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Management Information Systems

Notes Benefits of ESS
As more executives come up through the ranks, they are more familiar with and rely more on
technology to assist them with their jobs. Executive Support Systems don’t provide executives
with ready-made decisions. They provide the information that helps them make their decisions.
Executives use that information, along with their experience, knowledge, education, and
understanding of the corporation and the business environment as a whole, to make their decisions.
Executives are more inclined to want summarized data rather than detailed data (even though
the details must be available). ESS rely on graphic presentation of information because it’s a
much quicker way for busy executives to grasp summarized information.
Because of the trend toward flatter organizations with fewer layers of management, companies
are employing ESS at lower levels of the organization. This trend will probably continue as
more managers become knowledgeable about the power and flexibility of ESS.

Advantages of ESS

Advantages of ESS are:
 Simple for high-level executives to use Operations do not require extensive computer
experience.
 Provides timely delivery of company summary information.
 Provides better understanding of information.

 Filters data for better time management.
 Provides system for improvement in information tracking.

Disadvantages of ESS

Disadvantages of ESS are:
 Computer skills required to obtain results.
 Requires preparation and analysis time to get desired information.

 Detail oriented Provides detailed analysis of a situation.
 Difficult to quantify benefits of DSS, How do you quantify a better decision?
 Difficult to maintain database integrity.
 Provides only moderate support of external data and graphics capabilities.

Self Assessment

Fill in the blanks:
4. ........................... are cross-functional information systems that process data resulting from
the occurrence of business transactions.
5. A ........................... is a mechanism to provide communication between the user and other
components of the DSS.
6. ........................... supply the necessary tools to senior management.
7. An ........................... is a planned system of the collecting, processing, storing and
disseminating data in the form of information needed to carry out the functions of
management.

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