Managing Information in the Information Age

As we enter the 21st century, we can observe the way information is changing the way organizations are managed. Firms collect more and more information about their customers, their suppliers, and their own operations. For example, customer relationship management systems collect detailed data about every customer, and “cookies” stashed on our hard drives provide information to the websites we use. Barcoded products and scanners enable managers to monitor inventory levels in real time and also provide reorder information to suppliers.

The underlying cause for this increase in the availability of information is, in a single word, technology, and we have only seen the tip of the iceberg. Technology will continue to advance in the form of faster and more accurate data transmission, more powerful computers, and electronic data storage equipment capable of storing petabytes of data. As technology advances, the cost of data collection, analysis and use continues to decline, further increasing the likelihood of data overload.

The challenge to managers in this true “Information Age” is to determine which information is most critical to the success of their organizations, and how to use that information to achieve a competitive advantage in the marketplace. Given the pace of technological advancement, decisions must be faster and better than ever before. Firms once had weeks and even months to react to changes in the marketplace; they now have only days—or even hours—and with very little room for error.

The Decision Sciences Institute’s annual meetings provide a forum for the exchange of innovative ideas among leading researchers, educators, and practitioners who share a common interest in scholarship in decision-making practices. The 2003 meeting will offer a variety of workshops, panel discussions, tutorials, and symposiums, as well as numerous presentations of leading-edge research projects in the field of decision sciences. As at previous meetings, there will also be invited sessions in every track hosted by some of the most highly-respected scholars and managers in their fields. Consistent with the Institute’s commitment to collaboration across academic disciplines, the meeting will encourage research and teaching innovations in all areas of managerial decision-making.

We invite you to the 2003 Annual Meeting in Washington, D.C. to present your most current research and teaching innovations. We also welcome you to attend the focused miniconferences and consortia scheduled for the first day of the meeting and throughout the conference. The meeting will provide an excellent opportunity to network with your friends and colleagues in the elegant and historic Marriott Wardman Park Hotel.

Meeting News and Updates

• Refereed Papers: April 8, 2003
• Abstracts and Proposals: May 1, 2003