Decision Support Systems for Business Intelligence, Second Edition

Chapter 8. OBJECT-ORIENTED TECHNOLOGIES AND DSS DESIGN

A popular adage says that software is not written, it is rewritten. In other words, software is not static but rather is updated, modified, or corrected over time. While the saying refers to standard transaction applications, it is even more applicable to the design of DSS. Decision support system applications need to change over time because decision makers change their information needs over time. Similarly, the process of evolutionary design of DSS, which recommends building a DSS in stages so that it better fits the needs of decision makers, requires systems to change over time. Hence, it is apparent that whatever product^[27] is chosen for the building of a DSS, it must be one that adapts well to change in the databases accessed, the models used and integrated, the way in which mail is used in decision making, and even the user interface. In order to meet decision-making needs, especially in a competitive and dynamic environment, such changes need to be implemented quickly with a minimum of flaws. The question is what kind of tool will best meet those changing needs.

Many demonstrations suggest that object-oriented programming (OOP) tools provide the best groundwork for systems that will need to be changed over time. The evidence suggests, in particular, that it is easier to make needed changes, to prevent unwanted changes, and to program more quickly with OOP tools than with other forms of systems development. While there ...