Decision Support at Stanford: Partnering with Users

Abstract

Stanford University has been developing its Decision Support System(DSS) since the summer of 1992. The nine person team's primary mission is to significantly improve the University's data-based decision making capability. We've taken an opportunistic approach to developing a decision support system by focusing on high-value, high-profile problem areas. After a brief description of the University Data Warehouse, this talk will describe our two phase approach, highlight some of the major projects, and discuss the lessons we are learning. Data warehousing and decision support is a flexible yet powerful way to deliver information to the people who need it in the form in which they want to see it. A successful data warehouse must overcome technical and data-related challenges, but user acceptance is probably the most difficult and least defined threat to success. Providing value through close partnership with the business community is the best way to win users and influence Provosts. Paper presented at CAUSE94, the full proceedings of which are available through this Library as PUB1094.