An Overview of Decision Support System Concepts

This paper presents an analytical overview of Decision Support Systems (DSSs) – a widely used, but insufficiently systematically described term, which covers a variety of types of information systems aimed to support human decision making. Introduction to the issue is briefly presented. Description of key terms, definitions and taxonomy problems follows, trying to turn the existing confusion into some order. Further, main ideas and characteristics of different types of DSSs are elaborated, putting the emphasis on concept rather then technology. Two types of DSSs – modeldriven and knowledge-driven DSSs are considered in more detail. At the end of the paper, some actual research problems are pointed out and possible solutions to those problems are suggested.