An organised approach to the study of the information needs of an organization's management at every level in making operational, tactical, and strategic decisions. Its objective is to design and implement procedures, processes, and routines that provide suitably detailed reports in an accurate, consistent, and timely manner.

In a management information system, modern, computerised systems continuously gather relevant data, both from inside and outside an organization. This data is then processed, integrated, and stored in a centralised database (or data warehouse) where it is constantly updated and made available to all who have the authority to access it, in a form that suits their purpose.