MANAGEMENT SUPPORT SYSTEMS II 2. Enterprise Decision Support Systems 1

Enterprise Systems: Concepts and Definitions Executive information systems (EIS) Executive support systems (ESS) Enterprise information systems (EIS) 2

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 3

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 4

Executive Support System (ESS) Comprehensive support system that goes beyond EIS to include Communications Office automation Analysis support Intelligence 5

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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 7

Executives’ Role and Their Information Needs Decisional Executive Role (2 Phases) 1. Identification of problems and/or opportunities 2. The decision of what to do about them Flow chart and information flow (Figure 8.1) Use phases to determine executives’ information needs 8

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Methods for Finding Information Needs Wetherbe's Approach 1. 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 10

Characteristics of EIS Drill down Critical success Factors (CSF) Status access Analysis Exception reporting Colors and audio Navigation of information Communication 11

Critical Success Factors (CSF) Monitored by five types of information: 1.Key problem narratives 2.Highlight charts 3.Top-level financials 4.Key factors (key performance indicators (KPI)) 5.Detailed KPI responsibility reports 12

Critical Success Factors 13

Characteristics and Benefits of EIS (Table 8.1) Quality of information User interface Technical capability provided Benefits 14

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Comparing and Integrating EIS and DSS Tables 8.2 and 8.3 compare the two systems Table DSS definitions related to EIS Table Comparison of EIS and DSS EIS is part of decision support 16

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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 19

Traditional EIS Software Major Commercial EIS Software Vendors Comshare Inc. ( Pilot Software Inc. ( Application Development Tools In-house components Comshare Commander tools Pilot Software’s Command Center Plus and Pilot Decision Support Suite 20

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 21

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.) 22

Including Soft Information in EIS Soft information is fuzzy, unofficial, intuitive, subjective, nebulous, implied, and vague 23

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 24

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27 Report writing software GDSS software Mathematical Models Other group members RDB GDSS software Environment Individual problem solvers Decision support system Environment Legend: DataInformation 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 28

ERP Software Vendors SAP Baan PeopleSoft Oracle J.D. Edwards Computer Associates 29

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 30

Application Service Providers and ERP Outsourcing ASP: software vendor who leases ERP-based applications Outsourcing Now via the Web 31

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 32

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 33