Difference Between GDSS and DSS

GDSS vs DSS

Making decisions is a very important aspect of life, especially in business where it can mean profits or losses. Of course, decision making is best left to the analytical minds of people but it doesn’t hurt if you have the right tools to aid you in the effort. This is where GDSS (Group Decision Support System) and DSS (Decision Support System) come in. The main difference between the two is the number of people involved in the decision making process. The DSS is just a tool that gives an individual better guidance on how to weigh certain factors and to make the best possible decision. In contrast, GDSS helps a group of people to come up with ideas and decide the best course of action.

Because the two function very differently, they also rely on different methodologies. DSS relies on a knowledge base and a set of mathematical formulas to evaluate a certain set of inputs and provide an informative guideline on how the user should decide. Of course, a person’s analytical skill is still needed to analyze and give a proper decision. In comparison, GDSS does not rely on a knowledge base or on mathematical models. It relies purely on ideas created by the group and gives them venues to discuss, improve, and vote on it. GDSS gives the group a means of collaborating to reach a decision.

Although both DSS and GDSS are both software, only GDSS requires a working link between the multiple user’s computers. It doesn’t matter if your group members are mere inches away from each other or miles apart as you can use LANs and even the Internet to communicate with each other. Since DSS is a self-contained system, you do not need to have connectivity to use it.

The biggest advantage of GDSS is that it is applicable to just about any conceivable situation because human minds make and weight the factors that would affect the final decision. In DSS, some situations are more applicable than others. Mostly, those that can be evaluated via mathematical models like risk and probability lend themselves nicely to DSS.

Summary:

1. GDSS focuses on group decisions while DSS focuses on individual decisions
2. DSS relies to a knowledge base to some degree while a GDSS does not
3. GDSS requires a working connection between users while DSS does not
4. GDSS is applicable to every situation while DSS is not

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