One of the first books to probe the latest direction in computing technology, this innovative text explores ways in which smart business systems can help pick the best, most optimal, or near-optimal solutions from among hundreds, even thousands of possibilities that threaten to swamp organizational decision makers daily. Well-illustrated with examples and discussions of typical applications in such areas as strategic planning, marketing, manufacturing, and accounting, the book will help managers at all levels tie their organization's critical success factors into its key performance indicators and financial ratios.