REENGINEERING THE EXECUTIVE - THE 4TH GENERATION OF EIS

The executive information system (EIS) has long promised to provide ex ecutives with computing power and information access. The reality is t hat the EIS of today is moving down the organisational structure and t he executive is still waiting for the benefits of information technolo gy. This paper describes and extends an executive implementation metho dology as a tool in re-engineering executive work practices in two Aus tralian firms. It first describes the nexus between computing, executi ve management style and information systems. Then it discusses action research, as carried out on two small Australian companies. In using t his methodology particular attention was paid to addressing any inhere nt weaknesses. The outcomes provided one executive with information to ols that allowed for an extension of his creative work processes and t he other with rapid internal monitoring of crucial production data. In the former case, all aspects of the methodology were successful, howe ver the latter was flawed due to external commercial forces.