How does Alan Greenspan, the U.S. Federal Reserve chairman, decide to raise or
lower interest rates? He analyzes statistical indicators and raw data describing the U.S.
economy. He gathers and synthesizes the often-conflicting reports of the governors of
the Federal Reserve Board and those of the presidents of the 12 Federal Reserve
Banks and other major banking institutions. He combines all this with his 25 years of
experience and intuition, along with real-time information that includes anecdotal
insights from leaders of important sectors of the U.S. economy. Data and other knowledge
are provided through this extensive network that comprises a knowledge management
system extraordinaire.