The critical success factors for implementing data warehouse based executive information systems
Date
2014-03-10
Authors
Bestbier, Stuart
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Abstract
The use of Information Technology to meet the information needs of senior business
executives has been the focus of research effort for many years. Some years ago the
emergence o f Executive Information Systems (EISs) was seen as the panacea for the
information needs of senior executives. More recently, Data Warehouses have been
lauded as the ideal technology for providing an integrated view of an organisation's data,
while allowing analysis to be performed on this data. Data Warehouses are seen as the
ideal vehicle for decision support and the provision of executive information. However,
research studies have shown that the failure rate of both EISs and Data Warehouses are
very high.
This research identifies, from a theoretical and practical business perspective, those
critical factors that contribute to the successful implementation of EISs based on Data
Warehouses. This research is aimed primarily at senior business managers and
executives, IS/IT managers, and Data Warehouse practitioners, but is also relevant to
researchers. The Critical Success Factors (CSFs) can serve as indicators of potential risk,
as variables for consideration during planning and management, as a basis for judging the
suitability o f EISs based on Data Warehouses in particular situations, and as a basis for
justifying an investment in Data Warehousing.
Chapter one introduces the concepts of EISs and Data Warehousing. It also discusses the
high rate of failure of EIS and Data Warehouse implementations, the need for
understanding the CSFs for implementing EISs based on Data Warehouses, and accounts
for the justification of this research. Chapter two critically examines recent literature on
EISs and _iata Warehouses, and the critical issues surrounding the implementation of
EISs based on Data Warehouses. The results of the literature review are pr rented as a
narrative description that is synthesised to develop the theoretical conjecture and
associated empirical generalisations for the research. Chapter three develops an
argument for the research approach adopted, and presents the research methodology, or
procedural framework, within which the research was conducted. Research evidence was
gathered by conducting eighteen semi-structured interviews with senior business and
IS/IT managers, and Data Warehouse practitioners. Chapter four presents the results of
the content and interpretive analysis that was conducted on the research evidence.
Chapter five reviews the research results against the aim and objectives of the research,
and against the theoretical conjecture and empirical generalisations. Based on the results
o f the review a refined theoretical conjecture is proposed. Chapter six highlights some of
the limitations of the research, and provides suggestions for further research.
Keywords: critical success factors, executive information systems, data warehouse, data
warehousing