Page Title

National Agricultural Innovation Project

Component –1

(Information, Communication and Dissemination System)

Decision Support System:

Decision Support System (DSS) is a class of information systems which provides a framework for integrating database management system, analytical model, and graphical user interface in order to resolve ill-structured problem for improving decision-making process.

According to Turban (1995) Decision Support Systems (DSS) are "interactive software-based systems that help decision makers utilize data and models to solve ill-structured problems"

A properly designed DSS is intended to help decision makers to compile useful information from a combination of data, documents, personal knowledge, or models to identify and solve problems and make logical decisions.

The components of DSS are user interface, database and models (Fig. 1).

An ideal DSS which perform selected cognitive decision-making functions and are based on artificial intelligence or intelligent agent’s technologies are called Intelligent Decision Support Systems (IDSS).

Spatial Decision Support System:

A SDSS is aimed at helping the decision makers in solving complex problems and therefore assists a decision maker by providing problem solving environment rather than presenting a solution at one go. In a restricted sense, SDSS is a computerized mechanism which aids decision makers and planners to capture, store, process, display, organize, prioritize and visualize the decisions with spatial and temporal dimensions.

An ideal SDSS facilitates answers to What-If questions based on pre-defined objectives and a set of decision rules. It is prescriptive rather than just a descriptive query system

The components of SDSS are user interface, database, GIS and models (Fig. 2).