The Hiflex EIS (Executive Information System) leadership tool supports

management decision-making processes

If the term Management Information System (MIS) is to replace the rather bland

term Business Software, it has to live up to its name and truly provide management

with information - quickly and at a glance. With its Information Cockpit EIS

(Executive Information System), Hiflex has expanded its MIS to let management

view the key company data at a glance.

"If used correctly, information is a key success factor. However, gathering

information does not necessarily mean sifting through huge piles of records or

papers. Information gathering can be automated, says Stefan Reichhart, CEO of

Hiflex GmbH. Which is why the Hiflex MIS now includes an EIS system as information

cockpit. With the increasing volume of data and the use of database systems,

management wants to have direct access to data that supports their leadership

function. However, management information systems alone cannot meet this

requirement. Still, management at various levels should be given both detailed and

summary information from the operational database of the management information

systems.

Key requirements include standardized reports, the availability of information at all

management levels, and up-to-date summary information covering all business

activities.

Executive Information System as a Leadership Tool

An Executive Information System (EIS) is defined as a management system which

offers decision-makers relevant and up-to-date information via intuitive and

customizable user interfaces. An EIS promotes communication, provides current

data, filters out irrelevant data, and presents information which is important for

decision-making.

In such a system, information about all aspects of the company is gathered from

internal and external sources, and subsequently processed and presented to

management in a format suitable for senior executives , explains Stefan Reichhart.

Since EIS evolved from reporting, it can present both summary and detailed data

views."

Rather than help prepare a decision, EIS is used for initiating decision-making

processes. In addition to passive searches for relevant information, early warning

systems which alert management to special situations and unusual data

configurations, are gaining importance.

Nothing without a Database

From the very outset, the Hiflex business software has been using databases. Even

though it developed into a management information system some time ago, the

approach is still the same. The Hiflex MIS has always provided all relevant analyses

of sales, orders, orders not received, or statistical data for sales, contribution

margin, and added value planning virtually at the push of a button. Yet all of the

relevant information had to be generated manually.

With the integrated EIS system, Hiflex has created an information cockpit,

configured for specific Hiflex user groups, which processes analyses as dynamically

generated tables and graphics.