The significance of Marketing Information System in Effective Marketing Planning and Control
CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION
The use of information technology dramatically increases the benefits of companies in their attempts to gain the fundamental competitive advantage, also, information technology, which supports marketing function has become the most important because the most of the other information technology applications which highlight through marketing function has been doubled
THE REASONS FOR THE NEED OF MARKETING INFORMATION SYSTEM
The reasons for the need of marketing information system Can be summarized in the following points:
– Competitive pressures: they require the Organizations to have the ability to compete, to produce, and to market
developed products more quickly than before[5].
– The steady increase in consumer expectations and what they expect of products, in terms of its ability to satisfy their
needs, and the consequences of less serious or inaccurate decision taking due to the lack or inaccuracy of the information
upon which the decision will be built, and its impact on the organization’s success and sustainability.
– The emergence of large markets: the widespread production and distribution contributed to the emergence of large
markets, and their requirements of a large number of intermediaries between producers and final consumers, these
intermediaries become a barrier to the flow of data that can guide the development of marketing decisions related to the
consumers needs and desires, as a result the widening gap between producers and final consumers reinforce the
importance of marketing information system in bridging this gap [1].
-The information revolution: Each organization has more than one source of information, but the problem lies in how to
use and manage this information, with the development of computers and other operating data equipment, it has become
quick and inexpensive for management to run and analyze vast amounts of marketing data and provide information
necessary for effective decisions[4].
4. PROBLEMS FACING THE USE OF MARKETING INFORMATION SYSTEM
The application of marketing information system in organizations, faces some problems, the most important of them are
[8]:– The system depends basically, on individuals in the supply, summary, generation, and dissemination, and interpretation
of data. The possibility of bias of the system in terms of providing data that support preferred actions, rather than
evaluating all possible actions has been raised. Analysts have drew attention to the inaccuracy of the organizations
research for the use of information, the goals of individuals may be a particularly important factor for the objectiveness
of marketing information system in managing the operation of providing the information to choose among alternatives,
and making planning decisions. Managers who use the marketing information system data may impose their private
choice on the information, as well as on the ways of manipulating them. It should be noted that there are many obstacles
that prevent the free of flow of information, such as fear of the implementation, and personal reasons, mainly from the
standpoint of self-protection within the organization.
– The perception of marketing information system as an innovation:
Interactions problems faces marketing information system especially in the stages of creation and developments of the
system, in addition to other problems related to planning and control, there is the problem of the degree of change
resistance that can be directed to this change in different kinds of circumstances, which is the result of the new entity
existence or evolution as an innovation. Change is one of the main causes of organizational conflict in terms of creating
tension and anxiety which lead to resistance and then the struggle to avoid or change the direction of change.
– The nature of the organizational environment used marketing information systems:
One of the problems facing the use of marketing information system, is the way in which institutional relations hinder
the use of marketing information systems. Kotler described 23 cases of potential conflict between sections resulting from
the various assertions placed on certain matters by the various departments in a way that reflect personal approaches of
individuals, as well as differences in goals between departments [11].
For the system of marketing information, there are areas in which to reduce the flow of information, if there is a conflict
and disagreement or inconsistency, in the interests of the sections with the interests of the marketing department it has
been reflected negatively on the quality and volume of information that is provided to the marketing information system
and thus, adversely affected the efficiency of the system.
5. THE IMPACT OF INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY ON ORGANIZATION
One aspect of the IT impact on the organization is the use of new organizational structures which leads to the reduction
of the number of administrative levels, and expand the scope of supervision and control, supervision in this way is based
on staff confidence and less direct contact between supervisors and subordinates and relies on e-mail and software in
achieving coordination between the individuals who perform common tasks, and increase managers delegation of
decision-making responsibilities to lower levels, making the organization more responsive to its customers and its
competitors
