Information Systems for Managerial Planning and Control: A Conceptual Examination of Their Temporal Structure.

Author List: Ariav, Gad;
Journal of Management Information Systems, 1992, Volume 9, Issue 2, Page 77-98.
The managerial functions of planning and control are information-intensive "memory processes," and are inherently temporal. As such, they are a major application domain for temporally oriented information systems (TOIS), which are distinguished by their explicit handling of time and memory. Although TOIS have been studied vigorously in recent years, there has been no attempt to relate them to the temporal concerns pertinent to these managerial processes. This paper systematically examines the structure of, and access to memory in planning and control activities, in an attempt to identify major related design requirements. The examination proceeds as follows: First, a conceptual framework of planning and control is developed. This framework facilitates the examination of memory aspects of these processes, specifically the extent and nature of memory implied by the underlying models and the actual control schemes. The three themes that emerge from this examination are: (1) the fundamental necessity of temporally independent access to data in planning and control applications; (2) the inherent multiplicity of time perspectives upon which the notions of planning and control rest; and (3) the need to develop temporally oriented model management. These themes identify basic temporal functionalities that TOIS need to address. Current research on temporally oriented information systems, as assessed against these criteria, has not come up yet with adequate answers.
Keywords: design requirements for information systems; model management; planning and control.; temporally oriented information systems
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List of Topics

#188 0.209 processes interaction new interactions temporal structure research emergent process theory address temporally core discussion focuses area underlying deep structures way
#77 0.144 information systems paper use design case important used context provide presented authors concepts order number various underlying implementation framework nature
#63 0.141 mis problems article systems management edp managers organizations ;br> data survey application examines need experiences recent organization reports departments oriented
#78 0.108 planning strategic process management plan operational implementation critical used tactical effectiveness number identified activities years effective developed issues empirical plans
#280 0.079 control controls formal systems mechanisms modes clan informal used internal literature outsourced outcome theory configuration attempts evolution authority complementary little
#154 0.071 memory support organizations information organizational requirements different complex require development provides resources organization paper transactive depth process outside difficult breadth
#102 0.067 choice type functions nature paper literature particular implications function examine specific choices extent theoretical design discussion value widely finally adopted
#216 0.059 conceptual model modeling object-oriented domain models entities representation understanding diagrams schema semantic attributes represented representing object relationships concepts classes entity-relationship