DDS in Organizations Setting Priorities for DSSDevelopment By: C. Lawrence Meador Martin J. Guyote Research & Planning, Inc. 215 First Street Cambridge, Massachusetts 02142 By: Peter G.W. Keen Informational Technology Services, Inc. One Forks Road Lexington, Massachusetts 02123 Abstract Traditional project management and design methods used for data processing and MIS applications are ill- suited to decision support systems (DSS). The authors arguethat effective management of DSS development requires: a) An explicit plan for the full development life cycle; b) Careful assignment of responsibility for DSS development; c) Appropriate user involvement and direction; and d) On-going user needs assessment andproblem diagnosis. A 13-stage tactical plan for DSS development, called the DSS development life cycle, is described. Results are presented froman in-depth survey of usersof 34 different DSS to show that the tasksperformed most in- effectively in DSS development are planning, assess- ment of user needs,andsystem evaluation. Results fromthe survey are also presented that show the fac- tors responsible for DSS projectapproval, and the fac- tors responsible for DSS success. Keywords:Decision support systems, development life cycle,architectural features, user need assessment, defining success ACM Categories:H.1.2, H.4.2, J.O Introduction Decision support systems (DSS) has become popular buzzword in the last few years. The term DSS applies to information systemsdesigned to help managers solve problems in relatively unstructured decision-making environments. The growing popularity of the DSS concept can be at- tributed, in part, to the increased com- petitiveness, uncertainty, and complexity of the economic environment. Successful DSS applica- tions have included long-range and strategic plan- ning, policy setting, new product planning, marketing planning, cash flow management, operational planning and budgeting, andportfolio management [3]. These systems usually in- tegrate sophisticated data management, model- ing, analytical, and dispiay capabilities with powerful, user friendly command languages. Managers now have a more broadly perceived need for decision support and, in many cases, a belief that computer systemscan be a valuable source of help [4]. In addition, the widespread and rapidly expanding diffusion of microcom- puters has changed the waymost managers think about computers in general. They are far more proactive in their interest and less resistant to the idea that they themselves can be "hands-on" users. They hear about software tools like VisiCaic (and the "Visi-clones") that make it easy for computer novices to begin building models andincorporating more quantitative analysis ap- proaches into their planning anddecision making. Many managers are curious about computerized decision support, yet these managers are proper- ly hesitant. They are uncertain about which criteria would help themto decide on whetherto proceed with a DSS,and what impact they can expect a DSS to have on the organization and on themselves. DSS development often requires an unpredictable investment in time and money, and managers cannot easily estimate what return to expect on this investment beyond somevague promiseof "better decisions." Theymayalso be unsure of how to initiate and develop a DSS or how to manage the development process as it evolves. Purpose and Approach The authors have conducted an in-depth survey of DSS users in a wide variety of firms and in- MIS Quarterly~June 1984 117