The University Information Center has transformed data retrieval and reporting from a slow process performed by high-priced technical personnel to an instantaneous service performed by those who need and can define the service required. The result at Indiana University has been improved quality of computing. (Author/MLW)

Decision support systems integrate information from multiple data sources, both internal and external, to produce concise analytic reports for both decision making and planning. The administrator requiring information for decision making is usually not concerned with daily, detailed changes, but rather with aggregated numbers, from fixed points in…