The problem between Sam and Eileen is a common one in the world of MIS. The information systems manager thinks that the company should run for the convenience of the information department, and production departments (including inventory) think that the computer should merely automate the way that the company does business. Unfortunately for both Sam and Eileen, they are both wrong. Ideally, an information system does change the way a company does business, which is Eileen's point. With more information available and more automation on hand, some manual processes are simply eliminated, while other processes are modified. However, Sam's point that the computer should fit the way they work is also valid from the standpoint that a business has certain needs that a computer can help solve. If a computer system does not need the needs of the people who use it, it is not effective.
In this case, the current problem is that neither Sam or Eileen truly understands the role that the computer is to play within the company. Eileen is looking for the most efficient way to run her department, while Sam wants to minimize the impact on his. It is not realistic for Eileen to suggest that Sam should wade to multiple reports to get information that was formerly available on a single report, and it is not appropriate for Sam to state that he will not change the way his department operates. The computer is a tool that should be used by the company as a whole. It is not the end result of the company, nor does it produce anything that the company can sell.
How did Sam and Eileen reach this point of impasse? Poor planning can be the only culprit. When it was decided to upgrade the computer system, both Sam and Eileen were likely in favor of the idea, but probably for different reasons. Eileen probably calculated that the new computer system would make her department more efficient, and that she would be able to put processes into place tha...