From the manufacturers' viewpoint, MIS support is the second most important factor in the development of successful CM initiatives. In the early days of data processing, information technology was the clear province of the Data Processing Manager. His role was to automate the clerical and accounting operations in the firm. But those days are long gone.
Information technology is no longer a tool used to reduce the cost of doing business.
In those firms, business managers have learned how to think strategically about the use of technology. They have learned that information is now part of their products. The notion that the physical product can be enhanced by information is an old concept to the marketing managers in consumer packaged goods firms. Brand managers spend their time studying consumers and working with advertising agencies to find and communicate the right image for their brand. Since advertising is a means for establishing a strategic competitive advantage, marketing managers make sure they understand how it works and how they can use it to their advantage.