Decision Lab

Decision Lab

The Decision Lab, located in the Lubar School of Business, offers a state-of-the-art facility for computer supported group decision making.  The facility allows decision makers to generate, manipulate, organize, evaluate and document ideas electronically.  This process, which supports up to 20 decision makers, dramatically cuts meeting time from the traditional post-it-note approach.  The software tool which is currently used in the lab is GroupSystems, which is the leading product in this area.

In addition to using the facility for instruction and research at UWM, CTI also makes the room available (for a fee) for both profit and non-profit organizations.  A facilitator is also provided who works together with the organization to plan the meeting agenda as well as facilitate the meeting itself.  A number of Milwaukee area organizations have used the Decision Lab, many of them on a regular basis.

Organizations that have used the Lab

The following is a partial list of organizations that have used the Lubar School Decision Lab:

• Badger Meter
• Brady Corporation
• Briggs and Stratton
• Fannie Mae Foundation & Federal Reserve Bank
• First Wisconsin (Bank One)
• Greater Milwaukee Committee
• Harley Davidson Motor Company
• Harnishfeger
• Local Initiatives Support Group
• Menomonee Valley Partners, Inc.
• Milwaukee World Festival, Inc. (Summer Fest)
• St. Francis Episcopal Church
• University of Wisconsin Business Schools Dean's Council
• UPC Health Network
• UWM Administration
• Wisconsin Gas (We energies)
• Ziegler Investment Services Group

GroupSystems Software

GroupSystems software offers a unique integration of group dynamics and goal attainment that allows organizations to generate ideas, organize information, narrow in on key issues, prioritize alternatives, build consensus and ready themselves for action.

GroupSystems customers have reported up to a 90% reduction in project duration and a 50% reduction in labor costs. In addition, since team members participate fully in the creation of their outcomes, they are more likely to understand and support the group's results.

 

GroupSystems Interactive Tools

GroupSystems offers a rich suite of software tools that can shorten the cycle time for strategic planning, product development, problem solving and other business processes. There are three main features that apply to all tools in the GroupSystems suite:

• Simultaneous contribution - everyone is "speaking" at once, which saves time and increases productivity.
• Anonymity - the identity of each contributor is unknown, so participants tend to feel freer to express their opinions, and ideas are evaluated more objectively.
• Complete Records - at the end of a meeting, you can easily produce a complete and accurate report of all ideas, comments, and vote results, in Word or .rtf format.

Each of the seven GroupSystems tools focuses on a specific aspect of group collaboration, such as idea generation, evaluation, organization, and exploration. Below is an overview of each of the seven major GroupSystems tools. A demo of a meeting using this products can be found at http://www.groupsystems.com/products/tour1.htm.

 

Articles on Group Decision Making

• A Technology Transition Model - [147k PDF file]

Based upon qualitative field investigation of GroupSystems use aboard the U.S.S. CORONADO, this study examines how and why users adopt GroupSystems into their everyday routines. It also describes a model of how to build a self-sustaining community of GroupSystems users.

• Lessons from a Dozen Years of Group Support Systems Research - [126k PDF file]

This article is an updated version of the popular "Ten Years of Lessons Learned with GroupSystems" article, including new research and conclusions.

• Learning with GSS: A Case Study - [68k PDF file]

This article describes a controlled study in a nursing management class that compared traditional learning techniques with new techniques using GroupSystems. The results showed increased learning performance using GroupSystems.

• Introduction to Electronic Meetings - Chapter 1 [89k PDF file] - Chapter 15 [37k PDF file]

These two excerpts from a book by Dr. Jay Nunamaker and Alan Weatherall provide a solid foundation in electronic meeting theory and practice. Chapter 1, Overview, provides an excellent introduction to what happens in electronic meetings. Chapter 15, Implementing across the Organization, steps you through the process of successfully establishing electronic meetings in your business

For more Information on Decision Lab, please contact:

William (Dave) Haseman
Wisconsin Distinguished Professor and
Director, Center for Technology Innovation
Lubar School of Business
University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee
P.O. Box 742
Milwaukee, WI 53201

Phone: (414) 229-4357
Fax: (414) 229-4477
email: daveh@uwm.edu