Concept design of a program manager´s decision support system

The systematic design of a decision support system should proceed through the following four analyses: life cycle analysis; capabilities allocation to planned future iterations; architectural choice; and hardware/software analysis. The application of such a design process to a program manager´s support system for the Defense Systems Management College is presented. The result of this design process was a recommendation for iterative (four planned iterations) development of a microcomputer network that hosted an increasingly complete and complex set of analytical tools. These tools would support the cause-and-effect examination of issues required to manage cost, schedule, and performance factors associated with the acquisition and development of major Department of Defense systems.