s an integral part of working with clients to meet strict data requirements relating to taxation and trade regulations, ECS provides expert assistance in the design of customized databases, data extraction tools, and data analysis applications aimed at optimizing the results of the regulatory effort. Because of the many-faceted data analyses normally required in these regulatory proceedings, one result of the regulatory proceeding is typically the creation of a valuable new resource that can be used by the client for profit maximizing purposes both inside and outside the area of the regulatory concern. This resource consists of a central data warehouse that integrates a multitude of data sources from disparate computer systems that are not normally available for cross-reference or simultaneous analysis. As a result, a valuable new management resource is created that is rich with information beyond what is necessary for the regulatory proceeding.

ECS has developed a Decision Management Systems practice area that leverages our technical expertise and many years of experience to provide maximum value to our clients. In this respect, ECS¹s has two main objectives:

• Create an integrated data warehouse that not only meets the short-term objective of satisfying the relevant regulatory requirements, but is designed to simultaneously provide valuable business information on a continuing basis.
  
  
• Develop customized decision management and data mining tools and other computer applications that extract the maximum value from the data warehouse.