When we prepare a business plan, or establish its organizational structure, we usually count the means at our disposal and distribute them to departments that take care of these critical management areas. However, it is not so common to take into account in a company its “information resources” or its “knowledge resources”. Much less have a "Information Management" area.
Human resources, financial resources, material resources… a classic.
When we prepare a business plan, or establish its organizational structure, we usually count the means at our disposal and distribute them to departments that take care of these critical management areas. However, it is not so common to take into account in a company its “information resources” or its “knowledge resources”. Much less have a "Information Management" area.
And this is despite the fact that we shoot ourselves that we are in the "information society", that we have to be more productive, that R + D + i is needed, that doctors join companies, attract minds bright and blah blah blah.
It may bring traditional business to the fresh air, but any company whose added value lies ultimately in gray matter (from a consulting firm to a documentary producer) if it wants to survive in our ultra-competitive and ultra-sophisticated world of today needs I repeat, you need to effectively manage your information and knowledge resources. And that implies integrating them into the organization chart of the company and bravely supporting it with “classic” resources: money, infrastructure and professionals. From there will come future added value, and the being or not being of the company in the future. And if you don't, others will and they will take you off the market.
¿Qué es para mí un plan de “Recursos Informativos”? Pues es mucho más que una sección del plan de márketing. Es la conjunción de los recursos informativos propios (biblioteca, archivos, suscripciones a bases de datos, intraweb), del acceso a los recursos informativos ajenos (Internet, bibliotecas y archivos públicos, otras bases de datos), y de los profesionales que los gestionan (gestores de información) y exploran (exploradores de información, Googles Humanos), alineados todos para encontrar aquella información y conocimiento vital para el desarrollo presente y futuro del negocio.
Even clearer: it is to assess what our knowledge needs will be to maintain the level of quality and service in our products and services, identify where we can obtain it both within and outside the company, and have professionals who provide it in quantity and fair formats.
For example, if I am going to create a company to provide content for Wi-Fi telephony applications (a real case in which I may be involved) I will have to follow trends in technology (multimedia players, wireless bandwidth, etc.) but also what are the social or cultural contents that potential clients are most interested in, what have been the latest scientific discoveries whose dissemination as new content would attract new viewers (for example, the archaeological discoveries obtained in the works of the M30 tunnels), and For this, I must have reference websites, but also scientific journals, and also be in contact with specialists in the field. Whatever comes to mind, boat soon.
All this escapes the traditional variables of the marketing plan with one exception: the product. But for me the product is not a mere marketing element: it is the essence of the company. Without products or services (which is nothing more than an ultra-personalized product) there is no business, and that is why you have to take care of them and offer only the best. And only those companies that effectively manage information and gray matter will be able to have the raw material necessary to offer better products to an increasingly informed market.
And if you are not so smart to realize this, don't worry… we will be others.
