Kings College

Executive Support System

A Class Assignment

SURAJ PRASAD SIMKHADA 9/24/2013

Executive Support System (ESS) An Executive Support System (ESS) aka Executive Information System (EIS) facilitates access to organized enterprise and departmental data while providing analysis utilities and performance assessment predictors. An ESS provides potential outcomes and quick statistical data that are applied to decision making processes. An ESS is software that allows users to transform enterprise data into quickly accessible and executive-level reports, such as those used by billing, accounting and staffing departments. An ESS enhances decision making for executives (Techopedia.com). In addition to providing quick access to organized data from departments, some ESS tools also provide an analysis tool that predicts a series of performance outcomes over time using the input data. This type of ESS is useful to executives as it provides possible outcomes and quick reference to statistics and numbers needed for decision-making. ESS also supplies the necessary tools to senior management. The decisions at this level of the company are usually never structured and could be described as "educated guesses." Executives rely as much, if not more so, on external data than they do on data internal to their organization. Decisions must be made in the context of the world outside the organization. The problems and situations senior executives face are very fluid, always changing, so the system must be flexible and easy to manipulate. The Role of ESS in the Organization: Executives often face information overload and must be able to separate the chaff from the wheat in order to make the right decision. On the other hand, if the information they have is not detailed enough they may not be able to make the best decision. An ESS can supply the

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summarized information executives need and yet provide the opportunity to drill down to more detail if necessary. As technology advances, ESS are able to link data from various sources both internal and external to provide the amount and kind of information executives find useful. As common software programs include more options and executives gain experience using these programs, they're turning to them as an easy way to manipulate information. Many executives are also turning to the Web to provide the flexibility they need. ESS supports the following: An inventory of all of your current information assets. Comparative sales figures between one week and the next. Projected revenue figures based on new product sales assumptions.

Features/Properties of an ESS: Ease of use: The system must be fast and extremely simple to use as it will be used by busy executives. The use of touch screens, mouse and icons, popup menus, etc. is normal. Access to data: There must be unhindered rapid access to data permitting vertical and horizontal exploration. Data Analysis: EIS should provide facilities for such things as ratios, trend calculations, and data integration forecasts. Quality Presentation: The system should provide interesting and understandable formats using colours, graphics, and diagrams.

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Advantages of ESS: Access information faster. Access a broader range of information. Retrieve selected information in a more focused way. Reduces the amount of data to be reviewed. Incorporates the amount of data to be reviewed. It is screen based, with printouts only being required for specific matters. It can display output in graphical form, A committed and informed executive sponsor. An operating sponsor. A clear link to business objectives. The best use of technology. Recognize the existence of data problems and managing the solution of those problems. Managing organizational resistance crises management. Managing the spread and evolution of the system. Strategic long term planning and objectives. An EIS should be able to integrate with all other systems both internal & external system.

Disadvantages of ESS:

Difficult to keep current data May lead to less reliable and insecure data Small companies may encounter excessive costs for implementation Too detailed Oriented

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Executive Support System In Figure

(Source: http://www.mcrit.com)

As we know, senior managers use a category of information systems called executive support systems (ESS), it is used to make decisions and it serves the strategic level of the organization. They address unstructured decisions and create a generalized computing and communications environment rather than providing any fixed application or specific capability. Since, ESS is designed to incorporate data about external events such as new tax laws or competitors, but they also draw summarized information from internal MIS and DSS. They also filter, compress, and track critical data, emphasizing the reduction of time and effort required to obtain information useful to executives.

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Reference: Executive Support System (ESS), http://www.techopedia.com/definition/543/executivesupport-system-ess Assembling, http://www.mcrit.com/ASSEMBLING/assemb_central/WhatESS.htm http://www.slideshare.net/VonAdamMartinez/executive-support-system http://wiki.answers.com/Q/Advantages_and_Disadvantages_of_executive_support_syste m
http://cpe.njit.edu/dlnotes/MIS645/MIS648_IntergratingExpertsystemsExecutiveInformationSys temsandDecisionSupportSystems.pdf

Efraim Turban and Hugh J. Watson, Integrating Expert Systems, Executive Information Systems, and Decision Support Systems, http://www.attask.com/topics/executiveinformation-system

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