Today’s guest “8 things” blogger is Barclay T. Blair is the
Director and Practice Lead of FCS Information Governance, a specialized
consulting practice that helps clients manage information better. Barclay is a
consultant to Fortune 500 companies, software and hardware vendors, and
government institutions, and is an author, speaker, and internationally
recognized authority on a broad range of policy, compliance, and management
issues related to information governance and information technology. He can be
reached at bblair@fcsig.com or 403-638-9302. This article is adapted from the eBook, “Making the Case for
Information Governance,” available for download at http://www.fcsig.com/ebook.
This post is part of an ongoing guest blog series around the overall theme of "8 things." The idea is to tap into the collective experience of members/readers on topics that they are passionate about. (But hey -- related to information, documents, content, or records!). Click HERE for a full list of topics that we've covered. Got an idea you want to pitch for an "8 Things" column? Pitch me at johnmancini@aiim.org.
8 Reasons Why Information Governance (IG) Makes Sense
The Economist Intelligence Unit, in a recent study on information governance, found that the single biggest worldwide challenge to successful adoption of information governance is the difficulty of identifying its benefits and costs. In other words, the difficulty of making the case for information governance. Learning to articulate the case for information governance can be difference between success and failure with information management. Here are 8 reasons why information governance makes sense.
1. We Can’t Keep Everything Forever
IG makes sense because it enables organizations to get rid of unnecessary information in a defensible manner. Organizations need a sensible way to dispose of information in order to reduce the cost and complexity of IT environment. Having unnecessary information around only makes it more difficult and expensive to harness information that has value.
2. We Can’t Throw Everything Away
IG makes sense because organizations can’t keep everything forever, nor can they throw everything away. We need information – the right information, in the right place, at the right time. Only IG provides the framework to make good decisions about what information to keep.
3. E-Discovery
IG makes sense because it reduces the cost and pain of discovery. Proactively managing information reduces the volume of information exposed to e-discovery and simplifies the task of finding and producing responsive information.
4. Your Employees are Screaming for It – Just Listen
IG makes sense because it helps knowledge workers separate “signal” from “noise” in their information flows. By helping organizations focus on the most valuable information, IG improves information delivery and improves productivity.
5. It Ain’t Gonna Get Any Easier
IG makes sense because it is a proven way for organizations to respond to new laws and technologies that create new requirements and challenges. The problem of IG will not get easier over time, so organizations should get started now.
6. The Courts Will Come Looking for IG
IG makes sense because courts and regulators will closely examine your IG program. Falling short can lead to fines, sanctions, loss of cases, and other outcomes that have negative business and financial consequences.
7. Manage Risk: IG Is a Big One
Organizations need to do a better job of identifying and managing risk. The risk of information management failures is a critical risk that IG helps to mitigate.
8. Email: Reason Enough
IG makes sense because it helps organizations take control of email. Solving email should be a top priority for every organization.
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This post is part of an ongoing guest blog series around the overall theme of "8 things." The idea is to tap into the collective experience of members/readers on topics that they are passionate about. (But hey -- related to information, documents, content, or records!). Click HERE for a full list of topics that we've covered. Got an idea you want to pitch for an "8 Things" column? Pitch me at johnmancini@aiim.org.
