Authorised by Academic Registrar, April 1996
Objectives At the completion of this subject students should know the scope and application of information systems applied to decision support; understand the nature of management and decision making in general and the process of decision support system development; be able to draw an influence diagram of a problem situation and develop a simple spreadsheet-based decision support system; and appreciate how to work closely with managers and communicate and foster realistic expectations of information systems in the support of managerial work.
Synopsis This subject provides the student with an introduction to computer-based decision support. The following topics will be covered: the nature of management, theories of decision making, approaches to decision support, decision support technologies, the development of decision support systems, executive information systems, and group decision support systems. Assessment will include the development of a small decision support system using common spreadsheet software to illustrate the concepts presented in lectures. Students will be expected to spend a significant amount of personal study time early in the semester learning the software and developing skills in representing decision situations.
Assessment Examination (2 hours): 60% + Practical work: 40%