Information Audit as a Holistic Information Audit as a Holistic Approach: A Case StudyApproach: A Case Study

Information Audit as a Holistic Information Audit as a Holistic Approach: A Case StudyApproach: A Case Study

Emily A. LangleyEmily A. LangleyMiller Brewing Company

June 10, 2003

AgendaAgenda• Project Background

• Audit Design and Methodologies

• Results and Conclusions

Project BackgroundProject Background

• Project Background

• Audit Design and Methodologies

• Results and Conclusions

Situational AnalysisSituational Analysis• Businesses are dependent upon information for

success

• Information exists in various forms and places– Databases– Filing cabinets– Employee hard-drives– Reports– Journals– People

Situational AnalysisSituational Analysis• Businesses are dependent upon information for

success

• Information exists in various forms and places– Databases– Filing cabinets– Employee hard-drives– Reports– Journals– People

PerspectivePerspective• Library and Information Science holds key to

successful management of information

• Common Limiting Beliefs– Librarians shelve books– Librarians manage the library– Librarians separate from core business– Librarians lack technology expertise

• Information Specialists (a.k.a. librarians)– Expertise information managementinformation management– Systematically analyze organizational informationanalyze organizational information needs– DesignDesign information systems systems – LeadLead cross functional team

In 2001 Miller Brewing Company’s Brewing

Research and Quality Assurance Division sought to

improve ““information information warehousing and warehousing and communicationcommunication””

processes

Team ObjectivesTeam Objectives

Improve Improve

Information Information

Warehousing Warehousing

and and

CommunicatiCommunicationon

Assess Current Information Assess Current Information Management PracticesManagement Practices

Assess Current Information Assess Current Information Management PracticesManagement Practices

Define Customer RequirementsDefine Customer RequirementsDefine Customer RequirementsDefine Customer Requirements

Contribute to the Division’s Contribute to the Division’s Knowledge Management StrategyKnowledge Management Strategy

Contribute to the Division’s Contribute to the Division’s Knowledge Management StrategyKnowledge Management Strategy

Gain Insight into Perceived Gain Insight into Perceived Barriers to AccessBarriers to Access

Gain Insight into Perceived Gain Insight into Perceived Barriers to AccessBarriers to Access

Identify Information NeedsIdentify Information NeedsIdentify Information NeedsIdentify Information Needs

Establishing DirectionEstablishing Direction

DiscussionsDiscussionsDiscussionsDiscussions- Information seeking behaviors- Information organization- User focused systems design- Reviewed Research

- An Information Audit provided a means to collect collect the datathe data to necessary to meet our objectives

- Customer needs cannotcannot be separated from the information source

- Avoid segmented approach

ConclusionsConclusionsConclusionsConclusions

Holistic Approach Holistic Approach ????• Merriam-Webster's Dictionary defines holistic asMerriam-Webster's Dictionary defines holistic as:

– “relating to or concerned with wholes or with complete systems rather than with the analysis of, treatment of, or dissection into parts”

• Team to develop an understanding of relationships– Creation– Seeking– Organization– Storage– Retrieval – Dissemination

What What isis an Information Audit? an Information Audit?

• Dr. Jay Liebowitz:– ““By discovering By discovering what knowledge is possessedwhat knowledge is possessed, it is then , it is then

possible to possible to find the most effective method of storage and find the most effective method of storage and disseminationdissemination. It can then be used as the . It can then be used as the basis for basis for evaluatingevaluating the extent to which change needs to be the extent to which change needs to be introduced to the organizationintroduced to the organization””

• Susan Henczel:– ““a tool that can be used to not only a tool that can be used to not only identify strategically identify strategically

significant informationsignificant information resources, but to also resources, but to also identify those identify those tasks and activities that create knowledgetasks and activities that create knowledge and those that and those that rely on the transferrely on the transfer of knowledge from other areas of the of knowledge from other areas of the organisation”organisation”

• No agreed upon definitionLiebowitz, Jay, Rubenstein-Montano, Bonnie, McCaw, Doug, Buchwalter, Judah, and Browning, Chuck. 2000 The Knowledge Audit. Knowledge and Process Management, 7(1), 3-10.Henczel, Susan. The Information Audit as a First Step Towards Effective Knowledge Management: an Opportunity For The Special Librarian. Inspel 34(2000)3/4, 210-226

Information Audit ObjectivesInformation Audit Objectives Determine the following:

Inventory information types Assess if information and systems supported strategic operations Determine importance of data/information generated

Understand relationships between data, information and systems

Identify gaps Quality information Systems Processes

Map information flows

Issue recommendations

Audit Design and MethodologiesAudit Design and Methodologies

• Project Background

• Audit Design and Methodologies

• Results and Conclusions

Issues to be ResolvedIssues to be Resolved

Who will conduct the audit?Who will conduct the audit?

- External Consultants- Team

How to collect the data?How to collect the data?

TeamTeamTeamTeam

QuestionnaireQuestionnaireInterviewsInterviews

QuestionnaireQuestionnaireInterviewsInterviews

- Observation- Systems Usage- Focus Groups- Questionnaires- Interviews

Data Collection Tool DesignData Collection Tool Design

QuestionnaireQuestionnaire

- Easy to use

- Clear instructions

- Length

InterviewInterview

- Structured style

- Training for team

- Practice

• Question Design

• Avoid Bias

• Pilot

• Question Design

• Avoid Bias

• Pilot

Data CollectionData Collection• Near 100% response rate100% response rate required

• Announcement by Division Head– Objectives of audit– Benefits to participants– Importance of project– Deadline for completion

• Questionnaire Cover letter

• Interviews

Data AnalysisData Analysis• How much data did we collect?

• Team member strengths:– Statistical analysis– Graphical representation of data– Organization of information

• Basis for recommendations

• Vision of future state

Results and ConclusionsResults and Conclusions

• Project Background

• Audit Design and Methodologies

• Results and Conclusions

ResultsResults• 96%96% response rate

• Average 22.722.7 percent of time seeking information

AND...AND...

Needs IdentifiedNeeds Identified

Internal InformationInternal InformationInternal InformationInternal Information External InformationExternal InformationExternal InformationExternal Information

• Common format & process

– Capture– Organization

• Central repository Searchable Easy to use Web based

Integration Information Data Systems

Who is the expert?

• Additional Resources- Industry and market trends Current Awareness Technical support Competitive intelligence

RecommendationsRecommendations

Increase IT Capability &Increase IT Capability &Build the InfrastructureBuild the Infrastructure

Increase IT Capability &Increase IT Capability &Build the InfrastructureBuild the Infrastructure

Develop processes Develop processes and proceduresand proceduresDevelop processes Develop processes and proceduresand procedures

Increase promotion Increase promotion and training and training Increase promotion Increase promotion and training and training

Increase Information Increase Information Center Services Center Services and Resourcesand Resources

Increase Information Increase Information Center Services Center Services and Resourcesand Resources

• House internal information• Make information easily accessible• Facilitate collaborative processes• Capture• Organize• Better disseminate

• Current resources• Current technology

• Electronic delivery• Web access• Increase Current Awareness

What’s Happened SinceWhat’s Happened Since

• Improved and Customized Library services

• Support to Enterprise initiatives– Intranet– Knowledge Management

Critical Success FactorsCritical Success Factors• Visible support from executive management

• Communication of objectives and benefits

• Representation from all stakeholder groups

• Understanding design principles for data collection tools

• Piloting the questionnaire and interview

• Considering people in every step of the process

ConclusionConclusion• Information Audit provides:

– Means to gather data– Basis for strategic decision making

• Library and Information Science provide a foundation to: – Manage all types of information– Define information requirements– Identify solutions to fill customer needs

AcknowledgementsAcknowledgementsInformation Warehousing and Information Warehousing and

Communication TeamCommunication Team::

• Bernardo Alatorre

• Patricia Bower

• Dick Duncombe

• John Engel

• Cyndy Gant

• Ray Kanzleiter

• Karen Krey

• Emily Langley

• Aki Murakami

• Troy Rysewyk

• Yue Zhou

Thank You Thank You

for Additional Support for Additional Support toto:

• John Seabrooks

• David Ryder