An MIS is a good way to collect and organize facts and figures for availability in a timely fashion. The MIS can be computerized or paper-based. A mechanism for processing and storing the data. A mechanism for making the information available to everyone in the organization. Marketers need to make everyone in the organization aware of the information needed for making marketing decisions.
Many companies use reverse engineering to analyze competitors' products.
A database is a computerized file of data that can be searched for particular details. Internal databases are built and maintained by one organization. Privacy advocates are alarmed by the amount of data held in marketing databases. Using sophisticated formulas, the MDSS pulls data from databases and winnows the mass of details to uncover trends and patterns. One application of MDSSs is to analyze the results of marketing efforts.