Information gathering problems in multinational banking

There are situations where the development of monolithic, centralised computer-based information systems have proved problematic, and this has led to significant difficulties in servicing the information needs of the business. This paper considers one such organisation, in the multinational retail banking sector. It discusses the extent to which the system has had difficulties in supporting business decision making. This is related to problems in gathering and maintaining relevant information. The banking sector is undergoing a period of rapid intensification of competition and fundamental change, where new products and services are both agents and consequences of the change. This presents an environment in which it in increasingly important to have information which is timely and is of high integrity on which to base decision making to ensure that it is in line with corporate strategy. Poor decisions, taken on the basis of poor information, may impact on the profitability of aspects of the business, particularly in a fiercely competitive market like banking. This paper introduces the banking sector in order to provide a background for the paper and an insight into the complexities of the business area. It then briefly discusses decision making and the associated role of information and communication technologies. This leads into a review of information that is required to support decision making and the difficulties that arise in gathering and managing this information. A related issue is the environmental pressures of the business sector which might restrict information gathering and use