Students will gain knowledge of:

C1. The nature of management and decision-making in general

C2. The scope and application of information systems applied to decision support

C3. Modelling techniques commonly used in decision support

Students will gain an understanding of:

C4. The process of decision support system development

C5. The role and use of some modelling techniques, tools and information technologies appropriate for decision support

C6. How information systems can affect the work of management

Development of attitudes that allow them to:

A1. To work closely with managers

A2. Foster and create realistic expectations of the role of information systems in management and decision support

Development of skills in:

P1. Understanding managerial problem-solving activity

P2. Modelling using influence diagrams

P3. Developing simple spreadsheet-based decision support systems

N/A

This unit is intended to provide students with a detailed introduction to the development and use of information systems in supporting management and decision-making. Students will learn of the nature of management work and how this affects the development of systems intended to support management decision-making. A number of commonly used decision support modelling techniques will be explored. Topics covered include:

• Managers and Management
• Overview of Decision Making: Normative and Descriptive Views of Decision Making
• Judgement Heuristics and Cognitive Biases I
• DSS Development Methods
• Personal Decision Support Systems
• Influence Diagrams
• Case Studies
• The Role of Modelling in Decision Support
• Systems Dynamics
• Data warehousing and Business Intelligence

In addition to the texts listed below extensive reading will be made available to students using the library's digital scanning service.

Mallach, E.G. (2000). Decision Support and Data Warehouse Systems. McGraw-Hill/Irwin. ISBN: 0072899816

Maracas, G.M. (1998). Decision Support Systems in the 21st. Century Prentice Hall. ISBN: 013744186X

Sauter, V. (1997). Decision Support Systems - An Applied Managerial Approach. John Wiley and Sons Ltd. ISBN: 0471173355

Teaching strategies will include:

• Lectures
• Laboratory-based tutorials
• Assignment work
• Reading exercises
• Guest lectures (given by practitioners)

The major teaching method to be used in the unit will be lectures (these will address all of the objectives of the units listed above). The lectures will be supported by reading exercises (C1-C2, C6, P3, A1-A2), practical work (C3, C5, P1-P2) and a WWW based discussion facility. Use of guest presentations from leading industry practitioners will also be used to supplement the lectures (C4-C5, A1-A2).

• Examination (50%)
• Assignment work (50%)

Pass Requirements:

In order to pass a unit, a student must gain all of the following:

• at least 40% of the marks of the examination component: i.e. the final examination and any tests performed under exam conditions, taken as a whole
• at least 40% of the marks of the assignment component: i.e. the assignment and any other assessment tasks (such as presentations) taken as a whole
• at least 50% of the total marks for the unit

Where a student gains less than 40% for either the examination or assignment component, the final result for the unit will be no greater than '44-N'.

Two types of assignment will be used. The first will involved the writing of a research paper investigating the nature of management work and management information requirements (C2, P1-P3, A1-A2). The second assignment will involved the development of a small-model based decision support system (C3-C5) and 8.

The examination will address all of the objectives of the unit but will have a special focus on C1, C4, C6 and A2.

12 hours of study per week, for 13 weeks, comprising:

• 2 hour lecture per week for 13 weeks
• 1 hour lab per week for 13 weeks
• 4 hours per week reading and private study
• 2 hours per week working on computer based practical work
• 3 hours per week working on assignments

Hi-tech lecture theatre for 2 hours per week for 13 weeks

Nil

Standard Monash networked lab for 1 hour per week for 12 weeks per 20 students

1 EFT lecturer for 2 hours per week for 13 weeks. Plus teaching assistance for hours proportional to enrolment.

• Software Title:
• Vendor:
• Version:
• OS: MS Windows XP ( ) and/or LINUX ( )
• License Details: (A valid software license certificate/s or Vendor permission must be available upon request if the software is to be installed for teaching)
• Are we currently licensed: Yes ( ) or No ( ) (If unsure, please check with your local IT support )
• If (Yes), who is the contact person for this software?:
• If (No), will the software license be arranged by: Staff member requesting the software ( ) or Technical Services* ( ) ? *If the latter is selected, please discuss your requirement/s with myself ASAP, prior to finalising your request, as there could be financial or resourcing implications.
• Is the software to be installed and accessed from a: Client/Workstation ( ), or Server ( ) ?
• Type of license: Site License ( ), Freeware ( ), FOSS (Free and Open Source Software) ( ), Shareware ( ), Lab based ( ) # of Licenses needed ____
• In what week will you commence using the software in class? Semester 1 (Week ___ ) and/or Semester 2 (Week ___ ):
• Nominated Staff For Acceptance Testing Software: (Name) (Phone) (Email)
• Additional Information: Special Requirements, Software Configuration/Installation Requirements, etc:

Existing unit. Updated LIS submitted.

SIMS - 100%

N/A for postgraduate units

Nil

Nil

Nil

CSE1205, IMS1002, SYS1002, SYS2168, IMS2805 or equivalent