Decision-making software

Decision-making software (DM software) is software for computer applications that help individuals and organisations make choices and take decisions, typically by ranking, prioritizing or choosing from a number of options.

An early example of DM software was described in 1973.[1][2] Before the advent of the World Wide Web, most DM software was spreadsheet-based,[2] with the first web-based DM software appearing in the mid-1990s.[3] Nowadays, many DM software products (mostly web-based) are available[4][5][6][7] – e.g. see the comparison table below.

Most DM software focuses on ranking, prioritizing or choosing from among alternatives characterized on multiple criteria or attributes.[4] Thus most DM software is based on decision analysis, usually multi-criteria decision-making, and so is often referred to as "decision analysis"[5][6] or "multi-criteria decision-making"[4] software – commonly shortened to "decision-making software". Some decision support systems include a DM software component.

  1. ^ Dyer, JS (1973), "A time-sharing computer program for the solution of the multiple criteria problem", Management Science, 19: 1379-83.
  2. ^ a b Wallenius, J, Dyer, JS, Fishburn, PC, Steuer, RE, Zionts, S and Deb, K (1992), "Multiple criteria decision making, multiattribute utility theory: The next ten years", Management Science, 38: 645-54.
  3. ^ Koksalan, M, Wallenius, J, and Zionts, S, Multiple Criteria Decision Making: From Early History to the 21st Century, World Scientific Publishing: Singapore, 2011.
  4. ^ a b c Weistroffer, HR, and Li, Y, "Multiple criteria decision analysis software", Ch 29 in: Greco, S, Ehrgott, M and Figueira, J, eds, Multiple Criteria Decision Analysis: State of the Art Surveys Series, Springer: New York, 2016.
  5. ^ a b Oleson, S (2016), "Decision analysis software survey", OR/MS Today 43(5).
  6. ^ a b Amoyal, J (2018), "Decision analysis software survey", OR/MS Today 45(5).
  7. ^ Ishizaka, A.; Nemery, P. (2013). Multi-Criteria Decision Analysis. doi:10.1002/9781118644898. ISBN 9781118644898.