Management information requirements assessment: the state of the art
ACM SIGMIS Database
A new methodology for database requirements analysis
MIS Quarterly
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Before we can discuss Management Information Systems on a coherent and beneficial level we must know the needs of those at whom the information is directed. It has been said that a good salesman can create needs for his product and there is no doubt that this is what has happened in the development of computer based systems. It is time we found out what our customers' real needs are and it is time that we admitted to ourselves that these needs may not always require the most sophisticated solution. This paper describes a survey which sets out to establish management's information needs by focussing on the decisions taken by the managers and the information necessary to provide the input for the decision process. This identification of decision points and the subsequent analysis of information needs is an essential prerequisite for the successful design of meaningful information systems. The steps to be taken are set out in detail together with my comments based on the practical experience of carrying out such an analysis. At this time the survey has not been completed but by June '76 results should be available for discussion.