UX Challenges in GDSS: An Experience Report

Abstract

In this paper we present a user experience report on a Group Decision Support System. The used system is a Collaborative framework called GRoUp Support (GRUS). The experience consists in three user tests conducted in three different countries. While the locations are different, all three tests were run in the same conditions: same facilitator and tested process. In order to support the end-users. we teach the system in two different ways: a presentation of the system, and a video demonstrating how to use it. The main feedback of this experience is that the teaching step for using Collaborative tools in mandatory. The experience was conducted in the context of decision-making in the agriculture domain.

An IT projects’ conceptual model to facilitate upstream decision‐making: project management method selection

“…(2004) and Sakka et al. (2019) and can be, either alternatively or complementarily, used if chosen by a knowledgeable decision‐making facilitator.…”

“…Note that the multi‐criteria evaluation in this step is not defined to produce an aggregated quantification of preferences over a list of alternatives, that is, the classically used multi‐criteria evaluation matrix such as in Sakka et al. (2019). It is, rather, defined to separately aggregate, in the first place, for each discovery attribute the weighted preferences of one or many deciders and, in the second place, the resulting sums for each associated decision aspect .…”

“…The values’ definition is left to the facilitator of the decision process who will be able to interactively know to what extent the decision‐makers are demanding. If uncertain or being himself a novice to the decision‐making facilitation (Sakka et al., 2019), a default 50% threshold would be suggested by the methodology. When defining these two threshold values, that is, Ɵ and α , the facilitator should keep in mind that both translate into the equivalent of the evaluation scale preference.…”

“…GDSS can be defined as a system that offers a set of electronic collaborative tools and techniques and which allows the execution of group decision processes, optimally led by a qualified facilitator. This is because the role of facilitating a collaborative process can impact the cognitive effectiveness of the decision‐makers either positively or negatively (Sakka et al., 2019).…”

“…Furthermore, the same recommendation is applicable to general PMM adoption guidelines that are usually known for experienced IT management practitioners (Papke‐Shields and Boyer‐Wright, 2017) as well as in most non‐small enterprises where certified training programs are continuously delivering the required knowledge (Catanio et al., 2013). As the main part of this step has to measure the level of the convenient PMm predictability, we suggest using a simple, rapid, and straightforward collaborative technique such as “direct choice” (Sakka et al., 2019) or even a collaborative discussion (Drissen‐Silva and Rabelo, 2009) to answer the question: To what extent do you consider predicting the most convenient PMm clear at this stage and with the currently available data?…”