SOM 485 Decision Support Systems Dr. Abe Feinberg Spring 2009
School Telephones: 818-677-2470 (Department), 818-677-2412 (Office)
email:
abe.feinberg@csun.edu
Web Page:
http://www.csun.edu/~hcmgt004
Office:
Juniper Hall 4127, FAX 818-677-6264
Office Hours:
Tues. 1800-1900, Tues.-Thurs. 1400-1500, and by Appointment
Required Text:
Decision Support Systems in the 21st Century, 2nd Edition, by George M.
Marakas, Prentice Hall, Upper Saddle River, NJ, 2003, ISBN 0-13-092206-4.
Prerequisite:
IS 211, or both SOM 306 and IS 302, plus Upper Division WPE
Course Contents: Survey of applications, scope and recent development of Decision Support
Systems (DSS) and related management support systems (Executive Information Systems & Expert
Systems). Conceptual framework, design process, and managing the initiation, evolution and
implementation of management support systems. User involvement, evaluation, and organizational
integration. Study of recent developments in model-based DSS applications with knowledge base
enhancement. A decision-oriented DSS with knowledge base enhancement addressing a real-world
application is required as a group project.
Course Conduct: Most classes, chapters in the texts and additional papers will be assigned and a
short lecture followed by class discussion will take place based on these readings. Each class, an
assignment will be given. These assignments will include; readings, short papers, and portions of
projects.
Required:
Regular participation in class discussion. A group presentation.
An examination. Participation in a successful team project.
Grading:
Participation in Class Discussion:
20%
Group Presentation:
20%
(Lead a tutorial, present a chapter,
or lead a discussion of DSS application papers)
One examination:
30%
Team Project:
30%
Please note that plus and minus letter grades will be used.
SOM 485 DECISION SUPPORT SYSTEMS
CLASS AND READING SCHEDULE (as of 2/3/09)
DATES
1/20-22
TOPIC
Organization of Course & Introduction
To Decision Support Systems
TEXT CHAPTERS LEADER
1
Prof.
2,3
Prof.
Class
1/27-29
The Decision Maker and the Decision Process
Team Formation
2/3-5
Modeling Decision Processes
Review of Operations Models I
4
Prof.
Prof.
2/10-12
Group Decision Support and Groupware
Review of Operations Models II
5
Prof.
Prof.
2/17-19
Knowledge Management
2/24-26
Knowledge Engineering
Machines that Learn
8
9
Team 2
Team 4
3/3-5
Data Warehouse
Data Mining and Data Visualization
10
11
Team 5
Team 3
3/10-12
Expert Systems and AI
Systems Perspective of a DSS
7
13
Prof.
Prof.
3/17
3/19
Designing and Building the Data Warehouse
Project Plan Due and Reviewed
12
Team 1
Teams
3/24
Designing and Building DSS’s
14
Prof.
Web article
Prof.
4/2
Implementing and Integrating DSS’S
15
Prof.
4/14
Creative Decision Making and Problem Solving 16
Intelligent Software Agents, Bots, etc.
17
Take Home Exam to be turned in
Prof.
Prof.
Return Exams and Discuss DSS Design
Decision Support in the 21st Century
Prof.
Prof.
4/16
4/21
4/23
4/28
4/30
5/5
5/7
5/14
Prepare Project Presentations and Demonstrations
Prepare Project Presentations and Demonstrations
Project Presentations
Project Presentations
Project Presentations
Project Presentations 1245-1445
Project Written Reports Due by 1445
18
Class
Class
Class
General Information for Students in Classes Taught at CSUN by Dr. Abe Feinberg
1. Late arrivals are disturbing to the class. If you are late, please enter quietly and take a seat
without passing between the instructor and the class. If you are repeatedly late, you will be asked to
arrive on time or to not attend. Early departures are similarly disturbing to the class. If you must
leave early, notify the instructor, sit near the door and leave quietly. If you repeatedly leave early,
you will be asked to stay for the entire class or to not attend. If you leave early, you may not
return that day.
2. WITHDRAWALS without the instructor's permission are permitted up to the end of the third
week of class. Thereafter, withdrawals are permitted only for serious and compelling reasons with
written documentation required. See the CSUN Schedule of Classes for additional information.
3. INCOMPLETE GRADES are given extremely rarely and then only to students who: (1) are
doing passing work; (2) have completed all but a minor part of the course; (3) have a serious and
compelling reason for missing the minor part of the course with written documentation of that
reason and (4) provide a timely, written request on the proper form. I have not given an Incomplete
at CSUN since 1972.
4. In seminar classes such as SOM 485, no more than 20% of the class meetings may be missed if
credit is desired for the course. For example, if 30 classes are scheduled, no more than 6 may be
missed. Partially attended classes are counted accordingly, e.g., if you miss half of a class, it counts
as a half-class missed.
5. The use of tape recorders in class is expressly prohibited without the permission of the
instructor. Such permission will be granted only for a demonstrated need, e.g., a handicapped
student who cannot write easily. Students with handicaps who require special arrangements should
present documentation from the Office of Disabled Students early in the course so that appropriate
arrangements can be made.
6. Late papers are not accepted. Papers are due during the class period for the section in which you
are enrolled.
7. All papers must be word processed double-spaced. Handwritten papers will be neither read nor
graded. Minimum font size is 10 points. 12 point is even better.
8. Conduct detrimental to an academic atmosphere in the classroom is not acceptable. Examples
include: eating, continuing side conversations, cellular telephones, beeping watches, telephone
pagers, walking in and out of class, and reading non-course material or doing homework for another
class. If you are involved in one of these activities, you will be asked to leave the class for the day.
9.
No food or beverage is allowed in an interactive computer classroom such as BB 2228.
10. See the College of Business and Economics “Core Values” Statement located at:
http://busecon.csun.edu/dean/values.html
SOM 485 Decision Support Systems TEAM PROJECT
Objective: To provide students with an opportunity to apply the principles and knowledge gained
in class and at work, to design an application-specific DSS in an appropriate area, to enhance
learning through experience, and to benefit from discussions and interactions with other class
members.
Grouping: Three or four students per group.
Application Areas: Representative industries to be selected by the project group with the
instructor's approval.
General Requirements:
1. A complete decision-oriented DSS design with flow charts, computer programs, data
files, models, interfaces, etc.
2. A word-processed report describing the functions of the DSS with illustrative examples,
evaluations and supplementary material (e.g., an implementation plan).
Design Tools:
1. CSUN computers-- PC's or others
2. Computer Languages --Your choice
3. Software--Spreadsheet, Database, Visual Basic, etc.
Project Stages:
1. Initial grouping and topic selection—Feb. 24
2. Project Plan
--March 19
A word-processed proposal covering:
a) decision making process of the selected industry
(functional areas, critical success factors,
types of decisions, decision levels, decision makers)
b) applicable models
c) sources of information
d) data requirements
e) proposed coverage and emphasis of DSS design
f) division of labor among the group members
3. Progress Report (Oral)
--April 23
4. Class Presentations
--April 30, May 5,7 and 14
5. Final Report
--May 14
Along with the Final Report, each team member shall submit an evaluation of their
own and other team members’ contributions to the project.
CRITERIA FOR EVALUATION OF GROUP TOPIC PRESENTATION
Date
Student
Group
Topic
Presentation criteria
Clarity
Energy
Depth
Breadth
Creativity (beyond the book)
Question Handling
Teamwork
Overall