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I need software that allows my field staff to input data (financial stuff, etc.) so that I can get a "global" picture of operations. In other words, I want to be able to get a pciture of what's happening in different parts of the country with regard to my organization's activities (via the field staff) with one click. I definitely do not want to build or use a database in-house because we are currently in the dark ages.
Does anyone know at the very least the type of software I am talking about? No need to give specific company names.
Surely some you techies have to get a global picture of what techies in your field offices are doing and thus use certain software:)
You're describing an MIS - Management Information System. I've worked on custom ones before but don't know of any off the shelf packages that do this. (does not mean there are not some good ones available.)
The biggest problems with the MIS were mostly procedural, getting the right people to put in the right data at the right times. The most successful sections of the system I worked on were where they linked in automatically with accounting programs, stock systems etc... In my case again these were custom systems with in house teams working on them - so we could request data feeds and methods.
Some light [directory.google.com] reading for you. HTH