Databases Reference
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Generate Business
Reports
Identify Opportunity
For Change
Implement
New Solution
Update Success
Metrics
Figure 2-1
The new generation of business workers is informed and empowered to make decisions. They need tools
to get useful information and respond to changes. Having data available is useless unless it has business
value and can be used to effectively make informed decisions.
A fundamental fact in business is that the people who gather and collect data are often not the people
who use that data or need access to the information that the data represents. Business executives, man-
agers, and analysts make strategic decisions every day that may affect many people, the direction of
their organizations, and ultimately, the way people and organizations will go about conducting business
in the industry. These decisions are largely driven by the relative height of a bar displayed in a chart or a
few numbers printed on a piece of paper. Having capable reporting tools doesn't necessarily solve this
problem. Most businesses don't know how to effectively use the products they own. A reporting tool is
of little value if it's complicated and difficult to use.
This presents some fundamental challenges, such as collecting comprehensive, accurate, and meaningful
information; storing it in a form so it continues to represent the facts; and presenting the information in a
concise and unbiased form. On the surface, it seems like a simple task.
Automation to the Rescue — a Scenario
I'll share an example of this kind of challenge. Several years ago, I spent a few months developing a report-
ing system for the operations group at a paper mill in the Pacific Northwest. The old mill is located in a
small, remote town, and many of the people operating the mill have been working there all of their lives.
As is common in the pulp and paper industry, the mill has changed ownership a few times and is currently
operated by a very large paper and office supply company.
As time went by and technology changed, several different computer systems were incorporated into
the operation of this mill; an IBM 360 and an AS/400 system were used to manage customer orders and
production history records. The original inventory management system is still in place. It's a very old,
special-purpose computer that stores most of its data in a single, flat text file. All of its components are
redundant, and it hardly ever needs significant maintenance. Shortly before I arrived, a Windows server
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