Abstract:

The nineteen nineties can be characterized as the decade of Change. This applies equally to all industry branches, but in particular to the pharmaceutical industry. Changes that are relevant for corporate industries can be localized in four different areas: Changes in Product Mix, Changes in Markets, Changes in Location, Changes in Processes. As a direct result of these continuously changing processes we can observe a steadily increasing Complexity. This paper demonstrates exemplarily how information experts - i.e. market and marketing researchers, strategic planners, information managers - or however they may be titled - can do justice to this permanently growing complexity in today's corporations. The corner-stone to cope with this challenge lies in the employment of intelligent Information Management Systems. The design and employment possibilities of such systems are exemplarily discussed and demonstrated through MARIS, the Market Research and Information System at Beiersdorf AG, Division medical.