Problem management in decision support systems: a knowledge-based approach

The purpose of this paper is to discuss the importance of problem management in DSS. This study proposes a knowledge-based approach to design a problem manager that acts as an in-charge for the entire problem solving process. The required functionality of the problem manager is also outlined. The model is then applied to investment portfolio optimization problems, which are chosen as a problem domain. The prototype problem manager and the required user interface is developed in PROLOCr and Visual BASIC, respectively. The issues involved in the design and development of the prototype are discussed. Finally, the paper concludes with the suggestions for the future research directions.