WEB-BASED DECISION SUPPORT SYSTEMS: PART I
by D. J. Power
The World-Wide Web is where the action is in developing enterprise-wide decision support systems. When vendors propose a Web-based DSS they are refering to a computerized system that delivers decision support information or decision support tools to a manager or business analyst using a "thin-client" Web browser like Netscape Navigator or Internet Explorer. The computer server that is hosting the DSS application is linked to the user's computer by a network with the TCP/IP protocol. In many companies, a Web-based DSS is synonymous with an enterprise-wide DSS that is supporting large groups of managers in a networked client-server environment with a specialized data warehouse as part of the DSS architecture.
This technology is developing rapidly so we all need to monitor and explore the possibilities of Web-based DSS. This brief overview focuses on advantages and disadvantages of Web-based DSS; examples of Web-based DSS software; examples of Web-based DSS implementations; and conclusions about Web-based DSS.
Web-based DSS have reduced technological barriers and made it easier and less costly to make decision-relevant information available to managers and staff users in geographically distributed locations. Because of the World-Wide Web infrastructure, enterprise-wide DSS can now be implemented in geographically dispersed companies and to geographically dispersed stakeholders including suppliers and customers at a relatively low cost. Using Web-based DSS, organizations can provide DSS capability to managers over an intranet, to customers and suppliers over an extranet or to any stakeholder over the global Internet.
The Web has increased access to DSS and it should increase the use of a well-designed DSS in a company. Using a Web infrastructure for building DSS improves the rapid dissemination of "best practices" analysis and decision making frameworks and it should promote more consistent decision making on repetitive decision tasks across a geographically distributed organization. The Web also provides a way to manage a company's knowledge repository and to bring knowledge resources into the decision making process. One can hope that Web-based delivery of DSS capabilities will promote and encourage ongoing improvements in decision making processes.
Also, the Web can reduce some of the problems associated with the competing "thick client" enterprise-wide DSS design where special software needs to be installed on a manager's computer. Web-based DSS should reduce IT management and support costs and end user training costs.
With many Web-DSS and OLAP products, managers with a browser and access to a Web-based DSS have the same type of ad-hoc reporting and interactive data analysis capability as that provided by "thick client" on-line analytical processing (OLAP) tools. Web technology is and will continue to change the way organizations deliver all types of documents and data.
What are the potential problems with Web-based DSS? User expectations may be unrealistic, especially in terms of how much information they want to be able to access. There will be technical implementation problems especially in terms of peak demand/load problems; training decision support content providers and providing them with tools and technical assistance may be costly; the continuing "browser wars" between Microsoft and Netscape are also a potential problem; and using the Web may result in accumulation of obsolete materials.
EXAMPLES OF WEB-BASED DSS SOFTWARE
The DSS Companies page at URL http://dss.cba.uni.edu/DJP/Companies.html lists more than 50 companies that market DSS products. Many of these vendors have Web-based DSS products. The following are a few vendors that have on-line examples or demonstrations. Arborsoft's ( http://webgate.arborsoft.com ) Essbase and the Essbase Web Gateway allow developers to deliver On-Line Analytical Processing (OLAP) applications directly from operational systems, or within an overall data warehousing architecture on the Web.
On the Web, you can run a live demonstration of Booz-Allen's Purchasing Analysis Tool called SS/DSS. It includes structured and flexible tools that allow analysis of historic purchasing data; predefined graphs and reports for performing analysis within and across business units; and a flexible Java-based OLAP tool for drill-down, pivot, filter, and selection on a purchasing database.
Comshare's DecisionWeb uses Java applets. You can see a sample screen at http://www.comshare.com/ . Web-OLAP is a product from Information Advantage ( http://www.infoadvan.com ). Information Advantage has been a leader in developing Web DSS/OLAP applications. The company has had demonstration software at its Web site, but the address has apparently changed. You'll need to contact the company for a demonstration.
InterNetivity, Inc. has an updated product called dbProbe 2.0. Written in
Java, dbProbe is a cross-platform, corporate-wide tool for sales analysis,
statistical analysis, financial analysis, inventory analysis or any data
warehouse application that needs multidimensional data analysis. You can
visit the dbProbe Solutions Gallery at
http://www.internetivity.com/site/products.html . This product is an
excellent example of what is possible with Java applets.
Microstrategy has a slide show on DSS Web 5.0 (visit URL http://www.strategy.com/Products/Web/slideshow.asp?Slide=Webcasting ). DSS Web 5.0 provides a World Wide Web interface to the product called DSS Server which runs a Relational OLAP (ROLAP) engine.
Pilot Software ( http://www.pilotsw.com/ ) includes Internet capabilities within the Pilot Decision Support Suite. At the Web site you can see a screen shot of Pilot Internet Publisher (PIP) Version 6.0. PIP delivers decision support solutions on the World-Wide Web to users at company and remote locations through Web browser interfaces.
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Part II of this article will appear in the upcoming edition of D S * .
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For more information, e-mail: power@uni.edu