Enterprise information policy

1. BSIM0003 Information Policy Enterprise information policy Seminars 4-5 HKU Faculty of Education

2. Content • The rationale for enterprise information policy • Major uses of information in organisations • Enterprise information policy • Why does an organisation need an information policy? • What information policies does it need? • Enterprise information strategy • Organisational health check HKU Faculty of Education

3. Rationale for enterprise information policies Information has become the most important factor of production & wealth creation in the information society. The ability of individuals & organisations to effectively use information will ultimately decide their ability to generate economic growth & enhance quality of life for all In the private sector, information will be the basis of competitive advantage HKU Faculty of Education

4. Uses of information & ICT in organisations • Planning • Decision making • Changing internal communication patterns • New product development • Cost reduction • Changing client relationships • Changing distribution channels • Improving marketing • etc Middleton, 2002 HKU Faculty of Education

5. Tiwana, 2000 Information & competitive advantage HKU Faculty of Education

6. Enterprise information policy ‘An enterprises information policy should be the primary vehicle for planning the utilisation & development of information & knowledge. It has to framed within the context of the institution’s overall mission & objectives’ Middleton, 2002 HKU Faculty of Education

7. Enterprise information policy : Contextual factors • Organisational culture & management milieu • Potential for ICT to support knowledge sharing & information distribution • External factors relating to competitors & customers • Political & legal requirements & influences • Potential opportunities requiring information support HKU Faculty of Education

8. Enterprise information policy An enterprise information policy defines : • Objectives of information use in the enterprise • Priorities among them • Technology for information management • Systems for information management; who manages them & their responsibilities HKU Faculty of Education

9. Enterprise information policy • Enterprise’s sources of information & its resources for managing them • Criteria for monitoring information activities Orna, 1999 HKU Faculty of Education

10. Enterprise information policy An information policy is a dynamic tool which can be used to : • Relate everything that is done with information to the enterprise’s overall objectives • Enable effective decisions on resource allocation HKU Faculty of Education

11. Enterprise information policy • Promote interaction, communication & mutual support between all parts of the enterprise & between the enterprise & its ‘customers’ or ‘public’ • Provide objective criteria for assessing the results of information-based activities HKU Faculty of Education

12. Enterprise information policy • Measure the performance of information & knowledge use & assess their cost-effectiveness • Give feedback to the process of developing the corporate policies of the enterprise HKU Faculty of Education

13. The detailed expression of information policy in terms of objectives, targets, & actions to achieve them, for a defined future period Information strategy provides the framework for the management of information Information policy strategy HKU Faculty of Education

14. Information policy & IM Information management is the application of an information policy to meet information objectives within the overall constraints of available resources. It is concerned with how: • Information is acquired, recorded & stored • Information flows through the enterprise HKU Faculty of Education

15. Information policy & IM • Information is used by the enterprise • People who handle information apply their skills & co-operate with one another • Information technology is used • The budget is spent HKU Faculty of Education

16. Enterprise information policy components HKU Faculty of Education

17. Enterprise information policy components HKU Faculty of Education

18. Enterprise information policy components HKU Faculty of Education

19. Information professionals have the deepest & broadest information expertise. They should be involved at all levels of information policy creation Enterprise information policy responsibility HKU Faculty of Education

20. No or poor information policy HKU Faculty of Education

21. No or poor information policy HKU Faculty of Education

22. Information policy….. HKU Faculty of Education

23. Information policy….. HKU Faculty of Education

24. Poor organisational health Low confidence in others Low information flow Lack of trust Little interaction among groups HKU Faculty of Education

25. Confidence in others Information flow encouraged Risk taking Feed- back Interaction among groups Problem solving Good organisational health HKU Faculty of Education

26. Organisational health check • What are the main corporate objectives of your organization? Some organizations publicize a corporate mission statement which outline them. Do you know what they are? • List the main types of information that your organization must collect in order to meet its objectives & carry out its functions HKU Faculty of Education

27. Organisational health check • Are there any types of information that your organization should be collecting but is not? List 3 types of information that your organization could collect which may allow it to become more responsive to its ‘customers’ HKU Faculty of Education

28. Organisational health check • Do you suffer from information overload? - or shortage of information? If so, briefly describe in general terms without reference to technology, the nature of your problem – ie what does it mean you can’t do effectively? HKU Faculty of Education

29. Organisational health check • Write five lines under each of the following headings to describe how your problems in Q.4 could be overcome • The organization • Information systems • Other considerations HKU Faculty of Education

30. Organisational health check • Write down the main changes that have taken place over the last 5 years to services &/or products supplied by your organization What trends do they indicate & where could these trends lead to in another 5 years? HKU Faculty of Education

31. Organisational health check • Write down 3 initiatives you should personally take to prepare yourself for the changes you think likely to occur in the next 5 years • Write down 3 initiatives you think your organization should take to prepare itself for the changes you think likely to occur in the next 5 years. HKU Faculty of Education

32. Organisational health check • Write 5 lines under each of the following headings to describe how each could benefit through better information management: • Teamwork • Efficiency • Effectiveness HKU Faculty of Education

33. Organisational health check • The total system for collecting & distributing information throughout your organization may or may not make use of computers & digital information. Suggest 1 local improvement, not necessarily involving computers, which you can cost-justify Wilson, 1993 HKU Faculty of Education

34. References Middleton, M. 2002. Information management: A consolidation of operations, analysis and strategy. Centre for Information Studies, Charles Sturt University, Wagga Wagga Orna, E. 1999, Practical information policies. Gower, Aldershot. Tiwana, A. 2000. The knowledge management toolkit: Practical techniques for building a knowledge management system. Prentice Hall, Upper Saddle River. Wilson, D. 1993. Managing information: For continual improvement. Butterworth-Heinemann, Oxford. HKU Faculty of Education