MANAGEMENT SUPPORT SYSTEMS II2. Enterprise Decision Support Systems

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Enterprise Systems: Concepts and Definitions

• Executive information systems (EIS)

• Executive support systems (ESS)

• Enterprise information systems (EIS)

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Evolution of Executive and Enterprise Information Systems

• DSS and ODSS• 1980s: Top execs get Executive Information

Systems• 1995+’s: Move to everybody’s information systems

and enterprise information systems• Definitions follow

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Executive Information System (EIS)

• A computer-based system that serves the information needs of top executives

• Provides rapid access to timely information and direct access to management reports

• Very user-friendly, supported by graphics• Provides exceptions reporting and "drill-down" capabilities• Easily connected to the Internet • Drill down

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Executive Support System (ESS)

Comprehensive support system that goes beyond EIS to include

• Communications• Office automation• Analysis support• Intelligence

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Enterprise Information System

• Corporate-wide system• Provides holistic information• From a corporate view• Part of enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems• For business intelligence• Leading up to enterprise information portals and

knowledge management systems

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Executives’ Role and Their Information Needs

• Decisional Executive Role (2 Phases)1. Identification of problems and/or opportunities2. The decision of what to do about them

• Flow chart and information flow (Figure 8.1)

• Use phases to determine executives’ information needs

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Methods for Finding Information Needs

• Wetherbe's Approach1. Structured Interviews• IBM's Business System Planning (BSP)• Critical Success Factors (CSF)• Ends/Means (E/M) Analysis

2. Prototyping• Watson and Frolick's Approach

• Asking (interview approach)• Deriving the needs from an existing information system• Synthesis from characteristics of the systems• Discovering (Prototyping)

• Ten methods• Other Methods

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Characteristics of EIS

• Drill down• Critical success Factors (CSF)• Status access• Analysis• Exception reporting• Colors and audio• Navigation of information• Communication

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Critical Success Factors (CSF)

Monitored by five types of information: 1. Key problem narratives2. Highlight charts3. Top-level financials4. Key factors (key performance indicators (KPI))5. Detailed KPI responsibility reports

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Critical Success Factors

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Characteristics and Benefits of EIS

(Table 8.1)

• Quality of information• User interface• Technical capability provided• Benefits

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Comparing and Integrating EIS and DSS

• Tables 8.2 and 8.3 compare the two systems• Table 8.2 - DSS definitions related to EIS• Table 8.3 - Comparison of EIS and DSS

• EIS is part of decision support

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Integrating EIS and Group Support Systems

• EIS vendors - easy interfaces with GSS

• Some EIS built in Lotus Domino / Notes

• Comshare Inc. and Pilot Software, Inc. - Lotus Domino/Notes-based enhancements and Web/Internet/Intranet links

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Traditional EIS Software

• Major Commercial EIS Software Vendors• Comshare Inc. (www.comshare.com) • Pilot Software Inc. (www.pilotsw.com)

• Application Development Tools• In-house components • Comshare Commander tools• Pilot Software’s Command Center Plus and Pilot Decision

Support Suite

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Multidimensional Analysis

• Easy to develop an EIS in an OLAP system

• Most are Web-ready

• Can tap into data in a data warehouse via the Web

• Use advanced visualization tools

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Representative OLAP / Multidimensional Analysis Packages

• BrioQuery (Brio Technology Inc.)• Business Objects (Business Objects Inc.)• Decision Web (Comshare Inc.)• DataFountain (Dimensional Insight Inc.)• DSS Web (MicroStrategy Inc.)• Focus Fusion (Information Builders Inc.)• InfoBeacon Web (Platinum Technology Inc.)• Oracle xpress Server (Oracle Corporation)• Pilot Internet Publisher (Pilot Software Inc.)

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Including Soft Information in EIS

Soft information is • fuzzy, • unofficial, • intuitive, • subjective, • nebulous, • implied, and • vague

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Soft Information Used in Most EIS

• Predictions, speculations, forecasts, estimates (78.1%)• Explanations, justifications, assessments, interpretations (65.6%)• News reports, industry trends, external survey data (62.5%)• Schedules, formal plans (50.0%)• Opinions, feelings, ideas (15.6%)• Rumors, gossip, hearsay (9.4%)

Soft Information Enhances EIS Value

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Report writing software

GDSS software

MathematicalModels

Other group

members

RDB

GDSSsoftware

Environment

Individual problem solvers

Decision support system

Environment

Legend: Data Information Communication

An EIS Architecture

Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP)

• Objective: integrate all departments and functions across an organization into a single computer system that can serve the entire enterprise’s needs

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ERP Software Vendors

• SAP• Baan• PeopleSoft• Oracle • J.D. Edwards• Computer Associates

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ERP

• Very (VERY!) expensive• 2nd generation: doing better• Early 2000: moving to Web• Will fail if an organization’s business processes do not fit

the ERP system’s model

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Application Service Providers and ERP Outsourcing

• ASP: software vendor who leases ERP-based applications

• Outsourcing

• Now via the Web

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Corporate (Enterprise) Portals and EIS

• Integrates internal applications with external applications

• Generally via the Web• Can include

• groupware technologies• presentation and customization• publishing and distribution• search• categorization• integration

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Future of Executive and Enterprise Support Systems

• Toolbox for customized systems• Multimedia support• Better access (via PDFs and cell phones)• Virtual Reality and 3-D Image Displays• Merging of analytical systems (OLAP / multidimensional analysis)) with

desktop publishing• Client/server architecture• Web-enabled EIS• Automated support and intelligent assistance• Integration of EIS and Group Support Systems• Global EIS• Integration and deployment with ERP products

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