B. Information Technology (IS) CISB434: Decision Support Systems Chapter 10: Integration, Impacts & The Future of MSS

Learning Objectives Understand the need for systems integration for MSS Describe the difficulties in integrating systems Describe major models of MSS integration Describe MSS integration with enterprise systems

Learning Objectives Discuss the impacts of MSS Describe organizational impacts of MSS Learn the potential impacts of MSS on individuals Describe societal impacts of MSS Describe major ethical and legal issues of MSS implementation

Learning Objectives Define the digital divide and discuss how to close it Provide an overview regarding the future of MSS

Integration, Impacts & The Future of MSS Need for Systems Integration in MSS

Systems Integration An Overview Why integrate? Implementing MSS Increasing the capabilities of the MSS applications Enhancing the capabilities of non-MSS applications Enabling real-time decision support Enabling more powerful applications Facilitating system development Enhancing with intelligent tools

Systems Integration An Overview Levels of integration Across different MSS Within MSS Embedded intelligent systems Integration and the Web

Systems Integration Types of MSS Models of Integrating ES and DSS Intelligent systems attached to DSS com-ponents Database intelligent component Intelligent system for the model base and its management

Systems Integration Types of MSS Models of Integrating ES and DSS Intelligent systems attached to DSS com-ponents Intelligent system for improving the user interface Intelligent consultant to DSS builders Intelligent consultant to users

Systems Integration Types of MSS Models of Integrating ES and DSS An ES as a separate component in a DSS ES output as input to BA Analysis output as input to ES Feedback

Systems Integration With Enterprise Systems & KM Integration with ERP and SCM Systems Integration with KMS Integration of KMS with other business in-formation systems Integrating DSS and KMS Integration of intelligent systems and KMS Other KM–related integration

Integration, Impacts & The Future of MSS The Impacts of MSS

Impacts of MSS

Impacts of MSS An Overview MSS impacts Particular individuals and jobs Work structures of departments and units within an organization Total organizational structures Entire industries, communities, and society as a whole

Impacts of MSS On Organizations New organizational units Management support department BI department (unit) Artificial intelligence department Knowledge management department that can be combined with or replace a quantitative analysis unit

Impacts of MSS On Organizations Organizational culture Restructuring business processes and virtual teams Business process reengineering (BPR) Changes in structure, organizational culture, and processes within an entire organization Simulation modeling and organizational restructuring

Impacts of MSS On Organizations The impacts of ADS systems Reduction of middle management Empowerment of customers and business partners Improved customer service (e.g., faster reply to requests) Increased productivity of help desks and call centers

Impacts of MSS On Organizations Other organizational impacts Increased productivity, speed, customer satisfaction, quality, and supply-chain improvements resulting in strategic advantage Entire industries are affected

Impacts of MSS On Organizations

Impacts of MSS On Individuals Job satisfaction Both positively and negatively. Some jobs may be enriched by MSS, but others may become more routine and less satisfying. Computer-based information systems may reduce managerial discretion in decision making Conversely, one study showed that IT has had a positive effect on four of the five core job dimensions: identity, significance, autonomy, and feedback. Inflexibility, dehumanization, stress, and anxiety Job stress and anxiety Cooperation of experts

Impacts of MSS On Society Changing role of home-bound people Computer crime and fraud Consumers The digital divide Employment levels Opportunities for the disabled Quality of life Work in hazardous environments

Automating Decision Making Manager’s Job The effect of MSS on managers’ activi-ties and their performance Less expertise (experience) is required for making many decisions Faster decision making is possible Less reliance on experts and analysts Power is redistributed among managers

Automating Decision Making Manager’s Job The effect of MSS on managers’ activi-ties and their performance Support for complex decisions makes them faster to make and of better quality Information needed for high-level decision making is expedited or even self-generated Automation of routine decisions may elimi-nate some managers

Automating Decision Making Manager’s Job Can managers’ jobs be automated? Some of their routine decisions, such as scheduling, can be automated but not other decisions that involve behavioral aspects The job of top managers is the least routine and therefore the most difficult to automate

Intelligent & Automated Syst. Employment Levels Impact of MSS on employment levels MSS have the potential to significantly affect the productivity and employ-ment of many types of employees partially or even completely eliminate jobs Technology is getting less expensive and more capable bringing about substantial changes in jobs and job content

Intelligent & Automated Syst. Employment Levels Impact of MSS on employment levels Two extreme positions massive unemployment increased employment There are a number of newly created MSS-related jobs

Intelligent & Automated Syst. Employment Levels Impact of MSS on employment levels Questions about how intelligent sys-tems will affect employment Is some unemployment socially desirable? Should the government intervene in the distribution of income determination of the employment level?

Intelligent & Automated Syst. Employment Levels Impact of MSS on employment levels Questions about how intelligent sys-tems will affect employment Can the invisible hand in the economy, which has worked so well in the past, continue to be successful in the future? Will artificial intelligence make most of us idle but wealthy?

Other Societal Impacts of MSS Positive Effects of MSS Work in hazardous environments Opportunities for the disabled and elderly The changing roles of single parents and home-bound people Improvements in health care delivery Aids for the consumer Quality of life at home and in the workplace Law enforcement and homeland security improvement

Other Societal Impacts of MSS Potential Negative Effects Computer crime and internet fraud Too much power The dangers of the web Blaming the computer phenomenon Social responsibility

Integration, Impacts & The Future of MSS Ethical & Legal Issues of MSS Implementation

Legality, Privacy & Ethics Some Issues Legal issues What is the value of an expert opinion in court when the expertise is encoded in a computer? Who is liable for wrong advice (or infor-mation) provided by an ES? What happens if a manager enters an incorrect judgment value into an MSS and the result is damage or a disaster?

Legality, Privacy & Ethics Some Issues Legal issues Who owns the knowledge in a knowledge base? Should royalties be paid to experts who provide knowledge to an ES or a know-ledge base? Can management force experts to contri-bute their expertise?

Legality, Privacy & Ethics Some Issues The right to be left alone and the right to be free from unreasonable personal intrusions Two rules followed fairly closely in court decisions The right of privacy is not absolute. Privacy must be balanced against the needs of society The public’s right to know is superior to the in-dividual’s right to privacy

Legality, Privacy & Ethics Some Issues Collecting information about individuals The Web and information collection Homeland security and individual privacy

Legality, Privacy & Ethics Some Issues Ethics in decision making and support Personal values constitute a major factor in the issue of ethical decision making Non-work related use of the Internet

Legality, Privacy & Ethics Some Issues Ethics in decision making and support Framework describing ethics processes and systems Who is the agent? What action was actually taken or is being con-templated? What are the consequences of the act? Is the result fair or just for all stakeholders?

Legality, Privacy & Ethics Some Issues

Integration, Impacts & The Future of MSS The Digital Divide

Digital Divide Definition Growing gap between those who have and those who do not have the ability to use the technology The gap exists both within and between countries as well as between large and small businesses

Digital Divide Closing the Gap One device that is helping to close the gap is the smart phone that enables Internet access without the need of having a PC

Integration, Impacts & The Future of MSS

Management Support Systems The Future MSS will play a larger role in strategic management due to BPM systems Increase in use of the Web for MSS development and applications BI is being combined with other Web-based enterprise systems CRM, ERP and KM

Management Support Systems The Future Intelligent systems have become major contributors in the fight against terrorism and fraud to productivity and improvements of quality of life Web-based advisory services will mush-room on the Internet

Management Support Systems The Future More complex MSS applications are expected more complex problems will be solved The trend toward making MSS more intelligent will persist

Management Support Systems The Future Advancements in mobile, wireless, and pervasive computing require the use of a greater and more diversified number of intelligent devices MSS will be available for dissemination via Application Service Providers (ASP)

Management Support Systems The Future Natural language-based search engines will populate the Internet, facilitating MSS construction by reducing costs The semantic Web will increase the use of MSS The use of voice technologies and natural language processing will further facilitate the usage of MSS

Management Support Systems The Future Frontline decision support technologies that mostly support CRM will become an integral part of IT in most medium-sized and large organizations MSS will continue to be integrated with ERP to provide better SCM, including manufacturing planning and control

Management Support Systems The Future Large numbers of experts will offer expertise on the Internet and will become an important part of knowledge dissemination More and more companies will initiate formal KM programs some will sell that knowledge to others

Management Support Systems The Future The usage of wireless technologies will allow employees to access MSS and knowledge bases anytime and from anywhere Intelligent agents will roam the Internet and intranets, assisting decision makers in the monitoring and interpretation of information

Management Support Systems The Future Groupware technologies for remote collaboration and communication will become easier to use, more powerful, and less expensive Decision support tools for e-commerce will expand to include more and better tools

Management Support Systems The Future ADS systems are spreading across and within industries, empowering and sometimes replacing employees Grid computing will be used for analysis of very large amounts of data

THE END thank you for listening