IS departments are being deluged with ad hoc requests for information
in corporate relational databases. Everyone needs their information ''
yesterday'' to make their business decisions. The IS departments resou
rces are being taxed to limit trying to fill all the requests. Are the
re any solutions to this problem? Also, what about the new Object Orie
nted Databases? Will we be facing the same problems with them as their
use spreads? This paper looks at the problems the IS departments have
with providing information for ad hoc requests. This paper also deals
with the problems of allowing non IS professionals access to corporat
e databases. Several attempts to solve these problems is discussed. We
also examine how these problems and solutions may relate to the new O
bject Oriented Databases.