Conducting information audits to help organisation identify their critical, corporate information sources.  We have repeatedly found many basic problems with how organisations manage their information.

Vital information is fragmented across the business.  Information is hard to find for anyone apart from for the individual that created it.  Information volumes are growing exponentially.  Typically, structured information (i.e. databases) is logically and physically separate from unstructured information (i.e. documents), requires different skills and applications to access it and is rarely integrated at anything beyond a very basic level.  Organisations are poor at identifying their own critical information, finding it and looking after it.  Organisations find it difficult to assess the value of their critical information and to set performance standards against its use.

Many of these issues are the unintended consequence of the rapid introduction of digital communications and information technology rather than anything else.  Over the past few years we have seen the rapid development of numerous technologies to support web content management, document management, search and retrieval, web based collaboration and web services.  All of these innovations are focused on improving the management and use of information but we are only just beginning to see a level of integration emerging that supports end-to-end business and information processes.

The starting point for sorting out these issues is for the organisation to conduct an Information Management (IM) audit.  This will identify the high value information to the organisation, its location, how it is currently used within the business processes and the systems (human or technological) where it resides.  Once this has been achieved strategies, policies, processes, procedures and systems can be designed or modified to manage it to best effect and in the most efficient manner.

If you are struggling with some of these issues we have experience, knowledge and practical skills that can help.