The IM building blocks.

• Author: Meagher, Robert
• Position: Brief Article

At the Core

This article:

* Explores the concerns of executives within the framework of information management program development

* Introduces new concepts to the information management community

* Presents a high-level, staged framework for information management program development

* Challenges the information professional to think of information management in a different way

WARNING: The records and information management community is at risk of becoming irrelevant.

More and more, organizations are thinking and operating strategically -- their very survival depends on it. Yet the information management professional's paradigm has not traditionally contained a strategically oriented skill set. Developing this skill set will be key to our survival. We must come to understand how information management and business are fundamentally interconnected and how strategic thinking creates a critical link between information management and business.

The records and information management community knows its business -- policies, procedures, information classification structures, retention and disposition schedules, essential records, disaster recovery planning, even electronic records management. But information professionals do not typically know and understand the concerns of the executive in their organization -- the decision maker. The information management professional does not typically know what drives the executives' decision making. Consequently, positioning the information management program as a mission-critical program can be a challenge, at best.

The model presented here can be used to augment information professionals' management toolkit so they are better equipped to become a business solution provider within their organizations. In the process, these professionals will align themselves more closely with their organization's strategic goals and objectives and thereby become more relevant.

The Information Management Building Blocks Model

Much of what the information management community needs to know to succeed in today's business world is missing from their paradigm. Note the 12 information management building blocks illustrated on page 27; about 75 percent of what the field currently focuses on can fit in one block. An estimated 90 percent of what the profession talks about at major conferences spans, at best, five of the 12 blocks -- less than half of the big picture.

No one block in the IM model is new in and of itself. However, considered as a whole, this model may serve as a new paradigm for the information management profession.

The Six Core Blocks

[1] Strategy & Vision

Much has been written about strategy formulation and implementation -- commonly referred to as strategic planning. Strategic planning has its roots in fundamental business management and is part of the very essence of what it means to manage. Information managers also need to think strategically.

Strategic Analysis and Action suggests strategic planning can take place within one of three organization levels -- corporate, business group (e.g., division), or business unit. While information managers often work within their own business group or unit, to succeed in the future they will need to intertwine themselves -- in a symbiotic way -- with higher level corporate strategic goals.

But what is strategy, and where does strategy formulation fit into the broader organization context? Strategy, or strategic planning, is simply about a process of positioning an organization to compete and win in its market. Strategic planning should create a framework for ideas, for expression of a concrete plan, and for the implementation of that plan. More importantly, strategic planning provides organizations with a context for dealing with strategic issues and formulation within the organization. Strategy should flow from an organization's mission, vision, and values. A basic strategic plan development methodology is shown below.

The choice of strategic analysis or development tool depends on what one is trying to achieve, one's understanding of the use and application of the tool, and one's appetite for the rigors of using and applying the tool. It is important to note that there is no single best way to conduct strategic analysis and formulation.

The previous discussion introduced the concepts of strategic analysis and formulation, proposed a basic strategic development methodology, and noted numerous strategic analysis and development tools. There are many other methodologies and models available for strategic analysis and formulation.

[2] Business Drivers & Requirements

The defining of business requirements and/or business case development should flow from strategy development. In the information management world, business requirements definition often focuses on user/functional and technical specification analyses -- whether for a records management program, records management software application (RMA), or an electronic document management system (EDMS).

The user/functional and technical specifications should clearly depict what...