Decision-Support Systems (DSS): what is the central purpose of most DSS applications used by managers and analysts?

Introduction / Context:
Decision-Support Systems help users analyze semi-structured problems by manipulating data with models—what-if scenarios, optimizations, and simulations—to evaluate alternatives. The question asks for the core purpose common to most DSS implementations.

Given Data / Assumptions:

• DSS serve managers/analysts handling partially defined problems.
• Models can be mathematical, statistical, or simulation-based.
• Focus is on decision quality, not on building infrastructure components.

Concept / Approach:
The hallmark of DSS is the creation and use of a model representing the decision context. Users alter inputs, constraints, and assumptions to see impacts on outcomes, thereby supporting better choices. Building a DBMS or an expert system are different disciplines; identifying key decisions is a preliminary analytic step, but the actionable core is model-based analysis within the DSS.

Step-by-Step Solution:

Verification / Alternative check:
Classic DSS examples—what-if spreadsheets, linear programming optimizers, Monte Carlo simulators—are all model-centric.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:

Common Pitfalls:
Treating DSS as mere reporting; without a model component, it is closer to MIS than DSS.

Final Answer:
to build a model of the decision-making problem