According to Chiusolo & Kleiner, an ESS should replace paper reports, provide internal/external information in a timely manner, easily accessible and satisfy the executive desire for processed information (1995, 25). There is without a doubt that the ESS should replace paper reports since most organizations strive to maintain a paperless environment. User friendliness is a must, allowing an executive unfamiliar with computes access data swiftly and in a timely manner. Lastly, the executive may be unwilling to spend countless hours extracting data and converting it into visual aids. The ESS can furnish the executive with processed data immediately and comprehendible.
Once it has been determined that an Executive Support System will be beneficial to the organization’s executives and their decision making process, the next step involves creating the system.
Creating an Executive Support System
The difference between a well developed and a mediocre system that might not be used depends on the team assembled to create the system. The ESS should be created so that it requires little to no training with the appropriate personnel in mind. The ESS Planning team should consist of executives, IT/IS Personnel, an ESS Support Team and executive assistants. The executive is a very important member of the team, especially since the system will be configured with the in them in mind. Instances may occur when the executive is unable to participate in the creation process on a continual basis; in which case, someone should be assigned to participate for the executive. The assignee keeps the executive informed of the progress and provides the team with the executive’s feedback. The assignee also attempts to generate support and interest of the new system by conducting meetings with peers with the intentions that the peers will back the implementation and accept the new system.
The organization’s IT/IS Personnel are a critical part in creating an ESS. This group is normally responsible for troubleshooting, installing hardware/software and maintenance care. If something goes wrong within the system, IT/IS Personnel may be called upon to resolve the issue. It is vital that they have a clear understanding of how the system works so they can provide the proper support. The organization’s IT/IS Personnel may not be the sole group called upon to resolve issues, but maybe called with the assistance of an ESS Support Team.
The ESS Support Team can be a part of a current group in the organization, probably associated with IT/IS Personnel or can be a separate entity, providing additional support. Members of this team should understand the nature of the organization’s business as well as have technical skills. The main focus of this team is to maintain the system once it has been implemented.
Finally, the Executive Assistants should be involved in creating an ESS. Most would probably ask why include this functional group who have no idea of what transpires within an organization; however, executive assistants play a very strong part in the process which will be discussed later in determining the system requirements. Now that we have determined the important groups creating the Executive Support System, we will discuss the nature of the data involved in the system.
Data is raw facts that can be molded to create information, so why should it be considered during the creation process? In order for the ESS to be effective, it should be able to retrieve the appropriate data that will support the executive’s decision. An ESS uses internal and external data, at the command from the executive, to provide structure or a sense of direction towards a solid decision. Internally, data can be extracted from existing databases and stored. Data can be collected from other sources within the organization and entered in the ESS. Internal data can be processed to see how the decision made will affect the internal, organization environment. External data retrieved through the system includes stock market information, industry data, connects you to the web and customers. Many, if not all, organization keep their eye on the stock market, looking for positive results. An ESS can retrieve industry data so executives can compare and contrast the organization with others in the industry. It is important to maintain contact with industry information so you can see if you are a leader or a follower. The World Wide Web contains vast amounts of information some of which, extracted through an ESS, can provide a missing link or give you additional support for your decision. Customer data, i.e. customer satisfaction surveys, demographics, etc., is essential in the decision making process.
The hardware that will be used to harvest the power of the ESS should be remembered during the planning stages. The first piece of hardware that should be taken in consideration is the PC or desktop computer. There is perhaps not a job in the world that has at least one desktop computer. Executives are in their positions because of leadership abilities or management style so there should be no surprises that a lot of executives have little to no technical skills. The ESS should be one that the executive will only have to use the mouse or, in more technical organizations, touch screens. IT/IS personnel should inform executives whether or not the current serves would be able to maintain the storage of data and be able to handle. The information
Determining the system requirements
Some may agree that the biggest challenge in creating an Executive Support System is determining the system requirements. The nature of the executive’s position is very time consuming and they may not have the time to sit down and discuss the requirements of the system. One must take advantage of each and every discussion with executives by asking specific questions that will be useful in determining the system requirements. The executive should explain their responsibilities, issues with current reporting system, and any other problem they have encountered. The ESS should work in conjunction with the executive’s responsibilities and erase any issues that they have with the current system. When it is not possible to interview the executive, spending a day or two with the executive may be you next, best option. The executive can be observed throughout their daily routine, which uncovers some part of their responsibilities that was overlooked.
As stated earlier, Executive Assistants play an important role in creating the ESS and determining the system requirements. Executive assistants work closely with executives on a day-to-day basis. Since they have a close relationship with executives, they can probably give you more information about the executive’s responsibilities than the executives themselves. They can inform you of the type of information the executive finds useful and information that is considered as unacceptable. Executive assistants can inform you of the most requested info by executive, whom the executive talked to recently the executive work habits.
Another good method in determining the system requirements is conducting meetings with all of those involved. With all of the participants in one room, ideas of the system requirements can be discussed along with the direction of the ESS in the organization. Executives may not be required to attend these meetings but it would be beneficial to the process if they were able to attend.
Purchasing vs. Developing in-house
An organization should consider the pros and cons of purchasing proprietary software or develop their software before implementing an ESS. There are advantages and disadvantages for both; therefore, an organization will have to choose the best for their money. In some instances, the pre-package version my meet most of the system requirements and the organization decides to develop the missing portion in house. There are numerous of companies who provide pre-packaged ESS software, which should be selected, based on predetermined system requirements. Pre-packaged software can be installed quickly and in place in a short amount of time. Software changes constantly and with pre-packaged software, upgrades can take place with ease. When there is a change in the organization, the decision process changes, however, the pre-packaged software may not be able to adapt to the change, which could lead to a product that is useless and obsolete. Another downfall to purchasing pre-packaged software is modification cost. It may be determined that the desire software is unable to meet majority of the requirements desired. In this case, the software company can modify the software to meet your requirements, however, the modification cost could be expensive. The pre-packaged software may meet the desired requirements, however, after implementation, the system does not support the executive’s unstructured manner of reaching decisions; in this case, the organization has lost money in a product that is unusable.
An ESS that was developed in house can be built to specifications determined by those involved with planning the system as oppose to dealing with pre-packaged software specifications. Software developed in house can be easily integrated with the current system; mainly because the current system serves as the foundation for the ESS. An organization may face development delays with software built in house. Unlike pre-packaged software that is ready for installation after purchase, in house software may face development delays, which could prolong the implementation of the system. Cost is definitely a negative aspect of developing software in house. Costs can amount when there are delays in implementing the system or even when the software has to be scrapped altogether.
Improving ESS after implementation
Organizations should focus improving their ESS after it has been implemented to maximize its usage. The decisions the executive makes should be tracked with the use of cause & effect relationships. The system can produce graphs, statistics, and etc. to show the effect of the decision and depending on the time frame of when the decision was made; it’s very much possible to turn a negative, decisional outcome into a plus for the organization. Executives should consistently monitor the system for opportunities to improve their decision-making.
Advantages/Disadvantages of ESS
Executive Support Systems have the ability to drill down through an abundance of information. Drill down is the ability to maneuver from summary data to lower levels of details. An executive in the cable industry can use ESS to view the overall sales for last quarter in the southeastern market. The executive notice that sales in Georgia has been sluggish, with the click of the mouse, the executive can take it one step farther and see what area contributed to the slow sales. The drill down attribute allows the executive to locate problems that may not have been discovered outside the system. Drill down can create friendly competition within the organization by providing data showing the performance level of the different divisions and the source of success.
Normally the executive would rely on middle management to provide the answer, however, the data may be received too late to turn the negative around. No longer does the executive have to wait to receive information. The ESS gives the executive direct, personal access to all the data. This is important in situations involving time constraints because the executive looses valuable time waiting for the “middle-man” to provide them with the information needed to make a critical decision. No longer will the executive have to assign information searches to subordinates.
ESS allows executives to monitor the performance within their area of responsibility. Where this may be a plus with many executives, it doubles a warning to subordinates within the organization. Key indicators can be monitored throughout all levels of the organization alerting executives who are below, meeting or exceeding expectations. The ability to identify problem performers is essential to success of the individual, division and organization as a whole.
Organizations who fail to upgrade their hardware in support of ESS face the possibility of experiencing slow response times especially when the system is conducting complicated and complex queries. Slow response times may be the result of the organization’s unwillingness to spend money on new hardware. This is a good reason why it is important for IT/IS Personnel and/or the ESS Team maintains a good relationship with executives. Hardware issues should be resolved before implenting the system so there will be no conflicts afterwards. Another issue that may arise is that the new system may fail to interface with the current systems. It would cost an organization a great deal of time and money to do a complete overhaul of their existing systems, which is why most decides to keep them. Problem is that during the planning stages, it appears on paper that the ESS will work smoothly in conjunction with the existing system. As stated earlier, ESS retrieves internal data from existing databases, at least, that is the plan. Some ESS may not be able to retrieve data from some or all parts of an existing system, which may lead to an executive making decision with unreliable data.
When change arises, employees on all levels become a little uneasy for the simple fact there is a fear of uncertainty. How will the change aid job performance? Will the change add or take away some responsibilities? The big question, will the change create layoffs? ESS gives executives the ability to monitor the work of their peers and subordinates which can lead to resistance of the system. Employees do not like to feel watched constantly and may misconstrued the purpose of being able to monitor their performance as searching for a way to terminate their employment. As with any change that is implemented, introducing the organization to ESS should be approached with great care.
ESS Misconceptions
Executives would like to do less work as possible in the shortest amount of time. With an ESS in place, false expectations or misconceptions may arise. Executives may think that since there is a sophisticated system in place to assist in the decision-making process, the organization is more effective. Though the ESS will provide better ways of viewing issues or offer better problem solving techniques, which does not mean that the organization is more effective. It would take changes in the organization’s environment coinciding with the ESS to make the organization more effective.
The final answer to a problem or decision does not come from the ESS but from the executive working towards a solution. The ESS provides the executive with the data necessary to support the overall decision. The different scenarios, comparisons, statistics, graphical data should be reviewed thoroughly before arriving to a decision. Just because the system releases impressive data, implies that the data is correct. The system could have failed to communicate with one of the organization’s databases that contains a piece of information, however, the decision was based off the end result and cost the organization a couple of thousand of dollars. If the end result had of been reviewed, the missing piece could have been discovered, a more supportive decision made and the organization could have been raking in a couple of hundred thousand of dollars. Executives have to make sure that their decision is not the one of the machine but based from thorough research of the problem.
Conclusion
Executive Support Systems can be instrumental to executives as they continue seek different methods of improving their decision-making. Executives’ desires to receive information in a timely manner, have easy access to information and receive the information in a processed format such as graphs.
The right people should be involved when planning and implementing an Executive Support System. The system should be created, implemented and maintained by the right people otherwise it will be useless. Since the system is designed for the executives, it is imperative that the executives know what they want the system to do or the results they would like to receive. Executives can have a system that may be geared towards communication, data retrieval or creating scenarios or what-if analysis.
The advantages of ESS are numerous providing executives use it full potential. Executives will see improved management performance, greater availability of data, ability to view the organization’s strengths & weaknesses and improve organizational effectiveness providing the system supports the organization’s strategy.
The tool for success is out there; organizations have to ask themselves if they want to take advantage of it and move forward within their industry or continue to be followers, walking in another’s steps.
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