Conceptual Framework for SDSS Development with an Application in the Retail Industry

摘要

Spatial information is becoming crucial for strategic decision making, but accessing and understanding this information is not easy. Dedicated tools can support the decision process in many ways, such as visualization interfaces or data analyses. Numerous Decision Support System (DSS) development methodologies exist along with dedicated Spatial Decision Support System (SDSS). Unfortunately, for multiple reasons, these tools and methodologies are not easily adaptable for the development of another SDSS. This paper proposes a framework for the development of a flexible SDSS that is built on open source software, allowing for low cost implementation. To support the efficiency of our approach, the design of a specific SDSS that is currently in use will be presented. This SDSS was developed for a company that distributes products through various retail networks. The multiple capabilities of the resulting SDSS will be revealed through an explanation of the different development steps. The complete framework is applied to a real data set that will be detailed in a demonstration.