A software architecture for strategic-management support-systems is developed, with an underlying principle that new additions to the library of planning tools in such support systems should not have to be new programming efforts. The current status of group decision support is surveyed and the lack of a software architecture for such systems is noted. The software architecture that has been developed is intended to guide the development of such support systems and is based on a library of procedural abstractions called elemental-engines. Selected sets of elemental-engines are assembled into synthesized support drivers which support an even higher level of abstraction, that of the generic logic supporting a family of planning tools. Thus, a family of planning tools may be expanded by the simple creation of text files, containing the dialog of the new tool. The work looks first at the nature of strategic management decision-making, then to work done in group decision support systems. A framework for software development, particularly in the area of list-processing is presented. A data structure to support such list processing is developed and discussed. An example of the software architecture is presented via the code for the initial planning-tool developed. This code was then generalized into the library of elemental-engines and a set of synthesized support drivers. This library of planning-tools, built around the architecture is described, and the use of the tools in a planning session is evaluated. Some possible extensions with respect to a decision laboratory are suggested. The laboratory incorporates features developed in the evolution of using computers to support human decision-making, with software written according to the architecture presented.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:arizona.edu/oai:arizona.openrepository.com:10150/183818 |
| Date | January 1986 |
| Creators | FISHER, GARY LEE. |
| Contributors | Nunamaker, Jay F., Mason, Richard, Konsynski, Benn |
| Publisher | The University of Arizona. |
| Source Sets | University of Arizona |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | text, Dissertation-Reproduction (electronic) |
| Rights | Copyright © is held by the author. Digital access to this material is made possible by the University Libraries, University of Arizona. Further transmission, reproduction or presentation (such as public display or performance) of protected items is prohibited except with permission of the author. |
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