Decision Support Systems Collaborative Computer- Supported Technologies and Group Support Systems

Modified from Decision Support Systems and Business Intelligence Systems 9E. 1-2 Learning Objectives Understand the basic concepts and processes of groupwork, communication and collaboration Know the concepts and importance of the time/place framework Know the process gains and losses and how GSS increases/decreases each of them Describe indirect support for decision making, especially in synchronous environments Understand the concept of GDSS and describe how to structure an electronic meeting in a decision room Understand how the Web enables collaborative computing and group support of virtual meetings

Modified from Decision Support Systems and Business Intelligence Systems 9E. 1-3 Collaboration What is it? “… making joint effort toward achieving an agreed upon goal.” Meeting is a common form of collaboration Why collaborate?

Modified from Decision Support Systems and Business Intelligence Systems 9E. 1-4 Why Collaborate? Review Share Work Share the Vision Socialize Build Consensus Solve Problems Make Decisions Synergy Share Information Build Trust

Modified from Decision Support Systems and Business Intelligence Systems 9E. 1-5 Collaboration is Difficult Waiting to speak Domination Fear of Speaking Misunderstanding Inattention Lack of Focus Inadequate Criteria Premature Decisions Missing Information Distractions Wrong People Groupthink Poor Grasp of Problem Ignored Alternatives Lack of Consensus Poor Planning Hidden Agendas Conflict Inadequate Resources Poorly Defined Goals Ineffective Collaboration

Modified from Decision Support Systems and Business Intelligence Systems 9E. 1-6 Collaboration is Expensive  15 Million formal Sessions / day  ? Million Informal Sessions / day  4 Billion Sessions / year  30-80% Manager’s time Fortune 500 Companies 3M Corporation Study

Modified from Decision Support Systems and Business Intelligence Systems 9E. 1-7 Collaboration : Expensive and Essential 30-80% Manager’s time No one has all the … Experience Knowledge Resources Insight, and Inspiration …to do the job alone Bottom line: Collaboration is difficult, expensive, and yet essential for today’s organizations

Modified from Decision Support Systems and Business Intelligence Systems 9E. 1-8 How Do People Collaborate? Level 1 Collected Work : Uncoordinated Individual Efforts Level 2 Coordinated Work: Coordinated Individual Efforts Level 3 Concerted Work: Concerted Team Effort Sprinte rs Relay 3 Levels of Collaboration Capability Crew High Low Degree of Collaborative Effort

Modified from Decision Support Systems and Business Intelligence Systems 9E. 1-9  Joint activity  Equal or near equal status  Outcome depends on participant’s knowledge, etc.  Outcome depends on group composition  Outcome depends on decision-making process  Disagreement settled by rank or negotiation Meetings (a form of collaboration)

Modified from Decision Support Systems and Business Intelligence Systems 9E  Dozens of people attends  Everyone … talks at once talks at once hears everything hears everything understands understands remembers remembers  The impossible dream? The Ideal Meeting

Modified from Decision Support Systems and Business Intelligence Systems 9E Traditional Meetings Only ONE person can speak at a time

Modified from Decision Support Systems and Business Intelligence Systems 9E GSS Meetings By using the computer everyone can SPEAK and be understood simultaneously

Modified from Decision Support Systems and Business Intelligence Systems 9E Communication Support Vital Needed for collaboration Modern information technologies provide inexpensive, fast, capable, reliable means of supporting communication Internet / Web

Modified from Decision Support Systems and Business Intelligence Systems 9E  Evolution of Communication  Word of mouth  Delivery persons  Horseback  Snailmail  Telegraph  Telephone  Radio  Television  Videoconferencing  Internet / Web… Supporting Communication

Modified from Decision Support Systems and Business Intelligence Systems 9E A Time/Place Communication Framework

Modified from Decision Support Systems and Business Intelligence Systems 9E  Goal: to support groupwork  Increase benefits / decrease losses of collaboration  Based on traditional methods  Nominal Group Technique “Individuals work alone to generate ideas which are pooled under guidance of a trained facilitator”  Delphi Method “A structured process for collecting and distilling knowledge from a group of experts by means of questionnaires”  Electronic Meeting System (EMS) Group Support Systems

Modified from Decision Support Systems and Business Intelligence Systems 9E Process Gains:  Parallelism( simultaneous contributions )  Larger groups can participate  Anonymity( promotes equal participation )  Focus on content not personalities  Triggering ( stimulates thinking )  Synergy ( integrates ideas )  Structure ( facilitates problem solving )  Record keeping ( promotes organizational memory ) Process Loses: - Free-riding - Flaming GSS – Important Features

Modified from Decision Support Systems and Business Intelligence Systems 9E Benefits of Anonymity Ideas considered on merit not source Overcome fear of speaking up More ideas leads to more quality ideas Defuses tough political discussions

Modified from Decision Support Systems and Business Intelligence Systems 9E  Decision room  Multiple use facility  Web-based GSS Enabling Technologies

Modified from Decision Support Systems and Business Intelligence Systems 9E  12 to 30 networked personal computers  Usually recessed into the desktop  Server PC  Large-screen projection system  Breakout rooms  Need a Trained Facilitator for Success The Decision (Electronic Meeting) Room

Modified from Decision Support Systems and Business Intelligence Systems 9E IBM Corp. Cool Decision Rooms

Modified from Decision Support Systems and Business Intelligence Systems 9E US Air Force Cooler Decision Rooms

Modified from Decision Support Systems and Business Intelligence Systems 9E On-Demand Decision Rooms

Modified from Decision Support Systems and Business Intelligence Systems 9E  High Cost  Need for a Trained Facilitator  Requires Specific Software Support for Different Cooperative Tasks  Infrequent Use  Different Place / Different Time Needs  May Need More Than One Few Organizations Use Decision Rooms

Modified from Decision Support Systems and Business Intelligence Systems 9E  Multiple Use Facility  Cheaper  Still need a facilitator  Web-based  Cheaper: no extra hardware needed  Still need facilitator Other Technologies

Modified from Decision Support Systems and Business Intelligence Systems 9E  From GroupSystems.com  Enabling leaders to realize extraordinary results from their teams  Collaboration-as-a-Service solutions  Leading software ThinkTank ThinkTank  Tool: ThinkTankThinkTank GroupSystems, Inc.

Modified from Decision Support Systems and Business Intelligence Systems 9E ThinkTank: Supported Activities  Supported tools and activities:  Agenda and Other Planning Activities  Electronic Brainstorming  Group Outliner  Topic Commenter  Categorizer  Vote  Others…

Modified from Decision Support Systems and Business Intelligence Systems 9E GSS Meeting Process Iterate until the solution is reached…

Modified from Decision Support Systems and Business Intelligence Systems 9E Visit a GSS Meeting

Modified from Decision Support Systems and Business Intelligence Systems 9E  Why Successful?  Parallelism  Anonymity  Synergy  Structure  Record keeping  Needs…  Organizational commitment  Executive sponsor  Dedicated well-trained facilitator  Good planning Last Words about GSS?

Modified from Decision Support Systems and Business Intelligence Systems 9E Collaborative Networks Integrated supply-chain Collaborative planning, forecasting, and replenishment (CPFR) Collaborative design and product development Vendor Managed Inventories Wal-Mart, … Collective Intelligence Animal Intelligence (swarm intelligence)

Modified from Decision Support Systems and Business Intelligence Systems 9E Collaborative Planning, Forecasting, and Replenishment (CPFR) An industry-wide project in which suppliers and retailers collaborate in planning and demand forecasting in order to ensure that members of the supply chain will have the right amount of raw materials and finished goods when they need them

Modified from Decision Support Systems and Business Intelligence Systems 9E Collective Intelligence A shared intelligence that emerges from the intentional cooperation, collaboration, and/or coordination of many individuals. Examples: Wikipedia, video games, online advertising, learner-generated context, … In order for CI to happen: Openness Peering Sharing Acting globally For more info see Center for Collective Intelligence at MIT (cci.mit.edu)

Modified from Decision Support Systems and Business Intelligence Systems 9E A Taxonomy of Collective Intelligence

Modified from Decision Support Systems and Business Intelligence Systems 9E Creativity Definition: Creativity is a characteristic of a person that leads to production of acts, items and/or instances of novelty Creativity is the product of a genius vs. an idea generation environment Creative people tend to have creative lives CREATIVITY  INNOVATION Idea Generation via Electronic Brainstorming

Modified from Decision Support Systems and Business Intelligence Systems 9E Creativity… What variables affects creativity  Cognitive variables: intelligence, knowledge, skills, etc.  Environmental variables: cultural and socioeconomic factors, working conditions, etc.  Personality variables: motivation, confidence, sense of freedom, etc. Creativity is fostered by Freedom Permission-to-fail Allow and Enable rather than Structure and Control

Modified from Decision Support Systems and Business Intelligence Systems 9E End of the Chapter Questions / comments…