ARTIFICIAL NEURAL-NETWORK - AN UPCOMING STRATEGIC DECISION PLANNING SUPPORT TOOL

Finding a reliable technique to help[ in the strategic planning is not a new research issue. Past studies, using several techniques and mode ls, have shown only limited progress. Existing techniques are either t oo complex and time-consuming or too unreliable for full-scale adoptio n. Artificial neural network (ANN) technology seems capable of overcom ing most of these shortcomings. This paper overviews existing techniqu es: the strategic-fit concept, CAPM, traditional DSS, and expert syste ms and contrasts them with ANN. An illustrative application is used to demonstrate the effectiveness of ANN in supporting a diversification strategic planning.