Decision Support Systems for Executives (continued)
A secondary, but equally critical, concern is getting the data in shape. "Although it's pretty common these days for companies to have data warehouses, databases can sometimes be built specifically for DSS systems," says McKnight. "In either case, making sure that the data is well integrated, clean and kept up to date is essential."
Implementing DSS for the executive suite can motivate senior managers to rethink and re-engineer their business processes. "At first, it's smart to design your DSS systems so that they fit into executives' existing routines," says McKnight. "But eventually, if the DSS developers do a good job, the tools will encourage executives to modify their behavior to make the most of the rich information being captured and stored by the organization."
Ultimately, however, the real risk related to DSS is not doing it. "Some industries haven't yet moved to DSS, but that number is decreasing. The danger is that a competitor will make good use of DSS, will be more responsive to market conditions and will steal market share from you," said Power. "This isn't to say that you are guaranteed to be successful if you've put DSS into place -- there are no such guarantees -- but it's fast becoming a mandatory technology for individuals leading large complex companies."
About the Author
Alice LaPlante is an award-winning writer and editor who has covered business for more than 20 years.
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