Incorporating Reasoning by Analogy as a DSS Tool

This paper reports a study that incorporated a reasoning by analogy (RBA) system into a business simulation game of the microcomputer industry. The RBA system was designed to support a managerÕs intuition and judgement by facilitating the use of analogies. Users search for comparable (i.e., analogous) firms through a simple pattern-matching routine built into the system. We argue for including RBA tools within decision support systems in order to facilitate analogical reasoning by decision makers. The study results support the conclusion that implementation of RBA systems significantly improves decision making effectiveness. The design and implementation of an RBA system, including the environmental scanning required to create the databases needed to support the system, is described and implications for practitioners and designers are discussed.