Management information requirements assessment: the state of the art
ACM SIGMIS Database
A definition and design framework for management information
Information and Management
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This brief position paper presents a framework for mapping computer-based information aids onto the mental activities involved in the full problem-solving process. It argues that these activities are best described in terms of operators---the verbs and commands that the individual uses in a particular stage of the Intelligence Cycle. The cycle begins with Discovery, the recognition of some signal requiring response. Discovery filters data into information and mainly involves operators that attenuate or amplify data: "alert", "keep track of" (amplification) and "summarize", "report averages" (attenuation). Few computer tools support amplification. The second stage, Interpretation is one where the machine generally outperforms the human mind, especially in inference and statistical analysis. Examples of operators for this stage are "compare", "review" and "suggest." The final stage, Analysis, is strongly supported by management science, especially through optimization models; typical operators are "test the impact of" and "evaluate." None of our current tools supports the full Intelligence cycle. The position paper suggests that the development of a science of information-processing must both identify the cognitive operators underlying the activities within the cycle and match the technical building blocks to them.