Source: Decision support systems for weather forecasting based on modular design, Forecaster Workstation User Requirements Working Group meeting notes, 2000, updated slightly for MSC Aviation Tools Workshop in Edmonton, July 2003. [PDF version]

Decision Support Systems Design

Generic: no-name, conceptual design that could combine and coordinate the most useful functions of existing individual forecasting tools in evolving forecaster workstation based sets of tools.

Modular: shows where distinct sub-tools / agents can be developed. Working in this way, individual developers could work on isolated sub-problems and anticipate how to plug their results into a larger shared system. As technology inevitably improves, improved modules can be easily installed and quickly implemented.

User-centered: forecast decision support systems from forecaster's point of view, designed to increase situational awareness.

Hybrid: combines complementary sources of knowledge, forecasters and artificial intelligence, to increase the quality of input data and output information. Intelligent integration of data, information, and model output, and use of adaptive forecasting strategies are intrinsic in this design.