Redesign of Managerial Tasks: A Requisite for Successful Decision Support Systems

Developing and installing a computerobased system in an organization can have major impacts on the tasks performed by participants in that organization. In recent years, an increasing share of systems development effort has been directed toward systems to support managerial decision making. These systems require a far greater degree of individual change than did earlier, clerical replacement systems. Successful implementation often requires changes in the users" views of their jobs. The demands that these systems place on the implementation process cause many standard development approaches to be inadequate. This article suggests some alternative approaches and points out the need for new tools.