Executive information systems (EISs) are challenging applications to d
evelop, and many organizations are unsuccessful in their efforts, A ma
jor problem is determining the information requirements for the system
. A multi-stage study was conducted to explore (1) methods used to det
ermine the information requirements for the initial and ongoing versio
ns of an EIS; (2) how frequently the methods are used; (3) how useful
the methods are; and (4) in what situations the methods are useful or
not useful. Telephone interviews identified 16 methods used to determi
ne information requirements and provided insights into what makes the
methods useful or not useful. Survey questionnaires revealed how frequ
ently the methods are used and how useful they are. The use of the 16
methods for the initial and ongoing versions of an EIS are discussed a
s are suggestions for further research.