John Oldfield is feeling under pressure. His desk is covered with market research reports, data from the accounts department regarding sales and profits figures, sales representatives’

records and reports for the last three months, and any number of secondary reports, including government publications, Chamber of Commerce reports and bank reports pertaining to his company’s product markets.

His problem is that he simply cannot make sense of what it all means. His boss, the marketing director of Dashdish, has asked John to sort through all this information, which was previously on the marketing director’s own desk, and to come up with a report that makes sense of it all. The marketing director’s view is that there is plenty of information to go on, and that some of it must mean something for the company.

John is not even sure what information his marketing director wants, and why, let alone what the format and precise content should be.

Having studied at the local university for a marketing qualification, which helped John secure his job as a marketing assistant, he is convinced that the company needs a properly designed marketing information system. He is aware that the marketing director feels it is simply a question of getting lots of informa -

tion and then sifting through it. John feels his first priority will be to explain to his director the nature and purpose of a modern marketing information system in a company and the key facets in the design and operation of such a system. He has decided to write a brief report setting out his thoughts on these matters for his marketing director.

CASE STUDY QUESTION Write the report.