Managing knowledge and information

How do you use information to help you to make better decisions? How do you build a system that will do it? And how do you get the best use of knowledge and learning throughout the organization? These questions relate to almost every other topic in strategic management.

In this sense, a system is a detailed description of how organizations relate to their environments and how they process information through strategic and tactical management to develop actual operating procedures. A communication plan is a structured program for the dissemination of information, and the receipt of feedback information from individuals, relevant to the process or activity.

As a matter of course, before you start you will need to know the Key Result Areas of your organization and their supporting strategies/plans/objectives. You will also need to know the relevant legislation from all levels of government that affects your business operations, e.g. WHS, environmental issues, equal opportunity, industrial relations and anti-discrimination.

 

Stage 1. Get information relevant to business issues

First, review staff and customer feedback and your business performance data. You need to identify business problems needing intervention, then define and analyze them.

When you notice a problem that needs solving, start gathering the information you need to solve it. Use reliable sources, and use efficient ways to gather information.

What do people already know? Find out the corporate knowledge and memory that is not held in formal systems. Use your formal and informal networks to go and ask people. "Formal" networks are those that follow your organizations reporting and records systems. Using "informal networks" means to ask your colleagues who might be able to give you good advice and information.

As you go, you will find that you need to relate to people from a range of social, cultural and ethnic backgrounds and physical and mental abilities. This is especially the case in large government departments, who are usually very diverse.

You also need to network with people to ensure their support for concepts, ideas, products, and services. They are more likely to support your decision if they feel that they have been asked and their views respected.

Check. Have you consulted all relevant groups and individuals and given them an opportunity for input? Do you tell them what is happening when they need to know?

Then review your information. Test it for reliability and validity, and reject anything contradictory or ambiguous.

 

Stage 2. Analyze your information

What do you need to learn from the information that you have? You need to set objectives for analyses that are clear, relevant and consistent with the decisions required.

What opportunities will you find to improve:

Identify the patterns and emerging trends, and interpret them for cause and effect relationships. Use statistical analyses and interpretation where appropriate. For  example, you can look at short to medium term trends, long term trends, regulation, correlation calculations, and probability assessment.

You can also apply "what if" scenarios to the various options available. This called sensitivity analysis.

Do your information systems fit your data goals? Often not. You probably have to adjust them. So adjust your management information and decision support systems to meet your information processing objectives. Management information systems are the formal systems for collecting, storing and synthesizing information to be used in management decision making, and decision support systems are management information systems that include some form of computer-based assistance to decision making (expert systems)

Commit your interpretation to writing. Your document needs to reflect a logical approach to the evaluation of your evidence and conclusions you draw.

 

Stage 3. Make decisions

Do you have enough information to make a decision on the problem you started with? Check that you have enough valid and reliable information. In fact, you seldom have all the information you would want to prove that one option is clearly superior, so there are several things you can do to tighten up the process:

Then make your decisions. (Don't procrastinate; many decisions face a window of opportunity. If you're too late, you have made a decision by default such as "No we won't take further action on that opportunity."   You decisions must be within your authority to do so, and according to your organization's guidelines, objectives, values and standards

 

Stage 4. Disseminate information to the organization

You need to tell people. First, find out what information the groups and individuals in your organization need. (You may need to do surveys, focus groups, individual interviews, or group interviews.) When and where do they need the advice and information? In what format? Write down what they need specifically in respect to location, format and timelines.

There will normally be people both inside your organization and outside it.

Make plans for communication that include regular recipient evaluation, maintain corporate knowledge, and ensure security. Then design your systems and test whther they meet the information requirements of decision-makers.

Then tell people:

Then stand back and look at your systems. You need to regularly review plans and update your communication.

 

Task

Track a particular problem or issue through all four phases.

Supports Manage knowledge and information BSBMGT607A