Marketing information systems

The marketing information system (MIS) consists of people, equipment, and procedures to gather, sort, analyze, evaluate, and distribute needed, timely, and accurate information to marketing decision makers. A well-designed information system begins and ends with users. The MIS first assesses information needs. The marketing information system primarily serves the company's marketing and other managers. However, it may also provide info such as suppliers are marketing services agencies. Then, the MIS develops information from internal databases, marketing intelligence activities, and marketing research. Internal databases provide information on the companies owned sales, costs, inventories, cash flows, and accounts receivable and payable. Such data can be obtained quickly and cheaply but often needs to be adapted for marketing decisions. Marketing intelligence activities supply everyday information about developments in the external marketing environment. Market research consists of collecting informa relevant to specific marketing problems faced by a company. Lastly, the MIS distributes information gathered from the sources to the r in the right form and that the right time to help to make better marketing decisions.