1. What is the difference between a “dashboard” and a “scorecard”? Why is it important that managers know the difference between the two? What can they learn from each?
2. In what ways have the companies mentioned in the case benefited from their adoption of “fact-based” decision-making? Provide several examples from the case to illustrate your answer.
3. Information quality is central to the approach toward decision-making taken by these organizations. What other elements must be present for this approach to be successful (technology, people, culture, and so forth)?

It’s7 a.m. in San Antonio, Texas, and Rich Marcogliese, chief operating officer of Valero Energy, is holding his usual morning meeting with the plant managers of 16 major refineries throughout the United States and Canada.