Simulation as a DSS modelling technique

Technological advances of the 1980s have changed the ways managers are using information to make decisions. Advances in management science and improvements in information technology are allowing decision makers to use techniques that were previously unavailable and/or limited to mainframes. This paper discusses the use of one such technique, simulation, to model the non-steady (transient) behavior exhibited by many business applications. The paper also develops a model-centered DSS that uses a simulation technique to model the task environment. This model-centered DSS is then used to develop a scheduling system for the credit department of a retail store.