Chapter X: An Examination of Inter-Organizational Decision Support Systems

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Daniel J. Power ^[1]
University of Northern Iowa and DSSResources.COM, USA

Shashidhar Kaparthi
University of Northern Iowa, USA

Abstract

A broad range of Inter-Organizational Decision Support Systems (IODSSs) can be built to support external stakeholders of an organization. This article examines recent developments associated with building and deploying such systems. The IODSS concept is defined, and an information technology architecture for such a system is explored. Examples of current implementations are categorized as communication, data, document, knowledge, and model-driven IODSSs. Further, implementations of IODSSs are categorized as customer- and supplier-focused. Advantages, disadvantages, and current issues associated with IODSSs conclude the discussion.

^[1]The authors wish to acknowledge Professor Sean Eom of Southeast Missouri State University and Professor Karthik Iyer of University of Northern Iowa for their valuable comments and feedback.

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