KENYATTA UNIVERSITY

SCHOOL OF ENGINEERING AND TECHNOLOGY

DEPARTMENT OF COMPUTING AND INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

TASK: ASSIGMENT QUESTION

SUBMITTED BY:

MWITHIMBU N. MUREITHI

REG.NO: I17/1574/2007

UNIT CODE: SCT 404

UNIT NAME: DECISION SUPPORT SYSYTEMS

LECTURER: MR. KARWEGA

DATE OF SUBMISSION: 3rd December, 2010

‘IMPLEMENTATION OF A DSS IS A CHALLENGING AFFAIR’

INTRODUCTION
A Decision Support System (DSS) is an interactive computer-based system or subsystem
intended to help decision makers use communications technologies, data, documents, knowledge
and/or models to identify and solve problems, complete decision process tasks, and make
decisions. Decision Support System is a general term for any computer application that enhances
a person or group’s ability to make decisions. Also, Decision Support Systems refers to an
academic field of research that involves designing and studying Decision Support Systems in
their context of use. In general, Decision Support Systems are a class of computerized
information system that supports decision-making activities.

Implementation is defined as a series of activities throughout the development of a DSS. DSS

implementation activities include (design, development, and maintenance/use) and selected
attributes (subjectivity, complexity, and criticality) of the problem domain for which a DSS is
being implemented. DSS success is accessed via four measures: relative use, perceived utility,
output satisfaction and goal realization (a new measure devised for this study).

QUESTIONS
a) List and briefly explain eight factors that could cause
a technically sound DSS project to fail.

User’s resistance to change and Lack of stakeholder involvement: The most common
reaction to technological implementation in organisations is resistance to change. To people at
work new technology can spell all kinds of trouble. It can mean loss of jobs, disruption to know
procedures, the need to learn new skills or the further dehumanisation of the work itself. New
technology means change and change can be disadvantageous and difficult. It may also bring a
better quality of working life, opportunities to become more proficient etc., but the most
common reaction is to expect the worst. The change approach to DSS implementation strives to
create a situation in which change will be accepted through the involvement of affected users, an
intensive education programme and most significantly, the assigning of project responsibility to
the DSS user.

Lack of skill/expertise (poor user training) User training, in the context of DSS project
implementation, refers to the provision of hardware and software talents adequate to enable
interaction with the system under consideration. Untrained users would not be productive or
motivated, as those who are trained. They would be unable to effectively deal with change
because their skills are specific and not catered for the change.

Project champion leaves Glover, et al, (1992) found a lack of project champions to be the most
frequent cause of a DSS project implementation failure. These champions have to be forceful so
that important decisions about the project can be taken. They also have a vital part to play in
helping to derive user need analyses (become lively promoters of the system amongst their
peers), and could be seen as a user who could greatly play a significant role in the
implementation process.
User’s perceived task complexity User’s perceived task complexity relates to how well users
can adopt to the system and navigate around it. Some studies of system diffusion suggest that the
simpler the innovation is to understand, the more quickly it is adopted. For instance, a simple
application may be easy to grasp. However, when the application is fully integrated into the
organisation’s business processes, it could become a complex operation that could affect
implementation. In short, one could argue that perceived task complexity is found to be
negatively related to implementation and can greatly impact upon the user’s time to learn the
system.

Senior executive awareness and support Securing senior executive awareness and support are
central to DSS project implementation. It can substantially influence the outcomes of the project
initiative (Pinto, 1993). To win the “heart and minds” of these decision-makers is often
mentioned as one of the essential prerequisites of implementing any DSS projects. These studies
provide evidence for the supportive relationships between executive support, user attitudes and
perceptions. The results suggest that forced use of a poor quality system may lead to the
development of unfavourable attitudes.
There is also the contention supporting the relationship between decision style and
implementation success. The results also show that the non-reference users are more likely to use
the system if their reference group leader had favourable attitudes toward the system. It appears
that the actions of the subordinate group in the case are fully consistent with the attitudes of
reference of group leaders. The clearest finding that emerges from these studies confirms the
existing predictions that the older and less educated member of the organisation is most likely to
resist a DSS.

 Lack of stakeholder involvement

 Incomplete requirements
 Scope creep
 Unrealistic expectations
 Project champion leaves
 Lack of skill or expertise
 Inadequate human resources
 New technologies

b) Describe five management and procedural interventions

that could increase the probability of DSS success.

 Establish a baseline
 Define scope of project
 Manage change and scope creep
 Get support from upper management: it is important since a DSS
project will require money/funding and hence the top management
should be clearly aware of what the project is and at the same time the
budget so that
 Establish timelines, milestones, and budgets based on realistic goals
  Involve users-by involving user in the development process of a DSS
they will identify the system hence lowering the chances of rejection of
the system as well as reflect the needs of the lower in management
 Document everything

c) Describe six approaches/tools for evaluating a DSS

implementation.

d) Describe in reasonable detail the main organizational,

societal and individual impacts of DSS implementation.
Decision support system implementation can bring with it both negative and positive effects.
These are discussed below with respect to organizations, the society and individuals.

Impacts of DSS on organizations:

 Culture
 Creation of new departments
 Virtual teams
 Business process reengineering
 Business simulation tools
 Higher/Increased production- the throughput of DSS systems is higher as
compared to that of human beings
 Increased customer satisfaction
 Improvement in quality- the quality of products from a DSS system are of higher
quality
 Supply chain management improvements
 Improved performance of managers and employees

Impacts of DSS on the society:

 Positive effects
  Reduction or elimination of humans in hazardous positions
 Increased opportunities for disabled, home bound, and single parents
 Telecommuting
 Improved health care
 Improved quality of life from the increased output and higher quality
products there are increased profits hence people can be well paid and as a
result they can have more to spend and hence better life
 Negative effects
 Computer fraud and embezzlement
 Identity theft
 Neglect of family
 Increased power due to increased centralization of organizations

Impacts of DSS on individuals:

 Individual
 Increased job satisfaction-
 Negative effect on individuality
 Dehumanization-in this regard a human being has been reduced to
almost an object. All he does as he works is to press buttons and machines
do work
 Job stress
 Lack of cooperation by expert