A Web-Based Decision Support Platform for Multidimensional Modeling of Complex Engineering Systems

Abstract

Complex decision making is an important aspect in planning large man-made systems. These systems tend to be of high complexity, which requires an automated, intelligent approach to realize all dimensions of the problem. Decision Support Systems (DSS) are one approach to automate this process by providing modeling and analytical capabilities that assist users in making decisions. In this paper, we present the architecture of a web-based DSS platform for multidimensional modeling (including functional, spatial, and temporal dimensions) of complex engineering systems. We describe the breakdown of the modeling process of such systems in a multidimensional hierarchical manner. We present a case study for power planning in Saudi Arabia. © Springer International Publishing Switzerland 2014.