Abstract

This article focuses on the uses of decision support system in business planning and decisions with illustrating examples of various industries adopting this information system. It is supposed that computer technology and information systems performance have advanced business planning processes and organizational opportunities. The information system performance dimension is divided into four levels: basic data processing systems, integrated data processing systems, management information systems, and decision support systems. These systems could supposedly affect the management organizations, and hence, managers should be familiar with their capabilities, characteristics, design philosophy, elements, and structure. The nature of the systems performance in each of these areas forms the basis of a descriptive model for decision support systems which can help assess their value to decision makers. Decision support systems focus on the support of decision making rather than the system of information flows and reports. These systems consist of three major subsystems, a database, a model base, and the decision maker.