Using Information for Decision-Making

Information and decision-making are inextricably linked; much of our information needs are related to decision-making and making good decisions requires information. Insufficient, inaccurate, or untimely information have detrimental impacts on decision-making. You need good information to understand the objectives of a decision, the constraints that limit the number of alternatives, and the alternatives themselves. You also need information to forecast the potential outcomes from each alternative. Finally, information provides the means for comparing and selecting among the alternatives. If you have inadequate information related to any of these, your ability to make the proper decision is limited.