A decision support system is a type of application system that
is designed specifically to read data and present it to decision makers in a
format that is suitable for decision making. Decision support systems often
use information from multiple systems of record. The data from these source
systems is cleansed, integrate and made available to system users in report
formats, spreadsheet formats and/or via online analytic tools that permit
“drill-down” capabilities.
Data warehousing tools and techniques are often used to
consolidate data from multiple, disparate data sources. They alleviate data
fragmentation, correctness and completeness problems that result from poorly
integrated operational systems.
Although decision support application systems support
strategic, tactical and operational decision making, they don't provide
online functionality for data to be added, changed or deleted.
Instead, data is copied from systems of record into the decision support
database.
