Advances in computer-based information technology in recent years have led to a wide variety of systems that managers are now using to make and implement decisions. By and large, these systems have been developed from scratch for specific purposes and differ significantly from standard electronic data processing systems. Too often, unfortunately, managers have little say in the development of these decision support sysems; at the same time, non-managers who do develop them have a limited view of how they can be used. In spite of these drawbacks, the author found that a number of the 56 systems he studied are successful. And the difference between success and failure is the extent to which managers can use the system to increase their effectiveness within their organizations. Thus, the author suggests that this is the criterion designers and managers should jointly ascribe to in exploiting the capabilities of today’s technologies. What can managers realistically expect from computers other than a pile of reports a foot deep dumped on their desks every other week? A version of this article appeared in the November 1976 issue of Harvard Business Review.
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This preview shows page 12 - 14 out of 28 pages. No single system can provide all the information an organization needs. Even small firms have a collection of different systems: e-mail systems, sales tracking systems, etc. Different systems can be described through:
Figure 2-3
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Figure 2-5
There are four main categories of systems from a constituency perspective.
Figure 2-6, Figure 2-7
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Figure 2-9
Ideally, these constituency-based systems are interrelated. TPS are typically a major source of data for other systems, whereas ESS are primarily a recipient of data from lower-level systems and external sources. Figure 2-10
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