What is Executive Information System

An executive information system (EIS) is a computerbased system that serves the information needs of top executives. Also known as executive support systems (ESSs), EISs are essential for a business to succeed in today’s highly competitive corporate environment. EISs gained popularity in the 1990s and became a staple in almost all large organizations. Today the focus is more on performance management and things like the everpopular balance scorecard (Kaplan & Norton, 1992; Smith, 2006). However, even though very few articles are being written about EISs, they still exist because companies, quite frankly, have a need for EISs, as the need for executive information remains. As Power (2003) indicated, EISs may continue to take different shapes over the next few years but the basic principles of an EIS will remain the same.