Decision Support Systems: Concepts and Resources for Managers by Daniel J. Power Editor, DSSResources.COM Book Code: Q497 ISBN: 156720497X Format: 272 pages, Hardcover, Figures, Tables Publisher: Quorum Books division Greenwood Publishing Publication Date: March 30, 2002 List Price: $88.95 Availability: In Stock

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In Stock at Greenwood.com. Also, in the U.S. you can call Greenwood Publishing at 1-800-225-5800. Examination copies are available to teaching professionals on a 60-day approval. Email Sheila.lucier@greenwood.com for details. Include book and course information. Print flyer and order form.

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Reader comments:

Ciara Heavin, Business Information Systems, University College Cork, reviewed the book in Journal of Decision Systems, volume 13, #3, 2004, 351-354. Heavin's extensive review notes "this book is a welcome publication tying many years of research together ‘under one roof’ in a comprehensive and readily digestible manner. ... This book offers non-IS specialists a succinct overview of DSS."

Alexander Verharen, Global Practice Manager, eBusiness Services at QAD Global Services (www.qad.com), writes "I ordered my personal copy immediately FURTHERMORE I have ordered another 8 for my colleagues!!!! I found I had an "Aha! Erlebnis" on almost every page! Keep up the good work!" (Sat, 18 May 2002).

Dr. Mark Isken, Assistant Professor of Decision and Information Sciences, Oakland University, writes in an email "I'm enjoying your book - nice contribution to the field. :)" (Tue, 09 Jul 2002).

Professor Ting-Peng Liang, Department of Information Management, National Sun Yat-Sen University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan, ROC, writes "I intend to use your book as a textbook for my DSS course at Chinese University of Hong Kong" (Tue, 09 Jul 2002).

Dr. Florin Filip, Vice-President of The Romanian Academy and Editor-in-Chief of Studies in Informatics and Control Journal, writes your book is "concise, highly informative, up-to-date, pleasant to read, usable and useful for managers and DSS analysts" (Wed, 21 Aug 2002).

Dr. Peter G. W. Keen (peterkeen.com) "a good handbook about decision support systems. It's not just another vision book."

From the Critics:

From Booknews Decision support systems are interactive computer-based systems that help people use computer communications, data, documents, knowledge, and models to solve problems and make decisions. For managers who want to know more about such systems, Power (Information systems and Management, U. of Northern Iowa) provides a technical guide that examines their design, development, and implementation, with a focus on helping readers make sense of a rapidly changing area of computing applications. Power supplies the framework needed for a general familiarity with current developments as well as an understanding of what's possible. Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)

Short Book Description:

This book covers an expanded framework for categorizing Decision Support Systems (DSS), a general managerial and technical perspective on building DSS, details and examples of the general types of DSS, and tools and issues associated with assessing proposals for DSS projects. A glossary and DSS readiness audit questions give special, ongoing value to all readers.

Expanded Book Description:

For MIS specialists and nonspecialists alike, teacher and consultant Dan Power provides a readable, comprehensive, understandable guide to the concepts and applications of decision support systems. Not only does his book help enhance your DSS design and development capabilities, it also shows how DSS can buttress organization goals and the impact DSS have throughout organizations and at all levels of management. Power defines DSS broadly: interactive computer-based systems and subsystems that help people use computer communications, data, documents, knowledge, and models to solve problems and make decisions. He focuses his book on practical applications, but also includes important and relevant empirical research and underlying theory. His book thus provides enough concrete detail to help grasp the essentials of DSS, but it also gives advanced tips and suggestions to DSS specialists too. For people trained in fields outside the information sciences, Power's book is especially valuable. It gives them the knowledge they need to work with their MIS colleagues and to truly appreciate the management value of information technology overall.

Power makes clear that decision support systems differ and that managers must specify what they want, based on their needs and the purposes to which the systems will be put. They should know how to build DSS and understand the basics of networking, security, and web-based DSS. Thus, of special interest is the structure that Power uses to organize his book. In Chapter 1 he presents an expanded framework for categorizing DSS. Chapters 2-5 provide a general managerial and technical perspective on building DSS. In Chapters 7 through 11 he lays out the details and gives examples of the general types of DSS. The last chapter, Evaluating Decision Support System Projects, reviews and discusses the tools and issues associated with assessing proposals for DSS projects. The book also includes a glossary and DSS readiness audit questions, giving it special, ongoing value to all readers.

About the Author:

DANIEL J. POWER is Professor of Information Systems and Management at the College of Business Administration, University of Northern Iowa, Cedar Falls. He holds a Ph. D. in Business Administration from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, has developed decision support software and systems, and has examined impacts of DSS on managers in his research. Power has authored many book chapters, proceedings papers and more than 20 articles for the important journals of his field. He also is Editor of DSSResources.COM, the knowledge repository about computerized systems that support decision making, and the bi-weekly DSS News e-Newsletter.

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