EXECUTIVE INFORMATION AND SUPPORT SYSTEM

EIS - A NEW TECHNOLOGY EMERGING IN RESPONSE TO THE SITUATION FOR JUST THE NEED OF TOP MANAGERS. EIS EMERGED STARTING 1982 - FROM INITIATIVE BY MITS CIR. INITIALLY, EIS WAS USED BY MORE THAN 50% IN 1989 BY PEOPLE WITH TITLES LIKE : CEO, CFO, COO, etc. THE TERMS EIS AND THE EXECUTIVE SUPPORT SYSTEM (ESS) MEANS DIFFERENT THINGS TO DIFFERENT PEOPLE. IN MANY CASES, THE TERMS ARE USED INTERCHANGEABLY.

THE FOLLOWING ARE SOME DEFINITIONS TO DISTIGUISH BETWEEN THE TWO :

EXECUTIVE INFORMATION SYSTEM

EIS IS A COMPUTER-BASED SYSTEM THAT SERVES THE INFORMATION NEEDS OF TOP EXECUTIVES. IT PROVIDES RAPID ACCESS TO TIMELY INFORMATION AND DIRECT ACCESS TO MANAGEMENT REPORT. IT IS USERFRIENDLY, SUPPORTED BY GRAPHICS, AND PROVIDES EXCEPTIONS REPORTING AND DRILL-DOWN CAPABILITIES. IT IS ALSO EASILY CONNECTED WITH ON-LINE INFORMATION SERVICES AND E-MAIL.

EXECUTIVE SUPPORT SYSTEM (ESS)

ESS IS A COMPREHENSIVE SUPPORT SYSTEM THAT GIVES BEYOND EIS TO INCLUDE COMMUNICATION, OFFICE AUTOMATION, ANALYSIS SUPPORT AND INTELLIGENCE.

EIS SERVES ONLY THE TOP EXECUTIVES, IT DOES LITTLE TO IMPROVE COORDINATION AND CONTROL EXCEPT THROUGH THE INDIRECT EFFECT OF FOCUSING ATTENTION THROUGHOUT THE ORGANIZATION ON THE EXECUTIVES CRITICAL SUCCESS FACTORS. IT IS ONLY MENT TO MAKE THE EXECUTIVE UNDERSTAND WHERE THE ORGANIZATION IS TODAY.

EXECUTIVE SUPPORT SYSTEM (ESS)

IT DOES VERY LITTLE TO HELP THEM VISUALIZE WHERE IT CAN BE IN THE FUTURE.
IT DELIVERS INFORMATION, BUT NOT INTELLIGENCE. ESS SUPPORTS THE EXECUTIVES PLANNING, ANALYSIS, AND COMMUNICATION NEEDS IN ADDITION TO THEIR INFORMATION NEEDS.

UNCERTAIN

EIS DIMENSIONS

FUTURE

DATA AND RELATIONSHIPS

REPORT AND

DISPLAY

EIS

DIAGNOSIS AND

EXPLANATION

ANALYSIS CAPABILITIES
CERTAIN PAST

 DSS SOFTWARE IS DESIGNED TO ADDRESS APPLICATIONS SUCH AS STRATEGIC PLANNING AND OTHER ISSUES WHICH DEAL WITH THE FUTURE OF THE ORGANIZATION. DSS OFFERS SOPHISTICATED MODELING LANGUAGES AND EXTENSIVE ANALYSIS FEATURES FOR FORECASTING AND UNDERSTANDING THE EFFECTS OF CHANGES (WHAT IF ANALYSIS).
AN ESS BASED ON DSS TECHNOLOGY CAN SUPPORT THE EXECUTIVES INVESTIGATIONS OF THE FUTURE AND OFFER A GREATER ABILITY TO ANALYZE AND TRULY UNDERSTAND THE INFORMATION PRESENTED TO THEM.

UNCERTAIN

FUTURE

DATA AND RELATIONSHIPS

DSS
ESS
REPORT AND DISPLAY ANALYSIS AND

EIS

DIAGNOSIS

ANALYSIS CAPABILITIES
CERTAIN PAST

EIS/ESS/DSS DIMENSIONS

EXECUTIVE INFORMATION NEEDS

EXECUTIVE NEED DATA AND INFORMATION TO HELP THEM ASSESS THEIR ORGANIZATIONS SUCCESS AND THE PERFORMANCE OF INDIVIDUALS CRITICAL TO THE SUCCESS. THEY ALSO NEED INFORMATION TO SUPPORT TOP-LEVEL DECISIONS SUCH AS: - SHOULD WE SPIN-OFF A MARGINALLY PROFITABLE SUBSIDIARY? - SHOULD WE OPEN ANOTHER MANUFACTURING PLANT? - HOW MUCH LONG TERM DEBT CAN WE AFFORD TO RISK? INFORMATION IS COLLECTED FROM TWO MAJOR SOURCES: INTERNAL AND EXTERNAL

EXTERNAL SOURCES
ON-LINE DATABASES, NEWSPAPERS INDUSTRY NEWSLETTERS, GOVERNMENT REPORTS OTHER PERSONAL CONTACTS

INTERNAL SOURCES
FINANCIAL ACCOUNTING PERSONNEL OTHER INTERNAL REPORTS

 SUCH INFORMATION DEALS WITH NEW TECHNOLOGIES - CUSTOMERS - MARKETS - COMPETITORS - LEGISLATION AND THE LIKE ALL ARE ESSENTIAL COMPETITIVE TOOLS. THE COLLECTION OF EXTERNAL DATA IS CALLED ENVIRONMENTAL SCANNING.

________________________________________________________ _
NATURE OF ACTIVITY (DECISION ROLE) PERCENTAGE OF SUPPORT _____________________________________________________________________________________ HANDLING DISTUBANCES. A DISTURBANCE IS SOMETHNG THAT HAPPENS UNEXPECTEDLY AND DEMANDS IMMEDIATE ATTENTION, BUT IT MIGHT TAKE WEEKS OR MONTH TO SOLVE. ENTREPRENEURAL ACTIVITY. SUCH AN ACTIVITY IS INTENDED TO MAKE IMPROVEMENTS THAT WILL INCREASE PERFORMANCE LEVELS. THEY ARE STRATEGIC AND LONG-TERM IN NATURE. RESOURCE ALLOCATION. MANAGERS ALLOCATE RESOURCES WITHIN THE FRAMEWORK OF THE ANNUAL AND MONTHLY BUDGETS. RESOURCE ALLOCATION IS TIED WITH BUDGET AND ACTVITY PLANNING TASKS. NEGOTIATIONS. THE MANAGER ATTEMPTS TO RESOLVE CONFLICTS AND DISPUTES, EITHER INTERNAL OR EXTERNAL TO THE ORGANIZATION. SUCH ATTEMPTS USUALLY INVOLVE COME NEGOTIATIONS OTHER 42

EXECUTIVE ACTIVITIES AND INFORMATION SUPPORT

32

17

HOW TO FIND EXECUTIVES INFORMATION NEEDS __________________________________________________________

1. ASKING SENIOR EXECUTIVES WHAT QUESTIONS THEY WOULD ASK WHEN THEY GO BACK FROM A THREE-WEEK VACATION. 2. USE THE CRITICAL SUCCESS FACTOR METHODOLOGY (DISCUSSED IN CHAPTER 2) 3. INTERVIEWING ALL SENIOR MANAGERS TO ASK WHAT DATA THEY THINK IS MOST IMPORTANT. 4. LIST THE MAJOR OBJCETIVES IN THE SHORT AND LONG TERM PLANS AND IDENTIFY THEIR INFORMATION REQUIREMENTS. 5. ASK THE EXECUTIVES THAT INFORMATION THEY WOULD LEAST LIKE FOR THEIR COMPETITION TO SEE. 6. EITHER THROUGH AN INTERVIEW OR THROUGH OBSERVATION, DETERMINE WHAT INFORMATION FROM CURRENT MANAGEMENT REPORTS ARE ACTUALLY BEING USED BY THE EXECUTIVE. 7. SIMPLY PROVIDE THEM MORE IMMEDIATE, ON-LINE ACCESS TO THEIR CURRENT MANAGEMENT REPORTS, AND THEN ASK THEM HOW YOU CAN BETTER TAILOR THE SYSTEM TO THEIR NEEDS. (EXECUTIVES ARE BETTER AT TELLING YOU WHAT IS WRONG WITH THAT YOU HAVE GIVEN THEM THAN TELLING YOU WHAT THEY NEED).

CHARACTERISTICS
DESIRED CHARACTERISTICS OF A SUPPORT SYSTEM FOR EXECUTIVES: - DESIGNED TO MEET THE INFORMATION NEEDS OF TOP EXECUTIVES - PRINCIPALLY USED FOR TRACKING AND CONTROL - TAILORED TO THE MANAGEMENT STYLE OF THE INDIVIDUAL MANAGER (EXTENSIVE) - CONTAINS EXTENSIVE GRAHPICS CAPABILITIES SO THAT INFORMATION CAN BE PRESENTED IN SEVERAL WAYS (AND HIGHLIGHTS OF THE IMPLICATIONS OF THE DATA PRESENTED ARE GENERATED)

Exception Report Compensation Monthly Percent Variance vs Budget

10
5 + Actual 2385 + + 2450 Budget 2330 2360 $ Var 55 90 % Var 2.4 3.8

%
0
-5

2540
N/A N/A N/A

2360
2385 2400 2450

180
N/A N/A N/A

7.6
N/A N/A N/A

-10

Jan

Feb

Mar

Apr

Salaried Headcount
Compensation % of Total Operating Cost
60

Variance versus Budget

16

40

%
15 20

14

Jan

Feb

Mar

Jan

Feb 85

Mar

- DESIGNED TO RAPIDLY PROVIDE INFORMATION FOR DECISION MADE UNDER PRESSURE, THAT IS, TIMELY INFORMATION IS A CRITICAL ATTRIBUTE. - TEXT AND TIME-SERIES INFORMATION HANDLING CAPABILITIES. - DESIGNED TO FIT THE CORPORATE CULTURE AND MANAGEMENT STYLE. - PROVIDED STATUS ACCESS -- RAPID ACCESS TO CURRENT INFORMATION. - PROVIDES DRILL-DOWN FOR QUICK ACCESS TO DETAILED INFORMATION BEHIND THE TEXT, NUMBERS OR GRAPHS. - INFORMATION IS ORGANIZED SO THAT MULTIPLE VIEWS OF THE DATA ARE POSSIBLE.

- FILTERS, COMPRESSED AND TRACKS CRITICAL DATA. - EASE-OF-USE IS CRITICAL FOR REDUCING INITIAL TRAINING. - SUPPORTS OPEN-ENDED PROBLEM EXPLANATION SINCE IT IS POSSIBLE TO ANTICIPATE MANY POSSIBLE CONTINGENCIES. - EXTENSIVE USE OF DATA ON THE ORGANIZATIONS ENVIRONMENT (COMPETITORS, CUSTOMERS, INDUSTRY, MARKETS, GOVERNMENT, INTERNATIONAL). - LINKAGE TO EXTERNAL DATABASES.

 MOST OF THE CURRENT EIS REQUIRE A DISTRIBUTED SYSTEM THAT INVOLVES AT LEAST A PC WITH SPECIALIZED SOFTWARE. THE COMMAND CENTER - INCLUDES SOPHISTICATED COMMUNICATIONS SOFTWARE ON BOTH MAINFRAME AND PCs. - DOES NOT GENERALLY HAVE A MODEL BASE - GOOD EIS PACKAGE WILL HAVE AN INTERFACE THAT ALLOWS IT TO RECEIVE AND TRANSMIT DATA TO AND FROM DSS, FREE STANDING MODELS OR OTHER CBI. EXECUTIVE EDGE IS AN ADVENCED EIS WHICH INCLUDES EXTENSIVE MODELING CAPABILITIES.

HARDWARE
MAINFRAME -- GENERALLY INFLEXIBLE PCs AND MAINFRAME OR PC AND MINICOMPUTER PCs ONLY, WITH INFORMATION DOWNLOADED ONTO STAND ALONE LANs AND THEN DELIVERED TO THE PCs WORKSTATIONS, MORE TO COME IN THE FUTURE

ALL FOUR OPTIONS HAVE EXTENSIVE GRAPHICS CAPABILITY

Data Bridge brings data from widely varying systems together into one executive database. It integrates commercial databases, on-line public databases and in house systems [including DSS models or4GL DBMS]

EXTERNAL DATA

COMMAND CENTER SOFTWARE ON MAINFRAME

INTERNAL DATA

DATA IMPORT
EIS Database : A retrieval oriented relational database that handles both numbers and text, optimized for time-series data. Its smart enough to continually re-organize itself based on patterns of usage. Menu Systems : Gives mouse or touch-screen driven operation, controlled from the host. Provides the user with the ease of use of a PC with the database power of a mainframe. Graphics : The PC graphics module create bar, line, scatter, cross-sectional charts, and missed text, and graphics from data and commands sent from the mainframe. Local Menu Storage : Menu screen can be stored on the PC so that they dont have to be re-transmitted from the host. User Interface : Non-keyboard pointing devices such as a mouse or touch screen are used for menu selection. Keyboard access is an option.

DATA BASE

MENU SYSTEM

Smart Communications : Provides error-correcting communications with the users PC in a protocol that produces rapid and accurate response. Also allows transfer of data from EIS database to1-2-3 readable PC files.

COMMUNICATIONS

COMMAND CENTER SOFTWARE ON PC

COMMUNICATIONS GRAPHICS MENU SYSTEM USER INTERFACE

INTEGRATION EIS AND DSS

IN A GENERAL SENSE, EIS IS REALLY PART OF THE THE DECISION SUPPORT FIELD. EIS AND DSS ARE TWO DIFFERENT BUT COMPLEMENTARY APPLICATIONS AND INDEED COMPLEMENT EACH OTHER. EIS FOR CONTINUOUS TRACKING OF INFORMATION TO KEEP TOP MANAGER ABREAST WITH WHAT IS HAPPENING. EIS IS STRUCTURED. ITS MAJOR ROLE IS TO PROVIDE INFORMATION - COMMUNICATION DEVICE. DSS IS SEMI OR UNSTRUCTURED. IT PROVIDES ANALYSIS CAPABILITIES, CAN PROVIDE ANSWERS TO WHAT IF, WHY.

 AN EIS CAN BE INTEGRATED WITH A DSS. EIS AND DSS CAN ALSO BE INTEGRATED WITH AN EXPERT SYSTEM TO CONDUCT EVEN MORE SOPHISTICATED ANALYSIS

EIS DEVELOP PLAN REVIEW HISTORY WHAT IS

DSS DEVELOP PROJECTIONS WHAT IF ALTERNATIVES FINALIZE PLANS

MONITOR PERFORMANCE (WHAT IF)

TRACK PERFORMANCE AGAINST PLAN STRUCTURED ANALYSIS - CONTINUOUS - AUTOMATED COMPOSITE SUMMARIES INTERNAL AND EXTERNAL SIMPLE ANALYSIS EXECUTIVE-DRIVEN LOGICAL ACCESS (FROM SUMMARIES TIME-SERIES VIEW STANDARD FORMAT) COMPLEX ANALYSIS ANALYST-DRIVEN TECHNICAL ACCESS RAW DATA UNSTRUCTURED

ANALYZE DYNAMICS (WHY)

REVISE PLAN

NEW PROJECTIONS NEW ALTERNATIVES NEW OPERATING PLANS