Managing Attribute Complexity for User-centered Decision Support Systems

Decision making in engineering represents a highly complex and therefore challenging process for the involved stakeholders. The high complexity emerges from the combination of a multitude of factors that have to be considered simultaneously within a decision situation. Hereby the factors examined represent decision situation and human (decision-maker) attributes. To help decision-makers in dealing with highly complex decisions several decision support tools, methods and systems (DSS) have been developed. One main disadvantage of DSS is the little adaptation to and integration of user needs and attributes. This paper aims in providing a multilevel stepwise approach for the management of human and decision situation attribute complexity in order to enable a more effective decision support. The decision support is tailored to adapt to decision makers individually and therefore a higher acceptance and use-rate of DSS can be achieved. The approach was developed using findings from literature research and results from several research projects performed in cooperation with industry partners. The presented procedure represents a main design element of the user-centered DSS currently being developed at the Institute of Product Development.