1. Marketing Information System (MIS)
• A system designed to generate, store, and
disseminate an orderly flow of pertinent
information to marketing managers.
• Marketing research focuses the act of
generating information.
• MIS focuses on managing the flow of
information to marketing decision makers.

2. The Nature/Tasks of MIS
• The information provided by am MIS is
used to assist in each of the three major
tasks of marketing decision making:
–the system helps to identify,
–select,
–and resolve marketing problems, or
opportunities.

3. Basis of MIS
• Periodic surveys on consumer behavior,
spending patterns.
• Tailored consumer research studies are
conducted to develop merchandizing and
marketing plans.

4. Key Task of an MIS
• To provide needed information to the
appropriate managers in a usable format
in a timely fashion.
• The most difficult task is to specify who
receives what information when and in
what format.
• Once initiated, successful MISs continue
to evolve and change over time.

5. Types of Information: 1. Recurrent
Information
• is provided on a periodic basis.
• For example: market shares by region,
customer awareness of the firm’s advertising,
prices of the three leading competitors,
customer satisfaction with the firm’s product
and customer purchase intentions.
• Useful for identifying problems and
opportunities.

6. 2. Monitoring Information
• MI is information derived from the regular
scanning of certain sources.
• Examples: summary of articles, relevant
journals, government reports.
• Come from external sources.
• Useful for alerting firms for potential
problems, opportunities.

7. 3. Requested Information
• Information developed in response to a
specific request by a marketing manager.
• Example: size of the market not served by the
firm and the level of customer satisfaction
with the existing brands in the market.
• Much of this information would not be
available in the system and would have to be
generated.

8. Specialized MISs
• Firms typically develop smaller specialized
systems designed to meet the needs of a
subset of managers. Or, systems are
developed for specific types of information
such as data on competitors.
• These systems are doable within the
resources of most organizations.

9. Benefits of SMISs
• Restricted to few managers who are aware of
the need for the data and who will therefore
“champion” the system.
• Example of a specialized MIS focused on
competitor activities.

10. Marketing Decision Support
Systems (MDSS)
• The term DSS is often used synonymously with
MIS.
• These are two different concepts.
• MISs are centralized suppliers of information.
• It is generally supplied to them by staff
personnel on a periodic, as it is available, or
requested basis.

11. MDSS
• DSSs are decentralized and allow the
managers to interact directly with the data
base.
• The systems are generally computerized and
have one or more models (formulas) built in.
• These models are developed to assist with
specific decisions faced by marketing
personnel.

12. MDSS
• DSSs generally provide the results of analyses
of decision situations rather than the more
“factual” information generally supplied by an
MIS. (See Figure 2.3 at your book).
• Most MDSSs are specific in nature.
• Most firms have a series of MDSSs, some with
shared components and some completely
independent.

13. Components of an MDSS
1. Models
2. Data
3. Computers
4. An interface system
5. managers

14. 1. Models
• Models are mathematical statements of the
presumed relationship between two or more
variables.
• Sales revenue = units sold x average price per
unit
• These models are used for what-if analyses
and sensitivity analyses.

15. Sensitivity analysis is determining
at what level or value, if any, each
of the unknown variables has a
meaningful impact on the decision
to be made.

16. 2. Data
• Inevitable need of data.
• Arrangement to acquire it.
• Computerization of data
• Developing models (mathematical)

17. 3. Computer System
• The data could be analyzed manually, but it is
impractical.
• MDSSs are developed for mini-computers and
personal computers rather than mainframes.
• Limited data storage requirement of most
MDSSs.

18. 4. Interface
• Software that allows the manager to interact
with the data and the model.
• Successful MDSSs are exceedingly user
friendly.

19. 5. Managers
• Managers are the most important aspect of an
MDSS,
• Managers must understand how to do what if
and other relevant analyses.
• They must understand and accept the models
involved.
• They should be actively involved in developing
the models.

20. MDSS Applications
• There is a wide range of applications of an
MDSS.
• Two most common applications are:
• New Industrial Product Sales Forecast and
Launch Strategy MDSS.
• Marketing Budget MDSS