Benefits of DSS

Decision support systems are computer systems that assist the user in complex problem solving or decision-making. They are an integrated approach to the age-old problem of helping people make better decisions. Decision support sys-tems typically have quantitative output and place emphasis on the end user for final problem solving and decision-making. An expert system (ES) is another computer tool used for decision-making. Expert systems use qualitative rather than quantitative reasoning. They perform at a level generally recognized as equivalent to that of a human expert or special-ist in a particular field. Often, ES are developed around very specific and highly detailed “domains” and thus tend to be narrow in their range of knowledge. The use of DSS within animal production allows produc-ers to integrate information into more useable forms and enhances management skills through improved decision-making and increased capacity for benefit:cost and risk analyses, and DSS allows comparisons of the cost-effectiveness of various production alternatives. They can reduce costs of production and improve productivity and sustainability by matching livestock requirements to feed inputs. As well, they can be used as education tools to in-crease the effectiveness of educating current and future gen-erations of primary producers and service agents. In addition, DSS can be used to test alternative animal production strate-gies that would take years to determine using traditional experimental approaches. These systems allow producers to ask “what if” questions. For example, “How can I optimize pasture usage and labor availability if I draft animals into separate management groups at different ages?” Or, “If I institute a quality assurance scheme, how can I match the production outcomes to my objectives, costs constraints, prevailing pricing conditions, and