Should We Invest in a Decision Support System?
Decision on
DSS Proposal
Knowing the
advantages and disadvantages of the software allows for proper training and,
therefore, effective use. There are many vendors that supply DSS, each having
their own focus for different markets (e.g. warehousing, manufacturing,
transportation and logistics, retail, etc.). Being a large manufacturing firm,
we need to look at vendors that meet the needs of our market. Vendors such as
Actuate, Acxiom, or Cognos
offer DSS packages that can be tailored to our specific requirements. The early
stages of implementation of DSS can be a difficult process with the typical
resistance to change and the unfreezing, moving, and refreezing stages required
to fully adopt a new program. For most companies, this is a minor headache;
however, the eventual improvements are worth the growing pains.
It is the
recommendation of this report that we further investigate the use of DSS for
our organization. Many vendors offer this software, which could integrate with
our current systems. The top three recommended vendors are Actuate, Acxiom, and Cognos. The prices of
their software vary depending on the hardware and software needed to implement
the system. Further research and consultation with the vendors is needed to
determine the best plan of action for our firm.