International Journal of Decision Support Systems (5 papers in press)

Special Issue on: Information and Communications Technology in Agriculture and Tourism

• Supporting decisions for the application of combined natural and engineered systems for water treatment and reuse  
  by G. Arampatzis, P-M. Stathatou, P. Scaloubakas, D. Assimacopoulos 
  Abstract: Combined natural and engineered systems (cNES) for water/wastewater treatment are well suited for application in many rural and semi-rural areas, especially those with water demand and wastewater production peaks related to tourism, farming and their nexus. The planning, implementation and operation of cNES is not a trivial task. A decision support system for the implementation of cNES, based on a user-oriented approach, is presented. Decision support is organised not into tools or tasks, but into a set of services targeted all potential user types, identified and parameterised through user's analysis. Six decision-making stages identified, leading to the specification of three generic types of services: 1) an information service, based on a knowledge repository; 2) a suite of tools service, implemented as a sustainable ecosystem of decision support tools; 3) a guidance service, based on a knowledge reasoning system that identifies typical application cases and produces analytic roadmaps towards achieving user goals.
  Keywords: cNES; DSS; user-oriented; decision services; knowledge repository; mathematical modelling; knowledge reasoning; roadmaps; environmental impact assessment; water resources management.
  
  
• Strategic decision support systems for short supply chain development in the agrifood sector  
  by Fotis Kitsios, Chrysanthi Charatsari, Maria Kamariotou 
  Abstract: There has been an interest in short food supply chain recently which has stemmed from the need of improving the flow both of products and information from suppliers to customers. Although, many tools have been developed in order to increase the performance of supply chain, they haven't succeeded in helping managers make strategic decisions concerning the operations of the short food supply one. In the agrifood sector, practitioners face short food supply chains as integrated systems that incorporate all the processes of traditional supply chains. Thus, decision support systems (DSSs) are required to help managers handle these processes properly. Most of the existing studies focus on the improvement of individual firms or processes more than on the design of an entire food supply chain. So, the purpose of this paper is to propose such a strategic DSS model that based on the Strategic information systems planning (SISP) process, could provide a holistic approach to effective decision making in short supply chain in the agrifood industry. This model supports product managers to improve the effectiveness of food supply operations.
  Keywords: strategic information systems planning; SISP; decision support system; DSS; short food supply chains; logistics; agrifood sector.
  
  
• Nonlinear data envelopment analysis models for technologies with undesirable outputs  
  by Mária Trnovská, Margaréta Halická 
  Abstract: This paper compares two nonlinear data envelopment analysis models for environmental evaluation: the Russell measure model and the hyperbolic measure model. Since both of the models can be formulated as semidefinite programs, they are computationally tractable. The applicability of the models in sustainable agriculture is demonstrated in an illustrational example comparing the performance of 29 countries.
  Keywords: data envelopment analysis; semidefinite programming; sustainable agriculture; undesirable outputs; environmental technology; Russell measure model; RMM; hyperbolic measure model; HMM.
  
  
• Using multicriteria decision analysis to evaluate the effect of digital transformation on organisational performance: evidence from Greek tourism SMEs  
  by Dimitrios Mitroulis, Fotis Kitsios 
  Abstract: The phenomenon of digital transformation has changed the traditional economy, leading to valuable changes in the tourism industry. The implementation of new digital technologies could enable tourism firms' transformation and improve organisational performance. Although the prior literature discusses the benefits of digital transformation, the measurement of its impact on organisational performance is still vague. Thus, the aim of this study is to evaluate the level of CEOs, CIOs and other senior executives' satisfaction from digital transformation and its effects on performance. A multicriteria user satisfaction analysis was applied to measure executives' satisfaction. The results revealed that the average level of overall satisfaction is high indicating that CIOs and other senior executives are somehow satisfied regarding the effects of digital transformation on organisational performance in the Greek tourism industry. However, they should pay attention to some aspects in order to improve strategic planning of digital transformation and increase the organisational performance.
  Keywords: digital transformation; digital technologies; organisational transformation; digital innovation; multicriteria satisfaction analysis; MUSA; tourism industry.
  
  
• Traffic flow forecasting for city logistics: a literature review and evaluation  
  by Evripidis P. Kechagias, Sotiris P. Gayialis, Grigorios D. Konstantakopoulos, Georgios A. Papadopoulos 
  Abstract: This article presents a thorough literature review and evaluation of road traffic forecasting methods. More specifically, the literature review concerns the study of scientific articles, in order to draw conclusions on the best-applied methods and future directions of their implementation in city logistics. The algorithms (methods), through which the traffic forecast is carried out, are categorised and analysed, focusing on their potential implementation in freight transportation systems. It is beyond dispute that the proper use of traffic congestion information can significantly improve public confidence in road networks and reduce traffic congestion as well as its harmful environmental and social impacts. This analysis and the knowledge gained will be used in an on-going research project in order to support the application of traffic forecasting algorithms in the functionality of a vehicle routing and scheduling information system. This review is a useful tool for academia's and practitioners who study the adoption of traffic forecasting algorithms in IT solutions in order to schedule deliveries and routes in city logistics environment effectively.
  Keywords: traffic forecasting; forecasting algorithms; urban freight transportation; UFT; city logistics; travel time; literature review; decision support systems.