Designing a Generalized Multiple Criteria Decision Support System

Decision support systems are of many kinds depending on the models and techniques employed in them. Multiple criteria decision making techniques constitute an important class of DSS with unique software requirements. This paper stresses the importance of interactive MCDM methods since these facilitate learning through all stages of the decision making process. We first describe some features of Multiple Criteria Decision Support Systems ( MCDSSs) that distinguish them from classical DSSs. We then outline a software architecture for a MCDSS which has three basic components: a Dialog Manager, an MCDM Model Manager, and a Data Manager. We describe the interactions that occur between these three software components in an integrated MCDSS and outline a design for the Data Manager which is based on a concept of levels of data abstraction. Center for Digital Economy Research Stem School of Business IVorking Paper IS-84-60