Executive Information System

By Sanjeev kumar

Executive Information (Support) Systems

Executive information system (EIS) also known as an executive support system (ESS), is a computer-based technology designed specifically for the information needs of top executives and provides for:
Rapid access to timely information; Direct access to management reports; Very user friendly and supported by graphics.

Definition of EIS
An executive support system is an information system at the strategic level of an organization designed to address unstructured decision making through advanced graphics and communication.

Features of EIS
Based on the definition of Executive information system ,its features are.
1. EIS are relevant for top management of an organization the level at which strategic decisions for the organization as a whole or its major parts are made. 2. EIS cut across the functional areas.
i.e these systems derive data from different functional areas but the decisions that are made by integrating these data are not meant for the specific functional area but for the organization as a whole

Features (cont.)
3.Since top management relates the organization with its environment ,hence EIS combines both external and internal information .
External Information: Is related to customers, suppliers, competitors and government policies .

Internal Information: is related to the working of the entire organization.

4. Information generated through EIS is in the form of summary reports and graphics, so that it helps the executives to draw the conclusion about the underlying phenomena quickly without wasting any time.

Components of Executive Information System

EIS has the same components like any other information system.i.e.
Users Database Software Output But the nature of all these components is different because of different requirements of EIS

(Cont..)

Components of EIS
Database Data warehouse DataMart

Executive

Data Mining

Query Executives Staff

Output

EIS S/W

 Executive : An executive is the end-user of output derived from EIS. Most of the executives prefers to get the job done by their staff members either because they are busy or they do not prefer to work on computer.
Thus executives staff personal works as intermediaries b/w executive an EIS .The job of these personnel is to retrieve information, making analysis, and interpret result to the executives. Thus executives do not require to known how their staff personnel use the EIS to get the desired information .

 Data base: Database for EIS comprehensive as well as specific .

is

both

Comprehensive means it require data about the functioning of the entire organisation, besides data about environmental factors - customers, suppliers, competitors, government policies toward business and technological development. Specific means relevant data for EIS must be stored in concise form for easy retrieval and protecting them from unauthorized access.

 Data warehouse: Is a collection of data designed to support management decision making. It contain a wide variety of data that present a coherent picture of business conditions at a single point in time.
Data in warehouse may be updated daily, weekly, biweekly, or monthly depending on type of data and the need of data users.

 Data mart: is usually a customized database as per the requirement of a specific type of users. Data mart are created generally from data warehouse which contain data to be used for a variety of purposes and by variety of users.
EIS data mart contains those data which are relevant for executives for strategic management that involves strategic planning and strategic control .