No matter how sophisticated your systems are, without quality data the technology is no good to anyone. Information is the enabler of the technology. It is the chief by-product of the information age. It is what the internal and external customer continually craves.
Do you know where your information is? If not, we’ve identified the Information Management standards to help you find it.
Why standardise?
From email to meeting minutes, annual reports to resumes and employee profiles, verbal discussions to written contracts, organisations of all motivations and sizes produce immense amounts of information. Some of it hunkers down in the far reaches of a server, much of it revels in the obscurity of employee hard drives, still more sits firmly ensconced in the brains of workers who may not understand its value.
To reap the benefits of uniting this information, organisations must explain to all knowledge contributors when, where and how to make it available. Deposits of knowledge into the collective repository must be identified as an asset to the organisation and a key component of each employee’s job. Knowledge capital must be constructed with the same care and level of quality as any other product or service.
For workers to operate successfully under this new, knowledge-centric paradigm, a set of standards must be applied to each stage of the information generation process: information capture, retrieval, dissemination, editing and preservation.
What are the benefits?
Time is money. Time wasted on unproductive searches, wading through obsolete or incorrect data and reinventing content hidden in a distant microchip can add up. In their study titled Designing usable intranets, the Nielsen Norman Group estimates that a company with 10,000 employees can rack up $15 million a year in lost productivity.
The savings attributed to structured information management can be varied and widespread. A knowledge-enabled, collaborative workforce makes quicker, more accurate decisions. The use of obsolete data, or the loss of data altogether, can lead to liability claims. Being able to share data with partners and suppliers strengthens relationships. With accurate data at your fingertips, time-to-market could be reduced, a huge advantage in a competitive business climate.
For government, there is a closer association between quality information delivery and social responsibility. Strict rules surround access to and the preservation of information. Citizens’ private information must be protected; public information must be identified and made accessible to all, regardless of physical challenges. Information of historical significance must be preserved over the years, in a durable format that will not be rendered inoperative by the fickle whims of future technology. Governments around the world use information management standards to ensure that they consistently meet these obligations.
What are the challenges?
Knowledge management (KM) is particularly susceptible to the culture of an organisation. Information management standards must be applied consistently and many of them cannot be completely automated, knowledge contributors must embrace them and use them on a daily basis. Buy-in from users is critical to the successful application of information management standards.
"Just by reorganizing, we wouldn't get people to change how they think and work with other people," says Gordon Larson, Chief Knowledge Officer at insurance company CNA. "Moving from a decentralized culture to a collaborative one is a major change-management challenge."
Standards overview
Information management standards are used to ensure that knowledge is retained and put to use to achieve maximum return for the enterprise.
In any organisation, information passes through a similar cycle: the data is captured, retrieved, edited, distributed and preserved. In a knowledge-enabled enterprise, each of these stages is governed by information management standards to ensure the quality of the data as it progresses.
Stage 1 – Capture
In this stage, information management standards are used to identify, document and classify information, including undocumented knowledge capital such as project history, application logic, decisions made, etc.
Examples of the standards applied at the capture stage include accessibility and data classification.
Stage 2 – Retrieve/Distribute
In this stage, information management standards are used to control access to the information and ensure that all applicable laws are followed. They control the way in which information is disseminated to the target audience via portal technology, discussion boards, e-mail, web pages, articles etc.
Examples of the standards applied at the retrieve/distribute stage include copyright and liability.
Stage 3 – Edit
In this stage, information management standards are used to update the information as required while safeguarding the quality and integrity of knowledge capital.
Examples of the standards applied at the edit stage include security and version control.
Stage 4 – Preserve
In this stage, information management standards are used to save and maintain the appropriate level of access to information in all formats. They also specify if, when and how information is removed from the system.
Examples of the standards applied at the preservation stage include archiving and disposal.
Next steps
Selecting standards for your organisation can be a complex task. There are many industry-specific variations and, in some cases, there are laws regulating the management of information. iFocus retains expertise in the area of knowledge management and can perform a standards gap analysis to ensure that your organisation not only makes full use of its data, but does it in a way that is interoperable with industry partners and compliant with all applicable laws and regulations.
References
Compton, Jason 2001, Dial K for Knowledge, CXO Media Inc.
Genusa, Angela 2000, Chaos Theory, CXO Media Inc.
Olsen, Stefanie 2003, Sluggish search engines sap productivity, CNET Networks
Santosus, Angela 2002, Underwriting Knowledge, CXO Media Inc.
Shein, Esther 2001, The Knowledge Crunch, CXO Media Inc.
Keys to KM Success
- Perform an information management standards gap analysis.
- Identify industry-specific requirements.
- Identify knowledge sources.
- Support the organisation’s culture and goals.
- Make change management a priority.
More information
Contact iFocus.