S to their PCs. T h e n they run a s p r e a d s h e e t D S S m o d e l with t h e data to predict their

E I S to their PCs. T h e n they run a s p r e a d s h e e t D S S m o d e l with t h e data to predict their

e n d - o f - m o n t h status. T h e results of this m o d e l are t h e n u p l o a d e d to t h e EIS. By 11:00 a.m. every day, senior m a n a g e r s can c h e c k their E I S t o s e e e a c h brand manager's e n d - o f - m o n t h status prediction.

T h e integration o f E I S and D S S can b e a c c o m p l i s h e d i n several ways. O n e alterna- tive is to u s e the E I S o u t p u t to l a u n c h t h e D S S application. For instance, if e x e c u t i v e s

a t G e n e r a l Electric's m a j o r a p p l i a n c e d i v i s i o n d e c i d e that a n i m m e d i a t e m a r k e t i n g r e s p o n s e is n e e d e d to a c o m p e t i t o r ' s a c t i o n r e p o r t e d by t h e E I S , e x a c t l y w h a t that r e s p o n s e s h o u l d b e i s d e t e r m i n e d b y D S S m o d e l s and s i m u l a t i o n tools. T h e D S S i s f e d

f r o m t h e s a m e reservoir of raw data that f e e d s the E I S (e.g., t h e data w a r e h o u s e ) , but the D S S action is triggered by the EIS. M o r e sophisticated s y s t e m s include f e e d b a c k

f r o m t h e D S S t o t h e EIS, and e v e n a n e x p l a n a t i o n capability. I f a n intelligent m o d u l e w i t h e x p l a n a t i o n and i n t e r p r e t a t i o n c a p a b i l i t i e s i s a d d e d , t h e n t h e s y s t e m c a n b e

d e f i n e d as an intelligent ESS. T h e user's role i s a n o t h e r d i m e n s i o n along w h i c h E I S and D S S c a n b e integrated.

E x e c u t i v e roles differ substantially f r o m t h e roles of typical D S S users, namely, m i d d l e - line and f u n c t i o n a l s u p e r v i s o r y l e v e l s a n d f u n c t i o n a l analysts, s u c h a s financial a n d m a r k e t i n g analysts. L o w e r - l e v e l m a n a g e r s f o c u s m u c h of their t i m e on pursuing p r e d e - t e r m i n e d strategies, b u t e x e c u t i v e s are f a c e d w i t h d e v e l o p i n g t h e s e strategies.

A m b i g u i t y and u n c e r t a i n t y c h a r a c t e r i z e an e x e c u t i v e ' s e n v i r o n m e n t , resulting in a n e e d for t h e what-if and g o a l - s e e k i n g a n a l y s e s p r o v i d e d b y m o s t D S S . Studies h a v e s h o w n , h o w e v e r , that m a n y s e n i o r e x e c u t i v e s l e a v e this t e c h n i c a l analysis t o l o w e r - l e v e l functional m a n a g e r s and staff analysts.

M o s t business intelligence and enterprise s o f t w a r e v e n d o r s (e.g., B u s i n e s s Objects,

C o g n o s , Pilot, M i c r o s t r a t e g y , T e m T e c ) p r o v i d e s o f t w a r e p r o d u c t s f o r E I S and D S S

a p p l i c a t i o n s , s u c h a s s a l e s r e p o r t i n g a n d analysis, p r o d u c t p r o f i t a b i l i t y r e p o r t i n g , profit/loss analysis and reporting, enterprise b u d g e t reporting, critical success f a c t o r and k e y p e r f o r m a n c e i n d i c a t o r r e p o r t i n g , a n d p e r f o r m a n c e a n a l y s i s a n d r e p o r t i n g . S u c h s o f t w a r e transforms existing corporate data i n t o usable p e r f o r m a n c e i n f o r m a t i o n for m a n a g e m e n t decision-making. In addition, such products o f t e n include productiv- ity t o o l s (e.g., a p e r s o n a l c a l e n d a r ) a n d c o m m u n i c a t i o n t o o l s d e s i g n e d t o m e e t t h e divergent i n f o r m a t i o n n e e d s o f executives.

I n t e g r a t i o n i s a k e y issue. A s e x e c u t i v e s h a v e b e c o m e i n c r e a s i n g l y t e c h n o l o g i -

C H A P T E R 8 ENTERPRISE INFORMATION SYSTEMS

cell t e l e p h o n e s and PDA's (e.g., the Blackberry d e v i c e s at blackberry.com) continues to increase.