User capabilities as a variable in model-based DSS design: A case study

The defining concept that a Decision Support System be designed to support the decision making of the user was called into question when a computationally intractable model formulation led to a design in which the user was required to support the solution process. A decision-maker (DM) brings more to the DSS than curiosity about the solution space, good judgmental abilities, and some vision of what comprises a satisfactory solution. He or she also brings in relatively unlimited memory capacity, a history of relevant problem solving experiences and parallel processing capabilities. Is substituting the DM's capabilities for computer capabilities an acceptable practice in a DSS? Perhaps some method for evaluating the costs and benefits of alternative roles for the DM is needed. This paper presents a case study that traces the redefinition of the DM's role from supportee to supporter in a large-scale model-based DSS.