Systematic Tracking of Key Performance Indicators for Enhanced Use of Enterprise Reports in the Soft Drinks Industry in Kenya

Abstract

Computer based information systems that exist in organizations gather and store voluminous data that is a useful resource in supporting management decision making. Enterprise Reporting, which is the focus of this study, provides a means by which these organizations can unify and sift the vast amounts of electronic data available so as to glean insights that are handy in management decision making. This paper aims at finding a solution to the current underutilization of the existing volumes of electronic data through enterprise reporting. The study specifically assessed the status and the challenges of enterprise reporting, and determined appropriate Key Performance Indicators that can be tracked, and how they can be tracked to enhance the use of enterprise reports. Data was collected through the use of interviews, and thematic analysis method was used to analyze the responses obtained. Purposive sampling method was used to get respondents, drawn from business and Information Technology functions of the organization. The study was informed by systems theory, whereby enterprise reporting was regarded a component of a computer based information system of a typical organization. The study anticipated that utilization of electronic data through enterprise reporting can be improved through systematic tracking of Key Performance Indicators related to the factors that negatively influence the use of enterprise reports.Whereas this study was confined to specific company in the soft drinks industry, the findings can be of relevance to a wider group of related organizations. The study has generated an in-depth understanding of the issues related to the use of enterprise reports and anticipated to make a contribution to the existing knowledge on Enterprise Reporting and Business Intelligence in general in various organizations. The findings of the research will therefore help shape policies relating to the use of enterprise reports to facilitate better decision making and consequently better realization of organizational goals.