11 - Group Decision Support Systems and Executive Support Systems

Group Decision Support System

It is a type of decision support system that helps organization managers and executives reach a consensus during events that require their collective opinions and proposals

Group Problem Mitigation

Reduces pressures of conformity that may result in “groupthink”

Maximization of Group Effectiveness and Efficiency

Allows group to better understand problems and eliminate errors.

Support of Multiple Collaboration Processes

Provides access to rules that will aid in arriving to decisions.

Pre-Planning

This element addresses the agendas of a decision-making meeting

Collaboration Facilitation

This element ensures that ideas and communications are free-flowing, without interruptions or hindrances

Evaluation Objectivity

This element provides equal opportunity for collaborators by eliminating “office politics”: the practice of dismissing ideas based on the person who presented them

Documentation

This element takes care of logging information from the collaboration, such as meeting minutes and resulting decisions made by the group

Digitized Input is Required

Unlike traditional meetings, where ideas, comments and criticisms can be conveyed by oral discussion, a GDSS may require different types of digitized input, such as typed input, graphic presentations, or digital spreadsheets

Moderation is Limited

A GDSS’s capabilities become liabilities when multiple discussions about a decision take place

Maintenance Costs may be High

Despite the system reducing costs, the cost of maintaining a high-end facility that can utilize the GDSS for group collaboration may erase such benefits

The GDSS may Require a Facilitator

Some GDSS may be complicated, which means a facilitator who can lead collaborations, help users and control the system within the network may be needed

Hardware

The hardware characteristic handles broader technologies now: itincludes not just computers and other equipment, but also the conference facilities, audiovisual equipment, and networking equipment that will connect each collaborator to the group

Persware/Peopleware

This characteristic now involves not just the actual collaborators, but also the facilitators of the group collaboration, such as meeting planners and hardware operator staff

Software

This characteristic, in turn, not just involves the use of specialized tools and traditional programs,such as operating systems

Questionnaire Tools

This allows questioning, data-gathering and investigation for planning and collaboration

Electronic Brainstorming

This tool facilitates creations of proposals, ideas, and solutions that will help in making decisions

Stakeholder Identification

This tool determines the impact of the group’s decision

Group Dictionaries

This allows the system to reduce a particular problem or concern into distinct interpretations

Executive Support System

is a type ofsupport system tailored specifically for executive use

Information Filtering

This allows an executive or senior manager to narrow down the details surrounding a decision without the irrelevant data

Data Linking

An ESS is able to link data from various sources, both internal and external, in order to provide the amount and kind of information that executives find useful

Executive Role Support

An ESS can support the three (3) basic roles of an executive: interpersonal roles (leader, liaison, etc.), informational roles (spokesperson, monitor, announcer, etc.), and decisional roles (negotiator, entrepreneur, etc.).

Simplicity

An ESS is considered an oversimplified information system due to the fact that it does not need in-depth computer experience to use

Information Processing

An ESS can facilitate the timely delivery of data through better filtering, tracking and processing in the shortest amount of time, which in turn produces relevant information for a senior manager for quick, efficient decision-making

Flexibility

An ESS can be advantageous to organizations that have fewer layers of management, as it can be integrated into other information systems and subsystems through emerging new technologies

Computer Skill Requirement

Usage of an ESS assumes that executives and senior managers know how to operate computers

Long Processing Time

Depending on the volume of information, analysis and processing of data to get the desired information may take a considerable amount of time

Limitations on Summarized Information

Information derived from specific data may be insufficient for executives to base a decision on, requiring them to derive data from other systems (such as DSS) to get specific data

Difficulty in Quantifying Benefits

Since a decision processed by an ESS is based on summarized information, it may be hard for an executive to justify the said decision if specific details regarding the decision are queried

Difficulty in Maintaining Database Integrity

Since an ESS derives on large volumes of data, some of them external, the data inside the database may not produce accurate or correct results, which may further complicate the processing of information