International Multidisciplinary Modelling & Simulation Multiconference
The M&S Multiconference moving around the World and along the Years attended by Top Experts from Mediterranean, Latin & North Americas, Europe, Asia, Africa and Australia
Plenary Speech
"An Overview of Decision Support Systems: Theories and New Advances in Simulation, Automation, Enabling Technologies and Applications"
Prof. Petros Groumpos, University of Patras
One of the challenges of accepting the “operation” of any complex system is the ability to make Decisions so the system runs efficiently and cost effectively. However making Decisions concerning complex systems often strains our cognitive capabilities. Uncertainty and related concepts such as risk and ambiguity are prominent in the research and accompanied literature on Decision-Making.
This Plenary Lecture critically analyses the nature and state of Decision Support Systems (DSS) theories, research and applications. A short historical review of DSS is provided which focuses on the evolution of a number of sub-groupings of research and practice: personal decision support systems, group support systems, negotiation support systems, intelligent decision support systems, knowledge management- based DSS, executive information systems/business intelligence, and data warehousing. The scientific field of Simulation is analyzed with respect to DSS. Uncertainty is a term used in subtly different ways in a number of scientific fields, including statistics, economics, finance, physics, psychology, engineering, medicine, energy, environment, biology, sociology, philosophy, insurance, geology, military systems and Information and Communication Technologies (ICT). It applies to making decisions = predictions of future events, to physical measurements already made and/or computer generated data based on manmade “systems”. Examples from many fields are given with an emphasis on Enabling Technologies and applications in Energy, Environment, Simulation, Healthcare, Industry, Business and Maritime.
The need for new DSS methodologies and tools is investigated. The DSS area has remained vital as technology has evolved and our understanding of Decision-Making process has deepened. DSS over the last twenty years has contributed both breadth and depth to DSS research. The challenge now is to make sense of it in by planning it in understanding context and by searching new ways to utilize other advanced methodologies to the challenging issues in the future. A new generic method for DSS is proposed, the Decision Making Support System (DMSS). Basic components of the new generic method are provided and fully analyzed.
Prof. P. Groumpos was born in 1950, in Greece. He has done his undergraduate and Doctoral Studies at the Dept of Electrical and Computer Engineering of the SUNY at Buffalo, USA. He received his Ph.D in 1979. He subsequently held a research position at Calspan Corporation in Buffalo before he moved as an Assistant Professor at Cleveland State University, Ohio in 1980 and he was promoted to Associate professor in 1985. While at Cleveland State University he established and directed for 10 years an Energy Research Center. In 1990, he returned to his motherland Greece, been elected as a full Professor at the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering of the University of Patras.
In 1992 he established the Laboratory for Automation and Robotics to which has been since then, its Director. He has been teaching undergraduate and graduate courses in the thematic areas of automatic control, signals and systems, stochastic processes, intelligent control, large and hierarchical systems, Fuzzy systems, Adaptive control, Robotics, modeling complex dynamic systems and Bioinformatics. His research interests covers the broad thematic areas of modeling and control of large complex Dynamic Systems, Intelligent control, fuzzy systems, Fuzzy Cognitive Maps, Dynamic Neural Networks, hierarchical Systems, Bioinformatics, Intelligent Manufacturing systems, Knowledge Management, Technology Transfer and Innovation. He especially has conducted funded research using advanced new techniques in many applications especially in Manufacturing, Health, Energy, Environment, Agriculture and Transportation. He has been the principal investigator and/or participated as a partner in many R&D projects been funded by the EC, the Greek Government and/or the private sector. Prof Groumpos has been the Greek Representative to IFAC for the period 1984-2004 and has served as a chairman of the LSS TC of IFAC for six (6) years. He has been the Greek representative to the EC management committees of ESPRIT, ICT, INCO and IMS. He has been the General Chairman of a number of international conferences. He has published 8 chapters in books and over 300 papers in journals and/or in International conferences.
