Decision Support Systems

Introduction
As you are aware for the last 15 weeks I have been taking a class in Information Systems Management with a focus on Decision Support Systems (DSS). Per your request I am preparing this paper to help explain what it is that I have learned. I will begin with the basics as to what is a DSS, how does it work and what are the business and user benefits. Next I will discuss a particular type of DSS the Executive Information System (EIS) and explain how it differs from a traditional DSS and what function it serves within an organization. This will lead into a discussion of some of the software tools that are available to support DSS/EIS with existing IT infrastructure. Once I have explained the benefits of DSS/EIS I will walk through the success factors for implementing this type of a system, such as what needs to be done up front and address who needs to be involved. In closing I will discuss the purpose for developing or adopting such a system and how it can lead to a co...