Newsletter Nr. 9 of 2010 - EURO WorkingGroup on Decision Support Systems

1. EWG-DSS Newsletter
Nr. 9, Year 2010
Editorial
EWG-DSS Newsletter by Pascale Zaraté, Fátima Dargam & Rita Ribeiro
(Coordination Board of the EURO Working Group on DSS since 2007)
Newsletter of the EURO Working
Group on Decision Support System Dear Euro Working Group members! Dear Friends!
In this issue We are happy to launch the 2010 edition of our Newsletter for you
now! There are many interesting news in it! We are also proud of your
Editorial........................................ 1 response to our online participation! The EWG-DSS has been operating
fully online since last year, not only with the help of the original Working
EWG-DSS Online......................... 2
Group EURO Homepage (http://www.euro-online.org/), but also with the
Recent Publications.................... 2 creation of the EWG-DSS Blog (http://ewgdss.wordpress.com/ ) and with
the EWG-DSS Group in the LinkedIn social network. These initiatives were
Interview ...................................... 4 part of our main goals, as coordinators of the EWG-DSS, of providing new
ways to keep us working together, as well as of innovating our interaction
Research Review ........................ 5 approaches in order to have a better reach of our academic production
within the various fields around Decision Support. In 2010, we have
Call for Papers............................. 7 received the standard sponsorship from EURO for maintaining our
Internet-based approaches active and up-to-date. This encourages us to
EWG-DSS Meetings .................... 8
plan further on our interaction via the Internet. Suggestions about
Upcoming Events - DSS Stream improvements and volunteers to assist us on this issue are very welcome!
EURO XXV ................................... 9 On the EUROXXIV in Lisbon last July, we had the chance of keeping
up with group contacts. Among many research colleagues, we met the
Group News................................ .9
EWG-DSS member, Prof. Dragana Becejski-Vujaklija from the University
EWG-DSS Members .................. 10 of Belgrade. She informed us about the successful consequences that
their 1st EWG-DSS Workshop has been providing them up to the current
Contacting & Joining the EWG-DSS days and her collaboration team have send to us a report about this
“collaboration follow-up”. It is now with great pleasure that we publish in
.................................................... 10 this Newsletter issue the “success case” of research collaboration that has
been established during the 2005-DSS Workshop, which Fátima Dargam
Contributing to this Newsletter 11 has locally organized in Graz, Austria.
Apart from the usual sections, this year our Newsletter presents a
very interesting interview with the Madeira founding member P1: Philip
Powell. Moreover, you find here a list of recent publications that presents
Editorial Board some research projects currently being developed by some of our group
members; Call for Papers and for Conference Participation as well as
The Newsletter of the EURO-WG general information about the group. We hope you enjoy reading it!
on Decision Support Systems is
currently edited by: Yours Sincerely,
Fátima Dargam, Pascale Zaraté Pascale Zaraté, Rita Ribeiro & Fátima Dargam
& Rita Ribeiro
Comments and announcements
to next issues of the EWG-DSS
Newsletter should be sent to
F.Dargam@SimTechnology.com,
Zarate@irit.fr with the subject:
“EWG-DSS Newsletter”.
Foto: Lisbon, 2010
1

2. - Hernández, J.E., Poler, R., Mula,
EWG-DSS Online This group is also open to Linked- J., De La Fuente, D. (2010).
In members, who would like to “Collaborative tactical planning in
EWG-DSS Mailing-List: interact with the EWG-DSS group multi-level supply chains supported
without being a member. by multiagent systems”, Springer
ewg-dss@irit.fr (Ed.), pp. 260-267. ISBN: 978-3-
By using our mailing-list, the EWG- • EWG-DSS – Slideshare Account 642-14340-3.
DSS members are able to send
messages to all other members, http://www.slideshare.net/ewgdss - Hernández, J.E., Poler, R., Mula,
allowing this way a one-to-one This account is open to any J., Lario, F.C. (2010). “A
distribution of information about visitor and allows one to view the Decentralized Collaborative
research events and calls for available pdf files, power-point Replenishment Decision Making
publications. Model in the Automobile Supply
files, etc. ♦
Chain Sector”. In: Bridging the
Socio-technical Gap in Decision
EWG-DSS Web-Links: Support Systems, Challenges for
Recent Publication the Next Decade, IOS press (Ed.),
Volume 212, Frontiers in Artificial
• EWG-DSS – Blog From members of the EWG- Intelligence and Applications.
DSS: ISBN: 978-1-60750-576-1.
- Hernández, J.E., Poler, R., Mula,
- Hernández, J.E., Poler, R., Mula, J. (2010) “An Interoperable
J., Lario, F.C. (2010). The reverse enterprise architecture to support
http://ewgdss.wordpress.com/ logistic process of an automobile decentralized collaborative
The EWG-DSS blog is maintained supply chain network supported by planning processes in supply chain
by the Coordination Board. You a collaborative decision-making networks”. Springer (Ed.), pp. 213-
should take as much advantage as model. Group Decision and 224. ISBN: 978-1-84996-256-8.
possible of this fantastic interactive Negotiation . DOI:
plataform, commenting the posts 10.1007/s10726-010-9205-7. - Hernández, J.E, Poler, R., Mula,
and suggesting new ones! J. (2009) “A supply chain
- Hernández, J.E., Alemany, architecture based on multi-agent
• EWG-DSS – EURO Homepage M.M.E, Lario, F.C., Poler, R. systems to support decentralized
(2009). SCAMM-CPA: A Supply collaborative processes”. In:
http://www.euro-online.org/ Chain Agent-Based Modelling Leveraging Knowledge for
Working Groups EURO Methodology That Supports a Innovation in Collaborative
Working Groups EWG Decision Collaborative Planning Process. Networks, Springer (Ed.), pp. 128-
support systems Innovar. Vol. 19, No. 34, pp. 99- 135. ISBN: 978-3-642-04567-7.
120.
- ÖLÇER A.İ., “A hybrid approach
• EWG-DSS – IRIT Server - Hernández, J.E., Mula, J., for multi-objective combinatorial
Ferriols, F. J. y Poler, R. (2008). A optimisation problems in ship
https://wwwsecu.irit.fr/listes/info/ewg- conceptual model for the design and shipping”, Computers &
dss production and transport planning Operations Research, Part Special
process: An application to the Issue: Bio-inspired Methods in
All the EWG-DSS members are automobile sector. Computers in Combinatorial Optimization, Vol.
allowed to have access to this Industry. Vol. 59, No. 8, pp. 842– 35, Issue 9, pp 2760-2775, Sep.
server. It contains all the EWG- 852. 2008.
DSS Newsletters’ pdf files; Call for
Papers relevant for the group as - Hernández, J.E., Mula, J., - S. Agostinho, A. M. Moreira, A.
well as project descriptions of Ferriols, F. J. (2008). A reference Marques, J. Araujo, R. Ferreira, R.
group members in “Shared model for conceptual modelling of Raminhos, R. Ribeiro, I. Brito, P.
Documents”. Via the option production planning processes. Chevalley. Aspect-oriented
“Review Members”, one is able to Production Planning & Control, specification: a case study in
check the individual e-mail Vol. 19, No. 8, pp. 725–734. Space domain. International
addresses of each member. Journal of Software Engineering
- Hernández, J.E., Poler, R., Mula, and Knowledge Engineering,
• EWG-DSS – LinkedIn Group J., Peidro, D. (2008). A August (2010).
collaborative knowledge
http://www.linkedin.com/groups management framework for supply - T. C. Pais, R. A. Ribeiro, L. F.
?about=&gid=1961459&trk=anet chains. A UML-based model Simões. Uncertainty in dynamically
_ug_grppro approach. Journal of Industrial changing input data. In:
Engineering and Management. Computational Intelligence in
The Linked-In EWG-DSS Group Vol. 1, No. 2, pp. 77–103.
has currently about 70 members. Complex Decision Systems.
2

3. DaRuan (Ed), Atlantis (2009), Povoa de Varzim Multi-Criteria Analysis Methodo-
Computational Intelligent Systems- PORTUGAL : 161-166 . WoK. logies: A Case Study for Batch
Vol 2, Chapter 2, World Scientific Plant Design. In: Engineering
(2010). ISBN: 978-90-78677-27- - Pascale Zaraté, Systèmes Applications of Artificial
Coopératifs d'Aide à la Décision: Intelligence, Elsevier, Vol. 22 N. 4-
- Tiago Simas, R. A. Ribeiro, F. Contributions conceptuelles et 5, p. 546-556, 2009.
Pinheiro, J. Fernandes. I-DSS for fonctionnelles, EUE : Editions
Identifying Stars Degeneracy. In: Universitaires Européennes, Vol. - Abdelkader Adla, Pascale Zaraté,
Supplemental proceedings of the ISBN 978-613-1-52521-6, Jean-Luc Soubie. Case and Model
15th International Conference of September 2010. Based Hybrid Reasoning for Group
IFIP WG 8.3 on Decision Support Decision Making. In the
Systems (DSS2010), Lisbon, July - Pascale Zaraté, Ana Respicio. Proceedings of the IFIP WG8.3
(2010). Technologies for Collaborative International Conference on
Decision Making. In: International Decision Support Systems Vol.
- Hesam Dashti, T.Simas, R. A. Journal of Decision Support 212, Ana Respicio, Frédéric Adam,
Ribeiro, A. Assadi, A. Moitinho. System Technology, IGI Global, Gloria Phillips-Wren, Carlos
MK-means: Modified K-means Hershey - USA, Vol. 1 N. 4, Teixeira (Eds.), IOS Press, p. 309-
clustering algorithm Proceedings of October 2009. 320, July 2010.
the 2010 IEEE World Congress on
Computational Intelligence (WCCI - Pascale Zaraté. Formal Tools - Noria Taghezout, Pascale Zaraté.
2010), Barcelona, Spain July and Methodologies for DSS. In: Using Multi-Agent Based
(2010). European Journal of Operational Simulation in an IDSS for
Research, Elsevier, Vol. 195 N. 3, Evaluating Performance in Flow-
- Clement Bourdarias, Reynaud, June 2009. shop Manufacturing System. In
S., Drai, R., Simões, L. F., and the Proceedings of the IFIP WG8.3
Ribeiro, R. A. Optimized and - Noria Taghezout, Pascale Zaraté. International Conference on
flexible multi-criteria decision Supporting a multicriterion decision Decision Support Systems Vol.
making for hazard avoidance. In making and multi-agent negotiation 212, Ana Respicio, Frédéric Adam,
Proceedings of the 33rd Annual in manufacturing systems. In: Gloria Phillips-Wren, Carlos
AAS Rocky Mountain Guidance Intelligent Decision Technologies, Teixeira (Eds.), IOS Press, p. 285-
and Control Conference, Colorado, IOS Press, Vol. 3 N. 3, p. 139-155, 308, July 2010.
USA. American Astronautical 2009.
Society. (2010) - Hassan Ait-Haddou, Guy
- Noria Taghezout, Abdelkader Camilleri, Pascale Zaraté.
- Abel Pinto, Isabel L. Nunes and Adla, Pascale Zaraté. A Hybrid Parameters calculation of
Rita A. Ribeiro Qualitative Model Approach for Designing an brainstorming dynamic models. In
for Risk Assessment in Adaptive User Interface: IDSS and the Proceedings of Group Decision
Construction Industry: A Fuzzy BDI Agents. In: Communications and Negotiation (GDN 2010), Gert-
Logic Approach. In: Emerging in Computer and Information Jan De Vreede (Eds.), Center for
Trends in Technological Science, Springer, Vol. 29, p. 164- Collaboration Science, p. 24-26,
Innovation. First IFIP WG 182, May 2009. June 2010.
5.5/SOCOLNET Doctoral
conference on Computing - Noria Taghezout, Abdelkader - Philippe Viguié, Pascale Zaraté,
Electrical and Industrial Systems, Adla, Pascale Zaraté. A Multi- Jean-Luc Soubie. CSCW
DoCEIS2010 Ed: L.M Camarinha- agent Framework for Group Implementation in Entreprise : The
Mtos, P. Pereira, L. Ribeiro, Decision Support System: NIBBLING method (regular paper).
Caparica, Portugal, February Application to a Boiler Combustion In the Proceedings of the
(2010) :105-110. WoK Management System (GLZ). In: International Conference on
International Journal of Software Computer Supported Cooperative
- Abel Pinto, Isabel L. Nunes and Engineering and Its Applications, Work in Design (CSCWD 2010),
Rita A. Ribeiro, Framework for Science & Engineering Research Vol. ISBN 978-1-4244-6763-1,
Ensuring Risk Assessment Support Center (SERSC), Vol. 3 N. Weiming Shen, Ning Gu, Tun Lu,
Completeness in Construction 2, p. 9-20,May 2009. Jean Paul Barthès (Eds.), IEEE, p.
Industry, in 17th World Congress 77-82, April 2010.
on Ergonomics, 9-14 Aug, Beijing- - Raphaele Théry, Pascale Zaraté.
Rep Pop. China (2009) Energy planning: Towards a multi-
level and multicriteria decision Book Announcements
- C. Gomes; R. A Ribeiro; A. making structure. In: Central
Pimentel, A SWDSS – An European Journal of Operations Bridging the Socio-technical
experience in transforming a single Research, Springer, Vol. 17, p. Gap in Decision Support
system into a software product 265-274,July 2009. Systems: Challenges for the
line. Proceedings of the 4th Iberian Next Decade.
Conference on Information - Catherine Azzaro-Pantel, Pascale
Systems and Technologies, June Zaraté. Mutual Benefits of two
3

4. interesting set of opportunities and
Interview challenges. On one hand, our
students are mature, eager to learn
and bring a lot of experience to the
classroom. For example, the
average age of our
undergraduates is mid-30s, while
that of our post-graduates is late
20s. On the other hand, much of
our teaching is done in the evening
and students face many more work
and family challenges that typical
students.
A consequence of being atypical is
that government tends to forget
you when making arbitrary policy
Editors: A. Respício, F. Adam, G.
changes. We suffered from this
Phillips-Wren, C. Teixeira and J.
recently when 30% of our teaching
Telhada. Collection: Frontiers in
funds were removed. Excellent
Artificial Intelligence and
lobbying and media pressure got
Applications, Volume 212, IOS
us replacement student numbers
Press, NL. July 2010, 616 pp., Philip Powell and the College restructured into
hardcover, ISBN: 978-1-60750-
“My research has always five new schools with new
576-1. (Orders via email to:
been interest-driven.” executive deans and devolved
MAlmeida.lisboa@abreu.pt)
powers – which is where I came in.
This year the coordinators of My job is to develop a successful
the EWG-DSS had the pleasure to school especially by exploiting the
Supporting Real Time Decision- interview our long-time colleague: synergies between my
Making: The Role of Context in Philip Powell, also a founding departments – Management,
Decision Support on the Move. member of the EWG-DSS since Organisational Psychology,
1989 in Madeira. Philip was also in Economics Maths & Stats, and
Lisbon by the occasion of the XXIV Computer Science and Information
EURO Conference, and we had Systems. We have 150 staff, 2500
the chance to meet within a students and a turnover of
relaxing dinner. Among various 20million euros. As a research-
subjects, we talked about Philip’s intensive institution I need to
new position as Executive Dean ensure my staff have the
and Professor of Management in opportunities, time, space and
the School of Business, Economics funding to develop their work as I
and Informatics at Birkbeck, did.
University of London. The result of
this evening is reported to you EWG-DSS: How is it going? What
here. have you achieved in terms of
We congratulate Philip for his results so far?
career achievements so far and we
also thank him for giving us the PP: We are one year in and,
opportunity of producing this while it has not been an easy ride,
Springer, Series: Annals of exciting interview for our we have launched a raft of new
Information Systems, Vol. 13. Newsletter. programmes, increased student
applications by 46%, achieved
Editors: Burstein, Frada; Brézillon, We hope you enjoy reading it! some measure of integration and
Patrick; Zaslavsky, Arkady. 1st moved one department to a new
Edition, 2011, 320 p. 68 illus., EWG-DSS: Tell us about your home. We exceeded our targets
Softcover, Series: Annals of recent move to your current job for last year and I hope we can do
Information Systems, Vol. 13, and the challenges ahead. the same again this year.
Springer.ISBN: 978-1-4419-7405-1
PP: Birkbeck is one of the EWG-DSS: How did you come to
colleges of the University of be an academic manager?
• Download Table of contents London with a history stretching
(pdf, 1.4MB) back to the 1830’s. It is unique in PP: I’ve been an academic for
the UK in that it is a research- a long time – I was a founder
intensive institution that specialises member of the EURO DSS Group
Thanks to all members who in flexible teaching. Most of our (with the moniker ‘P1’) - and I have
contributed to this session. ♦ students study part-time and are held every position in the academic
working. This presents an
4

5. hierarchy – research assistant, Institute's Programme in Tuscany. year renewable contract in London
teaching fellow, experimental At these places I met a lot of very and hope that something else
officer, lecturer, senior lecturer, interesting people, many of whom interesting presents itself at the
reader, professor, deputy dean and I’m still in contact with and some I right time. I certainly hope that my
now executive dean. Along the have done extensive research contacts with the excellent people
way I managed academic units of with. Meeting the right people at in the DSS world I have met over
increasing size – research teams, the right time was instrumental in the last 21 years endure and that
units, centres, teaching groups and encouraging me to continue with we will all be able to celebrate the
departments. I became interested an academic career. I attended next 21 years together somewhere
in academic management and did many of the early DSS warm with good food and wine. I
a part time MBA in Higher conferences and was Secretary think that some very interesting
Education Management at the EURO Working Group on DSS for new avenues of research are
Institute of Education. The move five years, but gradually moved my opening up in DSS. For example,
to deputy dean at Bath was a very research more into the information we have witnessed the amazing
steep learning curve as there was systems field. I became Managing predictive power of Paul the
something of a crisis, but we Editor of the Information Systems octopus during the recent World
turned it around and now I am Journal and President of the UK Cup. Imagine if this ability could
doing much the same at Birkbeck Academy for Information Systems. be harnessed as part of a DSS.
I maintained an interest in DSS And we have not even begun to
EWG-DSS: Does your research and more recently have tried to research the decision powers of
background help you in your work more in this field. It is great other cephalopods – and there are
present post? to see old friends again and to see 800 species.
how well everyone is doing.
PP: My research has always EWG-DSS: Thank you, it’s been
been interest-driven. Either the EWG-DSS: Are you tied to a desk remarkable talking to you ! ♦
topic themselves are interesting or now or do you still have time for
there was the chance to work with research?
interesting people. So, I’ve
working in DSS, IS, supply chain PP: Unfortunately, academic Research Review
management, OR, e-business, management is not really a part- Description from Research Projects
knowledge management, strategy time activity so my time for from EWG-DSS Members
and accounting. All these come research has been limited in the
into play when you are setting up a last 7 years. I certainly cannot Forest Fire Detection
new school from scratch. I have continue to do the IS research in Systems via Multicriteria
also branched out into researching small firms that I did for 12 years Disaggregation – Aggrega-
higher education management in as I don’t have whole weeks free tion Approach: The Case of
the last few years and for case analysis. Nevertheless, I Lycabettus Hill
understanding how resource do try to maintain a research
Athanasios Spyridakos, Ioannis
allocation models work and funding profile and I have an honorary Psaromiligkos, Lazaros Vryzidis, Maria
philosophies can be useful. chair in Groningen University in the Litsardaki, Ioannis Salmon.
Netherlands. This coupled with my
EWG-DSS: You are in the DSS family being in Brussels and our Technological Educational Institute of
area for a long time. How did it links to Portugal means that I Piraeus, General Department of
start? Tell us more about your spend a lot of time on trains but Mathematics, Athens, Greece.
research career. they can be good places to read,
Location of fire detection units
write and think, and with ubiquitous
in forests is influenced by a set of
PP: After doing a few other IT and communications one can
conflicting parameters representing
things, I started my academic manage a lot virtually. I hope,
effectiveness (degree of screening,
career as a temporary research once things are more settled in
degree of plating), cost of
assistant on an inflation accounting London, to manage to carve out a
installation and maintenance,
project and I’m glad I did not stick bit more contiguous research time
reliability and security. This
with this. At the time, the and to take on a couple of new
research work proposes a
department was looking for PhD students.
multicriteria methodological frame
someone to become interested in based on disaggregation –
IT and I saw an opportunity and EWG-DSS: What are your plans aggregation UTA II method and
tried to make myself indispensible. for the future? MIIDAS system in order to support
I was lucky enough to participate in the selection of positions and the
a number of very useful training PP: The financial crisis has arrangement of the fire detection
events. I was part of the certainly made working in units in the forest.
International Teachers Programme publically-funded higher education
in 1986 in HEC near Paris, then much more uncertain but I’d like to The methodological frame
participated in the Euro Summer think that the international was utilized for a real world
Institute DSS in Madeira in 1989 groupings that we have will sustain application concerning the design
and the NATO Advanced Study and develop more. I have a five
5

6. of Lycabettus Hill fire detection critical point is the fire detection In the DSS Stream of the EURO
system. units’ location in the region of the XXIV European Conference on
forests, so as to achieve the best Operational Research, last July in
possible results. Lisbon, we have presented the
state of the art of our project, with
The problem of FDU location
the abstract below:
is complex and essential to
address a major environmental
hazard such as forest fires. This “How does the EURO Working
research work took place during a Group on DSS interact?
study implemented for the fire A social-academic network
protection of Urban Forest in analysis 1989-2008”
Athens and the location problem
The fire detection systems came up during the phase of the
consist of three separate Fire Detection System Design.
subsystems (as the figure shows
above):
•The fire detection units
subsystem, which is actually a net
of sensors (thermal or video
cameras, smoke sensors,
meteorological sensors) placed in
the forest with power supply links “This work reports the advances on
or units. the analysis of the social-academic
network, created for the EURO
•The communication The application constitutes Working Group on Decision
subsystem that supports the good practice of the utilization of Support Systems (EWG-DSS), in
communication between the units Disaggregation-Aggregation Multi- order to represent the various
and the central control system criteria decision aid approach to relationships that link academically
address operational problems. The its 105 members. We show how
•The control center, which
approach requires significant the group’s collaboration dynamics
usually consists of a set of servers
interaction with the decision maker have evolved since its foundation
with specialized software and
in order to assess the additive in 1989, up to the present moment:
display units. A simple
utility model the outcome a period of over 20 years. This
configuration consists of two
compensate, while a major project revisits the current areas of
servers, one for the management
problem such as the fire detection research of the professionals
of the system devices and the
and prevention can be considered involved, as a by-product.
communication network, and
at a satisfactory level. Further Moreover, the social-academic
another server with special
research work will be done for network has already shown to
software for image processing and
other cases concerning large (non encourage new research and
fire alarm facilities as well as
urban) forests in Greece. promote further collaboration
geographical information software
Prevention of the fire risks or early among the academic members of
and a set of display and data
fire detection are the key points to the group in common projects and
presentation and storing devices. A
eliminate the catastrophic joint-publications. In this paper
simple control center consists of
consequences for the planet and further network analysis is
one server (control center) with
the human life of forest fires. presented, so that some
special software for the
concluding factors about the group
management of the system A comprehensive research report could be better explained.”
devices and the communication about this project, including all the
network, one server with special details about the methodology
software for image processing implemented can be obtained from The project has not yet finished
including automatic fire alarm the authors. Contact Maria and we still count on the
facilities and a set of display and participation and collaboration of
Litsardaki <marial@teipir.gr>. ♦
data presentation and storing the members of the EWG-DSS to
devices including geographical update its database of publications
information software. for its next version. As soon as we
News about the EWG- are ready to process more inputs
This technology can provide
from the group, we will announce it
an effective solution for early fire DSS project: via our mailing list, as well as via
detection, keeping the cost low and
A Social-Academic Network our Blog and our LinkedIn group.
at satisfactory levels. However,
Thanks for your continuous
there are critical points related to for the EWG-DSS
the optimization of the system support! ♦
Fátima Dargam, Pascale Zaraté &
functionality and effectiveness that
Rita Ribeiro
need further research. Such a
6

7. The general aim of the Conference MCDM2011 - The 21st
Call for Papers is to facilitate the exchange of International Conference
scientific and technical information
related to Operational Research on Multiple Criteria and
Conferences and to promote international co- Decision Making.
operation especially among the
ORP3-2011 - EURO Balkan countries.
June 13th to 17th, 2011.
Conference for Young OR
More information about this event University of Jyväskylä,
Researchers. September Finland.
th can be found in the Conference’s
13th - 17 , 2011. Cádiz, Spain.
site: http://balcor.uom.gr/
♦
The ORP3 is the EURO peripatetic
conference designed for young OR
researchers and practitioners,
which objective is to promote
scientific and social exchanges. It
will be held in Cádiz (Spain) from IESM-2011 – The 4th
13th to September 17th, 2011. International Conference
on Industrial Engineering
and Systems Management.
May 25th- 27th, 2011. ENIM-
Metz, France.
The theme of the 21st International
The global economy and the Conference on Multiple Criteria
recent developments in IC Decision Making is “Environment
technologies have significantly and Policy”, which are active areas
modified the business organization of application of MCDM tools in
of enterprises and the way that Finland, as well as around the
they do business. New forms of world. The conference aims to
organizations such as extended bring together researchers and
More information about this enterprises, networked practitioners who address multiple
event can be found in the enterprises, supply chain networks, criteria decision making. The
Conference’s Homepage: etc., turn to appear and they are Conference will be held in the
http://orp3.uca.es/. ♦ quickly adopted by most leading Agora Building, located on the
enterprises. The evolvement from Mattilanniemi campus of the
single enterprise with a high University of Jyväskylä.
BALCOR-2011 – The 1st vertical range of manufacture
International Symposium & For further information about
towards enterprise networks offers
this Conference, please check the
10th Balkan Conference on new business opportunities
site: http://www.jyu.fi/mcdm2011 ♦
Operational Research. especially for small and medium
enterprises that are usually more
BALCOR-2011 - September flexible than larger companies are. EURO XXV, Vilnius,
23rd- 25th, 2011. Thessaloniki,
This edition of IESM aims to Lithuania. July 8-11th, 2012.
Greece.
bring researchers and
professionals from all industrial
engineering and service sciences
disciplines together to discuss
issues and share their research
and development results and
The 1st International experience. Authors are invited to
Symposium & 10th Balkan submit their original and
Conference on Operational unpublished work.
Research will be held at the
University of Macedonia, Economic
and Social Sciences in More information about this The 25th European Conference on
Thessaloniki, Greece, September event can be found in the Operational Research "EURO
22 - 25, 2011. The conference will Conference’s site: XXV", on the subject "OR -
be co-organized by the Macedonia http://www.iesm11.org/ . ♦ connecting sciences" will be
- Thrace Branch of Hellenic organized in Vilnius, by the
Operational Research Society and Lithuanian OR Society, during the
the University of Macedonia. period of 8-11 July, 2012. More
information about it will be
7

8. available at the Conference Decision Support System
Homepage: www.euro-2012.lt Technology (IJDSST)!
EWG-DSS Meetings
List of all past EWG-DSS
As usual the EWG-DSS will
organize in this Conference a DSS Meetings,/ Workshops & Mini-
Stream. Call for Participation will Conferences:
The primary objective of the
follow in 2011. IJDSST Journal is to provide . Fontainebleau (France) – 1990;
An initial presentation about the comprehensive coverage for . Bruges (Belgium) – 1991;
conference’s city and its organizing DMSS technology issues. . Hungary – 1992;
committee can be found at: . Sintra (Portugal) – 1993;
http://www.slideshare.net/ssakpi/e . Turku (Finland) – 1994;
uro-xxv-presentation . . Samos (Greece) – 1995;
. Ispra (Italy) – 1996;
♦
. Bruges (Belgium) – 1997;
. Granada (Spain) – 1998;
. Turku (Finland) – 1999;
DSS2012: The 16th IFIP . Toulouse (France) – 2000;
WG 8.3 Open Conference. . Caiscas (Portugal) – 2001;
Theme: "Fusing DSS into . Bruges (Belgium) – 2002;
. Luxembourg – 2003;
the Fabric of the Context”, . Istanbul, (Turkey) – 2003;
Anavissos, Greece, June 28- . Prato, (Italy) – 2004;
30th, 2012. . Graz (Austria) – 2005;
The IFIP Working group 8.3 . London (UK) – 2006;
on Decision Support Systems aims . Reykavik (Iceland) – 2006;
at the development of approaches . Montreal (Canada) – 2007;
for applying information systems . Prague (Czech Republic) – 2007;
technology to increase the . Toulouse (France) – 2008;
effectiveness of decision-making in The issues can involve, among . Bonn (Germany) – 2009;
situations where the computer other things, new hardware and . Lisbon (Portugal) – 2010.
system can support and enhance software for DMSS, new models to
deliver decision making support, EWG-DSS Meeting 2010
human judgements in the
performance of tasks that have dialog management between the
elements which cannot be user and system, data and model In 2010, the EWG-DSS annual
specified in advance. The main base management within the meeting took place in Lisbon,
scope of the WG 8.3 is to improve system, output display and during the EURO XXIV –
ways of synthesizing and applying presentation, DMSS operations, International European Conference
relevant work from resource and DMSS technology on Operational Research.
disciplines to practical management. Since the Basically, the meeting was part of
implementation of systems that technology’s purpose is to improve the DSS Stream – Sessions:
enhance decision support decision making, the articles are Models for Decision Making and
capability. The resource disciplines expected to link DMSS technology Decision Analysis & Applications
include: information technology; to improvements in the process in Decision Making and Decision
artificial intelligence; cognitive and outcomes of the decision Analysis of the conference, which
psychology; decision theory; making process. This link can be counted with the presentation of
organisational theory; operations established theoretically, the following papers (apart from
research and modeling. mathema-tically, or empirically in a the one about “A Social-
syste-matic and scientific manner. Academic Network for the EWG-
The Call for Papers will be DSS” already mentioned before):
issued in August 2011. Details of
the venue for DSS2012 can be “Survey forest fire detection
downloaded via the link: Call for Papers (Link): systems via multicriteria
http://www.psych.lse.ac.uk/ifip- All paper submissions and disaggregation – aggregation
dss/files/page0_1.ppt ♦ inquiries should be directed to: approach: the case of
Lycabettus Hill”
Prof. Pascale Zaraté Authors: Athanasios Spyridakos;
Journal Announcement Editor-in-Chief Yannis Psaromiligkos; Lazaros
International Journal of Decision Vryzidis; Maria Litsardaki; Ioannis
IJDSST new Editor-in-Chief Support System Technology Salmon.
Toulouse University
We are happy to announce that IRIT Team SMAC “The PROBE Decision Support
Pascale Zaraté has recently taken Email : zarate@irit.fr System and Capital Budgeting:
over the position of Editor-in-Chief http://www.irit.fr/~Pascale.Zarate an application to the electricity
of the International Journal of ♦ sector”
8

9. Authors: João Carlos Lourenço; As usual the members of the A “Follow-up” from the Graz
Carlos Bana e Costa; João Oliveira EWG -DSS managing board will DSS Workshop in 2005
Soares. organize a DSS Stream and offer
the possibility for researchers in “In 2005, on the Joint-
“Influence of the Criteria in the the area of Decision Making to Workshop on Decision Support
Bayesian AHP” present their on-going or finished Systems, Experimental Economics
Authors: Pilar Gargallo; José María projects within the EURO XXV & e-Participation in Graz,
Moreno-Jimenez; Alfredo European Conference on organized by the EWG on DSS no
Altuzarra. Operational Research, in Vilnious more than 80 participants took
in 2012. part. However, it was an excellent
“Structuring and assessing opportunity to meet people that are
We hope to see you there! doing similar research and to make
large and complex decision
problems using MCDA” strong contacts. In comparison to
Authors: Michael Bruhn Barfod; the EURO conference, where
Steen Leleur. EWG-DSS Group News several thousand people
participate, these small workshops
A Success Report on are very efficient with respect to
“DECERNS WebSDSS: Web-
Research Collaboration contacts that can be made. At the
based Spatial Decision Support
within the EURO Working Graz joint workshop in 2005, an
System for Multicriteria Decision
Group on Decision Support excellent cooperation has been
Analysis”
Systems established. We suppose there are
Authors: Boris Yatsalo; Sergey
more of them, however we will only
Gritsyuk.
report on our experience. Prof. Dr.
On the EUROXXIV in Lisbon in Dragana Becejski-Vujaklija and Dr.
“Transitioning of Multistatic July 2010, one of the import things Boris Delibasic from the University
Tactical Planning Aid (MSTPA) that we did, apart from chairing our of Belgrade (Faculty of
towards Decision Support” DSS stream and attending Organizational Sciences) and Dr.
Author: Christopher Strode. interesting sessions, was to make Kathrin Kirchner from the
new contacts and also keeping up University of Jena (School of
“Search Analysis to Locate a with old ones. Among many friends Business Administration and
Sustainable Data Center in and research colleagues, we also Economics) as well as Dr.
Portugal using Geographica met Prof. Dragana Becejski- Frantisek Sudzina (Copenhagen
Information Systems” Vujaklija from the University of Business School) established
Authors: Luis C. Dias; Miguel Belgrade, who is a EWG-DSS since that workshop a fruitful
Covas; Carlos Santos Silva. member for more than 5 years by cooperation.
now. During our short meeting, she
The abstracts of the work above has informed us about the Since 2006 Kathrin Kirchner
can be found in the proceedings of successful consequences that their has given courses in Belgrade and
the EURO XXIV conference, TC- 1st EWG-DSS Workshop has been Boris Delibasic in Jena on a yearly
37 pp.166-167 and TD-37 p.187. providing them up to the current basis. Dragana Becejski-Vujaklija
♦ days. We have gladly received that has lectured courses at the
information as a compliment. It is University of Jena since 2009. The
for sure very nice to notice that the faculties in Jena and Belgrade
Upcoming Events: efforts applied on organizing EWG- have signed a memorandum of
DSS meetings compensate over understanding and are working
the years. Dragana and her together in several projects. Some
“DSS Stream at the joint publications have already
collaboration team were then
EURO XXV in Vilnius” invited to send us a report about been published (listed below).
this “collaboration follow-up” for our Currently, researchers from both
Newsletter. So they promptly did. faculties are participating in a joint
EURO XXV Vilnius, Lithuania. project funded by the DAAD
July 8-11th, 2012. And they did it very well! It is now
with great pleasure that we, the (German academic exchange
service). This year, a student from
coordinators of the EWG-DSS,
EWG-DSS Stream Belgrade awarded three months
publish here the “success case” of
at the EUROXXV scholarship for research in Jena.
research collaboration that has
in Vilnius, The cooperation between the two
been established during the 2005-
Lithuania in 2012. Universities is performed based on
DSS Workshop, which Fátima
several topics. Decision Support
Dargam has locally organized in
Stream: Systems, Data Mining, Information
Graz, Austria. We are very grateful
“Decision Support System“ Systems, Software Engineering
to Kathrin Kirchner, Dragana
and Operations Research are
Becejski-Vujaklija, and Boris
Organizers: among them. In 2009 a Serbian
Delibasic for their joint-report
Pascale Zaraté, Fátima Dargam & delegation from the University of
below.
Rita Ribeiro Belgrade visited the University of
Jena and talked about possibilities
9

10. of broadening this fruitful M (2009) Reusable components
cooperation. German professors for partitioning clustering Contacting the EWG-DSS
and researchers have visited algorithms, Artificial Intelligence
Belgrade and Serbian conferences Review 32 (1), p 59-75.
several times, and are nowadays http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s10462- The EURO-WG on Decision
included as respected reviewers in 009-9133-6, ISSN: 0269-2821 Support Systems is currently
several Serbian Journals that are head by the Coordination Board:
6. Kirchner, K., Delibašić, B.,
published in English.
Vukićević, M. (2010) Designing the Pascale Zaraté, Fátima Dargam
The cooperation between data mining process with reusable & Rita Ribeiro
Jena and Copenhagen also components (in Serbian), infoM 34,
resulted in some joint publications. p. 23-29.UDC 004.89:004.738.5, (Coordination Board of the
Furthermore, Kathrin Kirchner ISSN: 1451-4397. EURO Working Group on DSS
lectured at Copenhagen Business since 2007)
7. Delibašić B, Kirchner K,
School via Erasmus program. For updates or for joining EWG-
Ruhland J (2010) Component-
based software for clustering in DSS, please contact:
We are very happy we had the Pascale Zarate
data mining – A prototype in
opportunity to meet in Graz in E-mail: zarate@irit.fr
Matlab, In Proceedings of the 12th
2005.”
SYMORG conference, Faculty of IRIT – Equipe CSC
Organizational Sciences, Zlatibor, INPT – ENSIACET – GI
Kathrin Kirchner Serbia. ISBN: 978-86-7680-216-6. 118 route de Narbonne
31062 Toulouse cedex 4
Dragana Becejski-Vujaklija 8. Kirchner K, Delibasic B, FRANCE
Jovanovic M, Vukicevic M,
Boris Delibasic Ruhland J (2010) WhiBo – A EWG-DSS Online Links:
platform for component-based
EURO Web:
design of partitioning cluster
Selected Publications: http://www.euro.online.org
algorithms, In Proceedings of the
1. Kathrin Kirchner, Boris 24th conference EURO, EWG-DSS Blog:
Delibasic, Milan Vukicevic: Association of European http://ewgdss.wordpress.com/
“Designing clustering process with Operational Research Societies. ♦
EWG-DSS LinkedIn Group:
reusable components”, Journal http://www.linkedin.com/groups?home=
InfoM, vol. 9, no. 34 (original in &gid=1961459&trk=anet_ug_hm
Serbian, abstract in English also
available at EWG-DSS Members EWG-DSS Slideshare:
http://www.infom.org.rs/brojevi/201 http://www.slideshare.net/ewgdss/
The EWG-DSS group has now
0-34.htm ) over 130 registered members. The EWG-DSS IRIT Server:
2. Boris Delibasic, Kathrin updated list of all members of the https://wwwsecu.irit.fr/listes/info/ew
Kirchner, Johannes Ruhland: group is available upon request to g-dss
“COMPONENT-BASED Pascale Zaraté or Fátima Dargam.
Changes to this list should also be EWG-DSS Mailing List:
SOFTWARE FOR CLUSTERING ewg-dss@irit.fr
IN DATA MINING – A reported to both of them.
PROTOTYPE IN MATLAB, If you need more information about
SymORG 2010″, XII International the group, please contact us or
Via the EWG-DSS – IRIT Server the
Symposium Conference visit our web-site: http://www.euro-
registered group members of the
Proceedings, Zlatibor, Serbia, online.org or our EWG-DSS Blog:
EWG-DSS are able to contact
2010. directly each other by using the e- http://ewgdss.wordpress.com/. ♦
3. Delibasic B, Kirchner K, mail address list available in this
Ruhland J (2008) Pattern language environment (option “Review
– A Novel Facilitator for Data Members”).
Mining, IFORS, Operations
Assisting the EWG-DSS
Research Society of South In the EWG-DSS LinkedIn Group The EWG-DSS Managing Board is
Africa,page 71 there are professionals who are looking for members who would like
to help us with some managing
4. Delibašić, B., Kirchner, K., not yet members of the Working activities. It is not too much work to
Ruhland, J. (2008) A Pattern- Group. These researchers will be done and it brings the possibility
Based Data Mining Approach, soon be contacted by the EWG- of participation in the managing
Data Analysis, Machine Learning DSS managing board, so that they board in the future.
and Applications, Springer, p. 327- can also participate in the EWG-
DSS as registered members. If you If you are interested, contact us:
334. http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/978-
are one of them and you already Zarate@irit.fr,
3-540-78246-9_39, ISBN: 978-3-
know you would like to register as F.Dargam@SimTechnology.com
540-78239-1
Thank you!
a EWG-DSS, do not wait for our
5. Delibasic B, Kirchner K,
contact. Write to us! Thanks! ♦
Ruhland J, Jovanovic M, Vukicevic
10

11. Contributing to this Newsletter
Every member of the EWG-DSS is
very welcome to contribute to this
Newsletter.
Subjects can be related to:
• Recent Publications
• PhD Dissertations
• Book Presentations / Reviews
• Research Group Presentations
• Research Views and
Perspectives
• Forthcoming Events
• General Announcements
Contributions to the EWG-DSS
Newsletter should be sent to one of
the email addresses below with the
subject: “EWG-DSS Newsletter”.
F.Dargam@SimTechnology.com
Zarate@irit.fr
11