Using Decision Support Systems for Delay Analysis: The Project Management Perception Program

This paper discusses the use of decision support systems and their application in the area of project management. Not only can computers be used to provide scheduling data, but they also can provide a consistent, detailed, and systematic analysis of progress; help predict delays; provide possible causes of delays; and provide suggestions on ways to prevent further delays and corrective actions. Decision support systems can provide a well-documented analysis of project delays and help with the data collection process. In order to demonstrate the usefulness of decision support systems, a program called the Project Management Perception is also discussed. This decision support system allows incorporation of the knowledge of experts in the field of project controls into the delay analysis model. Knowledge bases can be used within the program to perform evaluations that are normally performed manually. By computerizing these traditionally manual processes, the computer system can test for multiple influences that affect the project and search for trends, exceptions, comparisons, and patterns that indicate problems.