An information frame is a new user interface metaphor for decision support applications. It replaces the existing query - answer-set metaphor. The query - answer - set metaphor involves the user formulating a business issue in terms of a query, specifying the query using a graphical user interface, and viewing the result of the query (answer-set) as a table of numbers or pre-defined graphs. The task of analyzing the answer-set is out of the scope of the existing metaphor.

An information frame, on the other hand, is a concise packaging of analyzed data that combines automatically generated natural language, tables and graphs that directly provide an answer to a specific business issue.

This is accomplished by providing a user with direct access to the semantic contents of a database relating the data to the user's task. Information frames also contain dynamic hyperlinks that lead the user to drill down, seek answers to related questions or request help for unfamiliar terms. In short, an information frame is a user interface that integrates the query, analysis, presentation and navigation tasks for decision support applications. The figure on the next page shows an example information frame.

This frame provides a retail Buyer comprehensive information about brands in the Men's Apparel department. This information includes plausible explanations for the performance of leading brands. The underlined words in the frame are hyperlinks. A user can click on these words to generate new information frames that, for example, will explain to the user the performance of the various styles, colors and sizes that make up the leading brand. This frame can be directly used by a Buyer in vendor negotiations or ad planning. A complete application for a Buyer will contain additional frames for business issues such as Inventory Tracking, Merchandising Effectiveness, and Assortment Selection.

A decision support application developed using the information frames metaphor can be defined as follows:

• a series of information frames each addressing a specific pre-defined business issue for a certain class of business decision makers
• consists of embedded navigational tools that allow the traversal of hyperlinks in a manner that represents an explicit model of the task the user is involved in
• allows the user to perform standard operations such as copying, saving, annotating and mailing on an information frame independent of the information content of the frame

Benefits of information frames

The information frames metaphor leads to the following benefits to business operations:

• Superior applications in terms of ease-of-use
• Superior applications in terms of information content
• Lower training costs because decision support applications have a consistent look and feel
• Dissemination of information to larger number of users due to its simplicity and concise packaging
• Increased quality of decision making due to the access provided to analyzed data
• Speed at which organizations can respond to changes in market conditions

The information frames approach to application development leads to an architecture which uses standard off the shelf software packages and generic software modules. Components of the architecture that need to be specialized are clearly understood. This leads to the following benefits for the development organization:

• Lower development costs via reuse of software modules and infrastructure
• Increase in the number of applications that can be developed and supported