Group Decision Support Systems MS 204/U1/L5/Ashima

What is a Group ? Refers to two or more individuals whose mission is to perform some task and who act as one unit Can be permanent or temporary In one location or in several locations Can meet concurrently or at different time MS 204/U1/L5/Ashima

Group Group: Collection of individuals in which behavior and/or performance of one member is influenced by behavior and/or performance of other members. (Gibson, 1991) MS 204/U1/L5/Ashima

Benefits of Groups Better than individuals at understanding problems People are accountable for decisions that they participate in Better at catching errors Has more information (knowledge) than any one member more alternatives ==> better solutions MS 204/U1/L5/Ashima

Problems with Groups “Groupthink” -- social pressures to conform people begin to think alike and new ideas are not tolerated Time-consuming, slow process Problems in coordination/poor planning MS 204/U1/L5/Ashima

Group Decision Support Systems A DSS whose design, structure, and usage reflect the way in which people cooperate to make a particular decision or type of decision An interactive, computer-based system which facilitates the solution of unstructured problems by a set of decision makers working together as a group Consisting of a set of software, hardware, language components, and procedures that support a group of people engaged in a decision-related meeting MS 204/U1/L5/Ashima

Group Decision Support Systems (GDSS) Group Support Systems (GSS) Electronic Meeting Systems Collaborative Computing Evolved as information technology researchers recognized that technology could be developed for supporting meeting activities Idea generation Consensus building Anonymous ranking Voting, etc. MS 204/U1/L5/Ashima

Cool Rooms US Air Force Source: Ventana Corp., Tuscon, AZ, http://www.ventana.com MS 204/U1/L5/Ashima

Cool Rooms IBM Corp. Source: Ventana Corp., Tuscon, AZ, http://www.ventana.com MS 204/U1/L5/Ashima

Important Characteristics of a GDSS Specially Designed IS Goal of Supporting Groups of Decision Makers Easy to Learn and Use May be designed for one type of problem or for many organizational decisions Designed to encourage group activities MS 204/U1/L5/Ashima

Three Levels of GDSS Support Based on DeSanctis and Gallupe Level 1: Process Support Level 2: Decision-making Support Level 3: Rules of order MS 204/U1/L5/Ashima

Level 1: Process Support support the basic communication process between participants electronic messaging network linking the PCs public screen anonymous input of votes and ideas solicitation of ideas or votes summary and display of ideas and opinions format for an agenda MS 204/U1/L5/Ashima

Level 2: Decision-Making Support decision modeling and group decision techniques aimed at reducing uncertainty and ‘noise’ that occur in the group decision process adds capabilities for modeling and decision analysis planning and financial models decision trees probability assessment models resource allocation models MS 204/U1/L5/Ashima

Level 3: Rules of Order Characterized by machine-induced group communication patterns Control the pattern, timing, or content of information exchange Special software containing rules of order is added rules determining the sequence of speaking, the appropriate response, or voting rules MS 204/U1/L5/Ashima

GDSS Time/Place Environment Same-Time Same-Place (Most widely used GDSS- computers with projectors, voting tools) Different-Place (team room, tools, audio conferencing, screen sharing, chat) Different-Time (audio/video conferencing, document sharing) (voice mail, email, bulletin boards)

Components of GDSS There are four fundamental types of components that compose GDSS:   Software  The software part may consist of the following components: databases and database management capabilities, user/system interface with multi-user access, specific applications to facilitate group decision-makers activities, and modeling capabilities. Hardware  The hardware part may consist of the following components: I/O devices, PCs or workstations, individual monitors for each participant or a public screen for group, and a network to link participants to each other.   People  The people may include decision-making participants and /or facilitator. A facilitator is a person who directs the group through the planning process. Procedures This refers to the methods that have been used in holding meetings.

Advantages of GDSS Parallel Communication – eliminate monopolizing providing increased participation, better decisions Automated record keeping – no need to take notes, they’re automatically recorded Ability for virtual meetings – only need hardware, software and people connected Portability - Can be set up to be portable… laptop Global Potential - People can be connected across the world No need for a computer Proficient – although some basic experience is a must

Disadvantages of GDSS Cost –infrastructure costs to provide the hardware and software/room/network connectivity can be very expensive Security – especially true when companies rent the facilities for GDSS; also, the facilitator may be a lower-level employee who may leak information to peers Technical Failure – power loss, loss of connectivity, relies heavily on bandwidth and LAN/WAN infrastructure – properly setup system should minimize this risk Training – learning curve is present for users, varies by situation

Thank You!! Queries? MS 204/U1/L5/Ashima