A methodology for designing form-based decision support systems

Form-based decision support systems (FBDSS) are special types of information systems that use forms to present information for decision-making. Paper forms that are often used for collecting and disseminating information in offices are natural bases for eliciting user information requirements. They are particularly useful for user-oriented systems, such as executive information systems and DSS. The paper presents a methodology that uses factoring and synthesis to process knowledge involved in forms for designing FBDSS. The resulting system allows flexible creation and modification of computer-generated forms useful for decision-making. A prototype system illustrating the method is described.