Evaluating the quality of management information

The remarkable advances in computation and communications technology over the past 20 years have led to systems which can bring information from many widespread sources immediately and accurately to decision makers.But will the global, immediate, and accurate information made possible by this technology improve the performance of decision making significantly?Successes in airline reservation systems and in continental defense say yes.However, research by Conway, Maxwell, and Miller (9, pp 238 and 2A1) and Carroll (7), and that presented below, suggest that the benefits from immediate, highly accurate, and global information probably will not justify the expensive technology needed to get it.This ambiguity of the value of high quality information creates a dilemma for the designer of on-going, resource management systems.He doesn't know how to specify information quality in his designs.While he can calculate the costs of obtaining different levels of quality of information with relative ease, there is no useful body of theory or experience to help him evaluate the effects upon the performance of a resource management system of different levels of information quality.On-going resource management decisions are a major part of any enter- prise whether it be a business, a hospital, a school, a welfare department, or a military service.On-going resource management decisions determine manpower, sales effort, plant, and equipment.They schedule orders, allocate product, assign work, and man engineering projects.These decisions adapt resources to ever-changing circumstances.These decisions are repetitive and they are guided by policy.However, the frequency of the 5?7469 is measured by customers, competitiors, and the firm itself.For example, results of production resources show up in inventories, backlogs, and schedule condition.Results of product development are quality, profit