Modelling and Decision Support using Web Technologies

Shim et al (2002) explain the importance of the web for all types of decision support activity "At the beginning of the 21st century, the Web is the center of activity in developing DSS." Shim et al explain how decision support systems can be provided at low cost and for geographically dispersed companies, customers and suppliers. They cite Power (2006b) when stating "Web-based DSS have reduced technological barriers and made it easier and less costly to make decision-relevant information and model-driven DSS available to managers and staff users in geographically distributed locations." This was the reasoning behind the DATUM (Design Analysis Tool for Unit-cost Modelling) project research (Scanlan et al, 2006). An open standards web driven method of collaboration is required to make it possible for organisations and individuals to become more deeply involved in projects that are well coordinated using web technologies. Shim et al explain how the use of web technologies to standardise user interface design across different models can dramatically improve the ease of use of decision support software. This standardisation can also ease problems of installation and maintenance.

(Morris et al, 2001) examine Interactivity and collaboration on the web. Aziz et al (2005) examine how open standards software can assist in an organisation's collaborative product development. This approach is outlined in (Ciancarini et al, 2001) that explains ways of designing a document-centric coordination application over the Internet. (Ciancarini et al. 2001) explain that web documents can be generated on the fly. This can allow the user interface to respond dynamically to choices. Program code can be attached to the documents themselves, and code can activate certain behaviour based on the XML (eXtensible Markup Language) content of the document. Code can also be created separately and called on as a service when a document needs it. (Nidamarthi et al (2001) explain how web based collaboration can aid the design process. (Huang and Mak, 2001) evaluate issues in the development and implementation of web applications for product design and manufacture. Reed et al (2000) show how web based modelling and simulation can be used in the aircraft design process. Kim et al (2002) explain their approach to modelling and simulation. Zhang et al (2004) review Internet-based product information sharing and visualisation. Li (2005) examines the role of web based services for distributed process planning optimization.

The intention is to further the research of others into the approach of web based collaboration, and use semantic web software and techniques to achieve this. The above research reinforced my view that this is a robust approach. Modelling collaborations based on these techniques would bring together experts in engineering, systems modelling, computing, and Human Computer Interaction.

More detail on this research can be found at - http://www.cems.uwe.ac.uk/amrc/seeds/ModellingSemanticWeb.htm

References

Shim, J.P., Warkentin, M., Courtney, J. F., Power, D J., 2002, Past, present, and future of decision support technology. Decision Support Systems 33 pp 111-126.

Power, D. J., 2006. Free Decision Support Systems Glossary - http://www.DSSResources.COM/glossary/.

Scanlan, J., Rao, A., Bru, C., Hale, P., Marsh, R., 2006. DATUM Project: Cost Estimating Environment for Support of Aerospace Design Decision Making. Journal of Aircraft, 43(4).

Morris, S., Neilson, I., Charlton, C., Little, J., 2001. Interactivity and collaboration on the WWW - is the 'WWW shell' sufficient?. Interacting with Computers, 13, pp 717-730.

Aziz, H., Gao, J., Maropoulos, P., Cheung, W. M., 2005. Open standard, open source and peer-to-peer tools and methods for collaborative product development. Computers in Industry, 56, pp 260-271.

Ciancarini, P., Rossi, D., Vitali, F. 2001. Designing a document-centric coordination application over the Internet. Interacting with Computers, 13, pp 677-693.

Nidamarthi, S., Allen, R. H., Ram, D. S., 2001. Observations from supplementing the traditional design process via Internet-based collaboration tools. Computer Integrated Manufacturing, 14(1), pp 95-107.

Huang, G. Q., Mak, K. L., 2001. Issues in the development and implementation of web applications for product design and manufacture. Computer Integrated Manufacturing, Vol 14(1), pp 125-135.

Reed, J. A., Follen, G. J., Afjeh, A. A., 2000. Improving the Aircraft Design Process Using Web-Based Modeling and Simulation. ACM Transactions on Modeling and Computer Simulation, 10(1), pp 58-83.

Kim, T., Lee, T., Fishwick, P., 2002. A Two Stage Modeling and Simulation Process for Web-Based Modeling and Simulation. ACM Transactions on Modeling and Computer Simulation, 12(3), 230-248.

Zhang, S., Weimen, S., Hamada, G., 2004. A review of Internet-based product information sharing and visualization. Computers in Industry, 54, pp 1-15.

Li, W. D., 2005. A Web-based service for distributed process planning optimization. Computers in Industry, 56, pp 272-288.

My Home Page is http://www.cems.uwe.ac.uk/~phale

I have a page for this subject at http://www.cems.uwe.ac.uk/amrc/seeds/ModellingSemanticWeb.htm

am a member of the Institute for End User Computing (IEUC) - http://www.ieuc.org/home.html