Enterprise Systems:

Concepts and Definitions

Executive information systems (EIS)

Executive support systems (ESS)

Evolution of Executive and

Enterprise Information Systems
DSS and ODSS
1980s: Top execs get Executive
Information Systems
1995+s: Move to everybodys
information systems and enterprise
information systems
Definitions follow

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

Executive Support System

(ESS)
Comprehensive support system that goes
beyond EIS to include

Communications
Office automation
Analysis support
Intelligence

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 narratives
2. Highlight charts
3. Top-level financials
4. Key factors (key performance indicators (KPI))
5. Detailed KPI responsibility reports

Critical Success Factors

Characteristics and Benefits

of EIS

Quality of information
User interface
Technical capability provided
Benefits

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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 Softwares Command Center Plus and Pilot
Decision Support Suite

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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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An EIS Architecture
Environment
Other
group
members

Individual
problem
solvers

Report
writing
software

GDSS
GDSS
software
software

Mathematical
Models

RDB

Decision
support
system
Environment
Legend:

Data

Communication

Information

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Management Decision Making Processess

ess
Proc

s
Tool

Strategy Formulation

Planning & Budgeting

Dialectical

Stakeholder
Communications

90
80
70
60
50
40
30
20
10
0

Intelligence
Design
Choice

Inquiry
Consensus
Generating

East
West
North

1st Qtr 2nd

Qtr

3rd
Qtr

4th
Qtr

Performance
Measure ment &
Reporting
Technical Infrastructure Building
Human Resource Management

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GroupWare/GSS

MD
Data Base

Organizational Structures

Business Forecasting

Legacy
Systems

R DBs

SQL

Business
Processess

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