What are the different levels of information systems?
When developing an information management strategy within an
organisation, it is useful to consider information needs on three
levels:
corporate
team, division, business unit, etc
individual
The needs of each of these three levels must be met if a
coordinated and effective solution is to be maintained in the
long-term.
Failure to address any one of the levels will lead to areas of
the business or individuals finding their own solution, which may
not fit well within the strategic goals of the organisation.
These are not new ideas, but they will be explored in the
context of intranets and other corporate information systems.
Corporate
At the top is the corporate information that is useful for the
whole organisation. This 'global' information is generally fairly
well addressed by the corporate intranet (even if the intranet
itself needs improvement).
Examples of corporate information include policies and
procedures, HR information, online forms, phone directory, etc.
Interestingly, there may be a limited amount of truly global
information, and it may not deliver the greatest (measurable)
business benefits.
Team, division, business unit
The middle level is perhaps the most interesting, as it covers
all the information shared within teams, divisions, business units,
etc. This information may be critical to the day-to-day activities
of the group, but of little interest to the rest of the
organisation.
Examples include project documentation, business unit specific
content, meeting minutes, etc.
This level is generally poorly-served within organisations,
although collaboration tools are increasingly being used to address
team information needs. It is also being recognised that it is this
'local' information that may be the most valuable, in terms of
driving the day-to-day activity of the organisation.
Individual
At the lowest level is the personal information needs of staff
throughout the organisation. Examples include correspondence (both
internal and external), reports and spreadsheets.
In most organisations, staff must struggle with using e-mail to
meet their information management needs. While staff generally
recognise the inadequacy of e-mail, they have few other approaches
or technologies at their disposal.
Note that some organisations (such as consulting firms) are
heavily dependent on personal information management amongst their
staff.
Managing the levels
When managing the information within each of the three levels,
consider the following:
An information management solution must be provided for staff at
each of the three levels.
If corporate solutions aren't provided, then staff will find
their own solutions. This is the source of poor-quality intranet
sub-sites, and other undesirable approaches.
A clear policy must be developed, outlining when each of the
three levels applies, and how information should be managed within
each level.
Processes must be put in place to 'bubble up' or 'promote'
information from lower levels up to higher levels. For example,
some team-generated information will be critical for the whole
organisation.
As much as possible, a seamless information management
environment should be delivered that covers all three levels.