Decision Support is an important topic as people and managers today depend upon systems to help in making decisions by analyzing a variety of current information. Decision Support is the product that results from Business Analytics. We experience these ourselves in systems that advise on driving directions based on current traffic conditions. These Decision Support Systems are critical in modern business where large quantities of information that can overload a human brain needs to be processed faster than some people can think. It should be remembered that the basis of this processing to support complex decisions is Artificial Intelligence. AI appears in all kinds of business tools from systems that process spreadsheets to develop quick summaries of accounts receivable or goods returned, to devices ranging from intelligent material handlers in warehouses to patient intake advisors in clinics.

QUESTION: Discuss what all this means for the future. From the IT managers' perspective there are major questions in strategic investment, staffing, the skills requirement for the workforce, etc.