A DECISION SUPPORT SYSTEM FOR DYNAMIC TRUCK DISPATCHING

The feasibility of developing and implementing a real-time Decision Support System (DSS) on a microcomputer to assist line managers in making decisions, which have many subjective and intangible constraints, is demonstrated. A dynamic truck dispatching system was chosen as a prototype example. The results of the research presented here are twofold. First, insight was gained in how tasks should be divided between the computer and the human operator and in the required colorgraphics interface between them in complex decision making processes. Second, a prototype DSS for a real-time vehicle dispatching system was developed on a microcomputer based upon these insights. The DSS was designed to accommodate all the characteristics of a large corporation's national dispatch system using contract carriers.