Executive Information Systems:Marketing Hype or Invaluable Management Aid? Available to Purchase

Executive Information Systems(EIS) are examined, revealing that although they may be able to deliver information without requiring computer literacy, they have, as yet, several limiting features. Clever marketing and ingenuity in developing personalised applications for micro‐computers have opened new markets of which EIS is one. The characteristics of an “ideal” EIS and the shortfalls of many computer systems produced to date are summarised. Attempts made to meet executive requirements are discussed and criteria set for future technology, such as the use of a combination of in‐house information libraries and outside management reporting systems.