INFORMATION CHAOS IS ENDEMIC
Let’s be honest, when it comes to the information (documents, images, plans, spreadsheets, files and data etc) we use everyday to do our jobs, finding it is all too often an exercise in frustration. Our filing systems are inconsistent across the organisation and we have information and data stored haphasardly. Often the same information is saved in different locations or ‘silos’. Changes to workplace practices during Covid have only served to highlight this issue.
SOFTWARE IS NOT A SILVER BULLET AND WILL NOT SOLVE THE PROBLEM
Most organisations think that the management of information is a job for IT and that implementing software will magically create a perfectly organised information environment for us to work in. But we know this is not true – the garbage in, garbage out rule applies here. Software will not organise our information it just stores and processes what we put into it. BUT properly organised and managed information will improve the performance of the software designed to store and process it!
INFORMATION CHAOS = INCREASED EXPOSURE TO BUSINESS RISK
The impact on an organisation with disorganised information, which lacks a single source of truth, and is poorly managed, can be enormous. Every week there are headlines that most CEOs fear. At the heart of it all, is the need for better information governance and a shift towards treating information as an asset of value, rather than something we just take for granted. Here are some examples;
- Cabinet documents: ABC reveals top secret files found in old filing cabinets. (source: The ABC)
- NAB fined $57.5m in ‘fees for no service’ case. (source: Sydney Morning Herald)
- Pfizer Sues Employee, Alleging She Stole Covid-19 Vaccine Documents. (source: Forbes)
- Boards set to face the music on cyber security lapses. (source: Sydney Morning Herald)
- ANZ cyber audit reviews staff access to critical systems. (source: Sydney Morning Herald)
Could any of this have been avoided with proper information and data management practices in place? Absolutely.
Take our Quiz below and see how likely you personally are to be contributing to risk through your information management practices.
INFORMATION CHAOS = WASTED TIME AND REDUCED PRODUCTIVITY
When you add up the time that you waste each day…..
- searching for information, data or files that you know exist but you cannot find where it has been filed.
- recreating a document because you cannot find the template.
- deciding what to name a document and where to file it.
- dealing with email that you should not be receiving.
- deciding if you are using the latest version of a document
…… the list is endless and the time adds up. According to our research 20% of your time each day is wasted in this way.
TIME TO GET YOUR HOUSE IN ORDER. TRANSFORM YOUR INFORMATION & DATA INTO A VALUABLE ASSET
Organise your chaotic information and data, to make the right information accessible to the right people when and where they need it. This is not simply a matter of deleting things it is about identifying what is important and of value to the organisation and making sure it has a place where those who need to use it can find it – everytime. Your information should be seen as an asset and treated as such by everyone.
Experience Matters is passionate about aligning an organisation’s information assets with its business goals. We identify, plan, manage and create information and knowledge assets that solve business problems and drive measurable business benefit.
