INFORMATION MANAGEMENT AND WHY IT MATTERS. CIO Research Report 2014

INFORMATION MANAGEMENT AND WHY IT MATTERS CIO Research Report 2014

2 CIO RESEARCH REPORT 2014: INFORMATION MANAGEMENT AND WHY IT MATTERS 3 3 The role of a CIO has never been more exciting or complicated. The growth of the internet of things, the rise of social media and the increasing prominence of big data has transformed the job of the CIO from a hardware and software expert, to gatekeeper of all company information. And this is not a small task. Every business uses a wealth of information to set strategies and accomplish business objectives. For many, their information and knowledge is their greatest asset. Unfortunately it is often underutilised and many organisations do not have a systematic plan for evolving their information capabilities We interviewed 3,200 office workers across Europe, Middle East and Africa, in order to get insight into both the habits and feelings about the use of. We discovered: Office workers believe that training or processes around information management should be the top priority for businesses that want to improve productivity The majority do not have a standardised system for sharing information externally The majority do not believe their organisation s information management systems are efficient to use 3200 OFFICE WORKERS INTERVIEWED This report will draw on more detail from these interviews and explain why a great information management strategy can heighten efficiency, encourage collaboration and improve customer service. Finally, it will explain the value of enterprise solutions and what you need to look for to ensure it will protect and future-proof your organisation for the challenges that lie ahead.

4 CIO RESEARCH REPORT 2014: INFORMATION MANAGEMENT AND WHY IT MATTERS 5 WHAT ARE THE BUSINESS BENEFITS OF AN INFORMATION MANAGEMENT STRATEGY? DO EMPLOYEES KNOW THE VALUE OF INFORMATION? These are challenging times for organisations of all sizes and in all sectors. On the one hand, customers have ever-increasing expectations in terms of the speed and quality of service, and, on the other, resources are continually under pressure. Implementing a solid information management strategy could be the answer to this challenge because: Many businesses are aware of the huge potential of harnessing information correctly, but a lack of technology or specialist skills is often holding them back. 25 mins It improves individual productivity by enabling staff to access the information they need more quickly. Fewer than half of workers surveyed say that their company has an organised file storage system and so they spend on average 25 minutes every day searching for documents. Multiply this by the number of staff employed, the number of days in a week and the number of weeks in a year, and the amount of waste becomes colossal. And so is the potential for improving employee productivity. It enables team collaboration, which is a cornerstone of any successful business. Forty-three per cent of workers feel their business is less productive than it could be because information is not shared in the best way. Worse, with a quarter of workers storing documents on their own hard drives, many businesses are running the risk of grinding to a halt when a colleague is unexpectedly absent. Vital information should not be at risk of being lost forever when members of staff leave the company and collaboration is a necessary part of safeguarding against such occurrences. Information flow is essential for developing understanding between disparate departments. It improves security by preventing information being lost or stolen. 41 per cent of workers still store company information on personal devices such as smartphones and laptops. When the cost of lost data can be catastrophic for businesses of all sizes, such practices are not only unproductive but also potentially dangerous. It improves customer service. 41 per cent of workers believe that the bad organisation of information has a negative impact on their ability to serve customers because poor information management practices can lead to disjointed and inconsistent customer communication. Internal governance issues and confusion about version control can cripple decision-making and agility, which filters down to customersin the form of slow response times, a lack of accessible information and irrelevant marketing materials. When endless information is just a click of a mouse away and consumer expectations for a seamless experience are growing, this is becoming increasingly unacceptable. 36% Moreover, 36 per cent of employees aren t aware of the link between information and profitability, which frustratingly means that the very people who create, organise and input the data are unaware of its value. Such dichotomies are common, especially given the slightly abstract value of information (for front-line employees, at least). Making the link between a spreadsheet filled with customer information and company profits can be a bit of a stretch for anyone that is not directly involved in information processing. That said, linking information management back to the company s bottom line is absolutely crucial. The right data will divulge significant information into a myriad of things an organisation can really benefit from, including what your competitors are doing better than you, what your customers think, howwell certain products are selling and where services need to be improved. Given its expediency, it is certain that the wide-scale of adoption of information management strategies and technology is set to go mainstream.

7 6 CIO RESEARCH REPORT 2014: INFORMATION MANAGEMENT AND WHY IT MATTERS 7 AND DO THEY RECOGNISE THE IMPORTANCE OF TECHNOLOGY? WHY IS COLLABORATION SUCH A HUGE PART OF INFORMATION MANAGEMENT? Not investing in technology training for employees is bad for business. People are the most important link within the chain of information flow, both internally and externally but nearly a third of all workers find it difficult to keep up with the latest software and hardware upgrades, with 48% stating that they were left to learn how to use technology on their own and only 54% able to use it to its fullest potential. Effective communication flow manifests itself everywhere in how employees interact with one another, the care they take in performing their jobs and most importantly, the way they treat their customers. 48% 54% For heads of IT, this is a problem. CIOs that need and want to invest in new technology for the benefit of their organisation to deliver cost savings and efficiency gains may find themselves with a workforce that is unable to use it properly. They need to facilitate this process in order to see the true value of their investments and bring about organisational transformation. 33% Luckily, most CIOs are well positioned to put protocols and rules in place in order to maintain a tight regulation of training programmes. And with over half of workers in agreement that technology training helps them be more effective in their roles, there has never been a better time to start. A third of respondents say that better internal communication between departments would make the process of data sharing much easier. 45% 45 per cent of workers believe that ineffective sharing between teams causes a duplication of work, leading to inefficiency and wasted resources. A smooth information flow helps teams keep up with the pace of their business and competition by ensuring that everybody has access to the knowledge and data required for them to do their jobs. Well-managed information makes it easier to identify and determine customer trends. Data-based insights inform and improve the customer experience, as well as drive growth through refined and targeted marketing strategies. Properly managed and utilised, big data and insights can directly drive improvements to the bottom line by streamlining the customer journey, coordinating customer correspondence to understand trends and patterns in behaviour and making businesses more agile in order to avoid problems before the customer considers looking elsewhere.

8 CIO RESEARCH REPORT 2014: INFORMATION MANAGEMENT AND WHY IT MATTERS 9 IS YOUR BUSINESS PREPARED FOR THE FUTURE? In today s environment, the decision-maker that has the relevant data first often wins, either by making the decision ahead of the competition, or by making a better, more informed decision. But merely keeping up with the information we generate today is challenging analysing it to spot patterns and extract useful information for relevant teams is harder still. Information about customer spending habits for example, could be just as beneficial for the marketing department as finance. Internal HR documents could be useful for informing future strategies, such as relevant qualifications and future skills gaps, as well as making hiring decisions. Documents and folders belonging to colleagues may need to be accessible to all employees in order to encourage more sharing and communication between functions. These are some of the challenges of today; the challenges of tomorrow will only get bigger. Fortunately, most workers are confident in their organisation s information-handling potential; with 51 per cent stating that they believe their organisation is well prepared to handle the expanding amount of information they have to deal with. However, 50 per cent still complain that their information storage systems are currently poorly organised and inefficient, and 48 per cent of workers in larger companies say they have no standard for naming or saving files. While CIOs are aware that technology solutions are an important part of information management in general, without the necessary foundations of good practice and a prepared employee base laid out, the task of mastering the organisation s information flow will never be fully achieved. 51% 50% 48% The proportion of workers believe their organisation is well prepared to handle the expanding amount of information they have to deal with. The proportion of workers still complain that their information storage systems are currently poorly organised and inefficient. The proportion of workers of workers in larger companies say they have no standard for naming or saving files.

10 CIO RESEARCH REPORT 2014: INFORMATION MANAGEMENT AND WHY IT MATTERS 11 CONCLUSION The files, customer records and financial data of a business contain its institutional memory, an irreplaceable asset that is too crucial to be overlooked. An office with data askew, whether this is physical documentation stacked on top of cabinets, or digital information saved in unspecified or personal folders, creates a poor image and an even poorer working environment. Future-proofing an organisation, preventing problems before they arise and overcoming the challenges of information overload requires investment, into both people and practices. Standardised processes and procedures for storing and accessing information need to be well understood and followed. Today, nearly half of workers don t adhere to company rules and regulations around data storage, a trend that urgently needs to reverse. Technology solutions such as enterprise and document management software must be scalable in order to fit the needs of the organisation today and well into the future. As information management continues to take an ever-higher position on CIO priority lists, the most successful solutions will be those that are tailored and crucially, scalable, to grow alongside the organisations using them. CIOs can overcome data challenges and ensure success in three ways: 1. Helping workers understand the significance of company information through appropriate education and training, in order to make operational efficiency a part of the DNA of the organisation. Technology solutions are only one side of the coin and without standardised processes and a strict protocol for storing data internally, there can be no foundation for strong information management 2. Encouraging employees to collaborate and open up departments to each other in order to enable smooth information flow. Sharing and seamless communication not only improves internal efficiency, but translates back to the customer who is delivered a faster, better and more decisive service from an organisation that puts information flow at the heart of its communications strategy. 3. Futureproofing the business by investing in an information management system that works on a scalable and personalised level. By planning for the future, CIOs can ensure they pick a set of enterprise tools that are primed to grow and work with the business. This is essential for keeping up with the increase in data and information challenges today and well into the future.

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