Expert assistance for the decision support process using hierarchical planning

A decision support process (DSP), defined as an approach to decision support, uses a programming environment to aid the decision-maker. The DSP is discussed and a system architecture using a hierarchical planning approach to support DSP activities is proposed. These stages include problem solving, solution planning, tools integration, and model execution. A comparative study of DSP research with respect to these stages is made. Using a conceptual framework for DSP as the basis for proposing a system architecture for assisting DSP, the design and development concerns based on hierarchical planning and an attribute-based approach are outlined, and the system, called XDSP (expert decision support process), is described