Facilitators, decision makers, DIY users: Is intelligent multicriteria decision support for all feasible or desirable?

Effective software is an essential element of real world multicriteria decision aid (MCDA) and there are many ways in which the incorporation of intelligent support can, and has been shown to, enhance multicriteria decision support (MCDSS). However, there is little discussion in the literature about who is the intended benificiary of the intelligence who is the intended user of a system? In this paper we pay particular attention to identifying the potential users of Intelligent MCDSSs, to identifying their needs and to how the provision of intelligent support can meet these needs. We examine the benefits to be derived from intelligent support and discuss a number of issues prompted by its provision, in particular the question of whether it is feasible or desirable to cater for all potential users of a system. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.