Enterprise Information Management – it’s quite a mouthful, and sounds very intimidating and gargantuan in its scope, as in trying to boil the ocean…….
So wouldn’t it be nice to be able to digest it in smaller nuggets, and get your arms wrapped around specific concepts, that could be broken down further, which in turn can be translated & mapped into actionable projects. Then, I would know how my specific initiative fits into the overall landscape of EIM for my organization.
For me, the ABC’s of EIM can be most easily remembered as the 3 C’s –
Consolidate ………Information
Convey ………………Actionable insights
Conserve ………… the Information fabric
Consolidating information – This aspect of EIM, deals with the ability to pull disparate sources of data & various silos under a single umbrella. Does it necessarily have to be a single umbrella? Not really, just perhaps a broad one, maybe even a large tent. And how can I do it effectively, with agility, quality, and maintaining information integrity all along? All these ideas I would incorporate under the ‘Consolidate’ service portfolio, that would include all of my initiatives dealing with:
- Information Architecture & Strategy
- Transformation & Migration projects
- Data Integration & Data Quality
- MDM & CDI
- Information Shared services
Conveying Actionable Insights - As my colleague put it so aptly in another blog entry, there’s Information, Information everywhere, but not a drop to think! Or should it have been - Information, Information everywhere, and more than enough to sink! The key to successful EIM program, as many of us have learnt the hard way, is insightful, relevant, contextual Information Delivery & Access. The essentials of a ‘Convey’ portfolio, would then include:
- Traditional BI, Analytics & CPM
- Operational BI & Process Automation
- Real-Time BI, Contextual BI, Advanced Visualization
- Enterprise Search, Taxonomy, Text Analytics, Predictive Modeling
- Information Delivery Portals, KM & Learning Management
Conserving the Information fabric – Having sunk an arm & a leg, and then some, of corporate resources - into the Information Consolidation & Delivery, it’s critical to get the most out of the EIM investment, thru thick & thin, new business models, upturns & downturns, disruptive technologies & yes, even hurricanes. Governance is critical, as we all grudgingly admit, and that without an effective governance program, many of the EIM investments made over time, can fritter way.
The key components of ‘Conserve’ portfolio would typically include:
- Compliance & Risk monitoring capabilities
- BI Governance & Data governance
- EIM Program management
- Identity , Access & Digital rights management
- Records / Documents / Web content / Images / Digital assets management
What’s next on the horizon for EIM? Among other things, we’ll hear a lot more on Innovation networks, Participative Computing, Enterprise Mobility & convergence with Web 2.0 capabilities.
Until then, I’m quite happy with the 3 C’s of EIM. On that note, let me wish you a very happy new year, and exciting journeys navigating the EIM waters!
Thoughts, comments, ideas?
