Generally, all of the data necessary for management to make the needed decisions was contained within the OLTP databases on the AS/400, but retrieving that data in a timely and meaningful way was a problem. Traditionally, requests for new queries were routed to the IS Department, with the delays often so great that the entire business climate could have changed again before the requested data was received.
This problem has been solved with the introduction of end-user query tools such as ShowCase Vista and Microsoft Access database management system using the ShowCase ODBC driver. Such tools allow the user to create and run a query on their workstation, getting the data they need to make business decisions in a matter of minutes rather than weeks.