from Artificial Intelligence (AI) discipline, an updated framework based on the Decision Making (DM) and Computational Mechanism (CM) views is reported. Its theoretical and practical benefits and other implications for a better design and evaluation process of i-DMSS are also discussed. Finally, limitations of current study and recommendations for further research are reported.

Integrated MSS effects: an empirical health care investigation

Since accurate decisions are required for effective management, much research has focused on information systems that support decision making. Recently, this research has engendered frameworks, such as the management support system (MSS), that are designed to provide comprehensive and integrated support for the decision making process. Few, if any, studies have empirically measured the effects of these frameworks on decision making. This article offers empirical evidence on MSS effectiveness. It overviews the decision making process, presents an MSS for supporting the process, and assesses the influences of the MSS on the process and outcomes of health care decision making. The paper also examines the implications of the analyses for information systems research and health care practice.

A Framework to Assess Intelligent Decision-Making Support Systems

A new framework to identify and classify the support capabilities provided by the full range of Decision-Making Support Systems is posed. This framework extends a previously reported framework by the same authors. The new framework adds a dimension of user interface support capabilities to the data, information and knowledge representation and processing capabilities dimensions of the previous framework. With this conceptual tool, an analysis of the achievements realized and a research agenda for the next generation of Intelligent DMSS is developed.

Toward an Interdisciplinary Engineering and Management of Complex IT-Intensive Organizational Systems: A Systems View

An accelerated scientific, engineering, and industrial progress in information technologies has fostered the deployment of Complex Information Technology (highly dependent) Organizational Systems (CITOS). The benefits have been so strong that CITOS have proliferated in a variety of large and midsized organizations to support various generic intra-organizational processes and inter-organizational activities. But their systems engineering, management, and research complexity have been substantially raised in the last decade, and the CITOS realization is presenting new technical, organizational, management, and research challenges. In this article, we use a conceptual research method to review the engineering, management, and research complexity issues raised for CITOS, and develop the rationality of the following propositions: P1: a plausible response to cope with CITOS is an interdisciplinary engineering and management body of knowledge; and P2: such a realization is plausible through the incorporation of foundations, principles, methods, tools, and best practices from the systems approach by way of systems engineering and software engineering disciplines. Discussion of first benefits, critical barriers, and effectiveness measures to reach this academic proposal are presented.