The successful integration of microcomputer support to help prepare for an anticipated budget crisis at the University of Illinois at Chicago is described. The IBM Personal Computer and VisiCalc software were key tools in the decision support system. When campus executives were instructed to cut budgets and reallocate funds to produce a "Doomsday Planning Budget," a micrcomputer based system was developed to analyze both historical funding and current resource allocation patterns. In addition, the system includes a "what-if" module that permits decision makers to test resource allocation alternatives. Major stages of the construction of the database were identification and extraction of source data, development of a comprehensive master database, and creation of an executive data cube (an application database). The database covers the following dimensions: current budget allocation information, the history of the allocations, details concerning administrative services personnel, and some measure of external factors that influence the allocations and expenditures. Diagrams help to illustrate the construction of the database. Ten suggestions for other colleges are included. (SW)