The recent announcement by Thorn EMI Software Ltd, exclusive distributor of the Pilot executive mangement system and Hewlett-Packard Co that they have implemented the system for the HP9000 Series 800 Unix machines (CI No 1,391) seems to back up claims that this type of system is set to become an important section of the software market in the 1990s. London-based Business Intelligence Ltd estimates that UK users of executive management systems leapt to 150 in 1989 from 80 in 1988. In the same period suppliers of systems in the UK increased to 18 from 13 and that compares with just three in 1985. So why have systems that are aimed at people who are often computilliterate or even hostile towards information technology started to take off? For the software companies themselves the answer is, of course, simple. A product that helps senior managers to increase their competitive edge by sorting out and serving up essential information in an easily digestible form whenever they need it has got to be a winner. Martin Brown of Thorn acknowledges that initially it was difficult to get the idea of using a personal computer, instead of asking various secretaries and assisto tants provide them with information, across to top executives. But now, he says, managers are recommending such systems to one another, so impressed are they with the results. Marketing for the Pilot system generally takes the form of seminars to explain what the systems are and what they can do. But Brown stresses that the systems are only as good as the users. In answer to criticism that information technology can destroy the important network of personal relationships in a company he says its up to the director to make the system work for him as a short cut, rather than allowing it to lock people out. As well as enabling the user to access company information in tables and graphs, the Pilot system can dial an employee’s extension number so that having identified a problem, the director can then talk about it. The Pilot executive information system will be available on the HP Series 9000 from May. The system can also use the HP Vectra personal computer as a desktop device. Thorn says that the cost of implementing a system varies from company to company although recent installations for Thames Water and WH Smith were around UKP140,000.
