Decision-Making Systems

Abstract

Decision-making systems are computer-based systems that interpret processed information to make the best choice. They choose an action or value from possible activities, each conducting to different outcomes. Some outcomes are favored over others based on the criteria of the decision maker. This article presents the existing technology used in decision-making systems. The authors focus then on explaining how to make the optimal decision based on the available information and criteria. The authors conclude that decision techniques are chosen based on the type of application and the quality of available data. Some techniques are simple but not accurate such as the fishbone and five whys techniques. Other methods, such as decision trees, are more complex to build, but unlike a fishbone diagram, it assists humans in evaluating upcoming choices. It forces the examination of all available outcomes of a decision and traces a possible path to the best alternative.