Spreadsheet-based DSS Project Deliverables
Deliverable
1. Project analysis, specification and research summary report (25
points)
a. What is the purpose of the proposed
DSS? Clearly state and explain the purpose of the proposed model-driven DSS.
b. Who is the target user for the DSS? Who
is the targeted decision maker? A specific person? a generic "user"? Tell me as much as you can about
who you envision would use the proposed DSS and when and under what conditions.
c. Data gathering and summary of findings.
Did you interview a potential user? Did you identify relevant books, articles,
web resources? What did you learn? You must have a minimum of 5 references
(including interviews). Summarize how
you gathered data about the decision process and what you learned.
d.
What is the overall decision process? What are the tasks, steps, activities?
Please include a flow chart to help explain the process.
d. What are the
cost elements associated with the estimating task? Try to provide a summarized list.
Materials, Labor, Overhead.
e. What are the relevant pricing and
profit calculation issues? Markup %? Markdown %? How can the user manipulate profit?
f. What decision relevant analyses and
results will the decision maker want to examine? Especially think about “What
if” and sensitivity analyses.
Submit hardcopy of deliverable #1 (maximum
5 pages).
Deliverable
2. Model specification and project plan (25 points)
a. How will the cost elements be
transformed into a bid? Discuss the calculations, formulas, the
model (e.g., Foundation cost + Framing + … + Overhead + Markup). Discuss the
quantitative model you propose using in the DSS.
b. What user inputs and stored data are
needed to perform the analyses? What values will the user of the DSS
provide? What data is best stored in the
spreadsheet? Why?
c. What is your concept of the user
interface of the DSS? Do you envision using forms? Provide sketches. Show
fields, spinners, sliders, etc.
d. What tasks need to be completed to
build your spreadsheet-based DSS? Please be specific and discuss who will do
what tasks and how the development will be coordinated. What is your current
overall plan for the project? (provide a timeline,
tasks, etc.,)
Submit hardcopy of deliverable #2 (maximum
5 pages).
Deliverable
3. Completed Spreadsheet-based DSS (50 points)
Submit an appropriately labeled CD with
application and your documentation (#4). DSS will be evaluated based on criteria
like accuracy, use of Excel capabilities, appearance, and creativity. Show me
the Excel skills you have learned and show me that you can use them to build a
small-scale, model-driven DSS!
Criteria for evaluation of
Spreadsheet-based DSS projects (cf., Power, 2002, p. 174):
1.
Accuracy: Are the results and calculations
correct? I’ll try to manually calculate a solution and check for rounding
errors. This criterion is especially important!
2.
Flexibility: Is it easy for the user of
the DSS to change assumptions, parameters, and values? Is adequate sensitivity
and “What if?” analysis provided the user? Are profit sensitivity and “What if?”
analyses useful?
3.
Understandability: Is it easy to
understand the purpose of the model-driven DSS and how it is implemented in the
spreadsheet? Is the purpose clearly stated on a documentation sheet in the
spreadsheet application? Are comments and other tools for internal
documentation used where needed and appropriate?
4.
Auditability: Is
it easy to audit the application? Is the organization of the workbook easy to
understand? Can dependencies be traced in the application? Is protection
enabled? Is it clear how protection can be removed?
5.
Aesthetics: Are the spreadsheet screens
attractive and well designed? Does the application interface support the
targeted decision maker effectively? Are any printouts easy to read? Apply
Appendix II DSS User-Centered Design Checklist.
6.
Internal documentation: Are formulas and
related cells clearly defined and identified? Are screen shots included and
explained? Does the written documentation address the purpose of the DSS, the
design and development process, the model(s) and implementation of the model,
user information/training issues, suggestions for data that may need updating,
changing, etc. periodically? Is the written documentation useful for explaining
and maintaining the DSS? Is the
application internally well documented so changes could be made?
Deliverable
4. External documentation for the Spreadsheet-based DSS (25 points)
Both external documentation and
documentation within the application is needed. The external documentation must
include printouts from Excel showing how formulas are calculated. You must include
at least one screen shot. The documentation must be readable and useful to a
person who wants to understand the DSS and possibly modify it. Clearly explain
all of the great features in the DSS. Submit hardcopy and an electronic copy on
a CD.
Documentation is both discussion about the
application and explanation of how it works.
How much discussion and explanation you need depends on the software
application and the intended user(s).
You probably want the following sections
in the external documentation (approx. 5 pages of discussion and explanation
plus screenshots and printouts of formulas):
I. Introduction and purpose of the application
A.
Purpose
B.
Intended user(s)
C.
Discussion – need, benefits, limitations
II. How it works!
A.
The model(s), inputs and decision variables
B.
Include and explain screen shots
C.
User information/training issues
III. Design and development of the DSS
A.
What you did and what worked and what
didn’t work
B.
Discussion of interesting features in the
DSS – brag about your use of Excel capabilities, data validation, VLOOKUP, etc.
IV. Maintaining the Decision Support
System
A. Discussion
of data that may need updating, changing, etc.
B. Who
would maintain the system?
C. Possible
problems with maintaining the DSS
Documentation within the DSS should
include notes and a documentation page; you may want to have an online manual
or help capability.
PLEASE NOTE: If your team percentage score for deliverables 3 and 4 is higher
than the percentage of the sum of all 4 deliverables, then your team will
receive the higher overall percentage score. This is called Dan’s “feedback
reward”.
Last
updated by D. Power on