In everyday life we have a lot of information, however, it does not mean that all the information we have has any relevance. The same happens in organizations we have large amounts of information, however not all information is relevant; that is, it is diffuse information.
Therefore, it is necessary to learn to distinguish between what is a data, what is relevant information and what is diffuse information. In order to make the management of this information easier and we can have it when we need it.
Basic concepts:
"The information is made up of a group of data already supervised and ordered, which serve to construct a message based on a phenomenon or entity criterion." (Definicion.de, sf)
"Information is an organized set of processed data, which constitutes a message that changes the knowledge of the subject or system that receives said message" (WIKIPEDIA, nd)
Fuzzy information refers to information that is imprecise and not at all clear and that can lead us to make mistakes.
According to Eliyahu M. Goldratt in his book the haystack syndrome defines the following concepts as follows:
- Information: an answer to the question asked. Wrong information: A wrong answer to the question asked. Data: "it is any string of characters that describes something of our reality." (Goldratt, 1992) Required data: The data that the decision process needs to derive the information. Erroneous data: A string of characters that do not describe reality. Invalid data: Data that is not needed to deduce the specific information desired.
Clarification of the confusion between data and information
We are always in the middle of an ocean of data and yet we never think we have enough information. The address of a provider is a piece of information. The purchase price of something is a piece of information, etc. But if a provider's address is needed to send a complaint, it's information. One might consider the contents of a warehouse to be data, but if we are trying to find out if a customer's order can be filled immediately, then it is information. Accordingly, characters that we consider data under certain circumstances may become information.
In other words, to distinguish between when the characters are data and information, we must analyze the relationship they have with the decision in question. Therefore, we can say that the information is the data required to reach the decision-making.
One more example to determine the difference between data and information: if the question is What is the best way to get to Atlanta today? Well if we get the answer is "you must take flight z", we are obtaining information. On the other hand, if we are provided with a flight catalog, we are obtaining data. However, if the question is What are all possible flights to Atlanta ?, the catalog would be information.
As we can see what we consider data or information depends on the question asked, what is considered information at one level, can only be data at another level.
The required data is an input to the decision-making process, the information is the result, the decision-making process itself must be immersed in an information system.
In other words, the information follows a hierarchy, each level of information is deduced from the data. Therefore, in order to derive information the data is not enough, we need the deduction process or also called the decision-making process.
Conditions for acquiring information:
- Data
- Decision-making process, because without it there is no way to deduce necessary information from the data.
Taking into account that information has a hierarchy and that the decision process is what allows us to go from one level to another, it implies that any change in the decision-making process could render an entire level of information obsolete.
All managers need data for decision making and thus derive the necessary information. Therefore, a change in the decision process does not only imply a change in the final result, in the information, but also implies a change in the nature of the data required and its level of precision required.
Architecture of an information system
We must distinguish which information systems and data systems are not the same. Our current systems are usually data systems. But what is an information system? Well the answer is: An information system are those systems that can answer questions whose answer requires the use of a decision-making procedure. However, synchronized systems to answer most direct questions should be called data systems.
Therefore we can deduce that an information system should not be used to handle the available data, but should assume the existence of a data system and should take the required data from it.
The power of an information system must be judged primarily by the scope of the questions to which it can provide an answer. Obviously, the more its scope, the more powerful the system can be said to be.
Information management process
Information Management Process
- Need for information: “it is a socially necessary complement in practical work and in the course of scientific exploration of the world. It can be said that it is the information that the person lacks to continue carrying out their practical activity. ” (Calva Gonzales, 2004) Search for information: “it is the set of operations or tasks that aim to make a user reach the information that answers their questions, by locating and accessing the relevant information resources” (UNIVERSIDAD DE ALCALA, nd) Obtaining all kinds of information: after searching for information, we find ourselves in the middle of a sea of information. Therefore, this is where we question whether the information is fuzzy or not and we do so by asking the following questions.
- Is the information obtained adequate to the needs of the company? Is the information obtained accessible to all members of the organization? Is the information obtained reliable and secure? Does it show duplication or not?
- Use of tools to locate and obtain clear and precise information:
There are multiple tools for data collection, however, some of the most used are the following:
- Survey: it is based on the questionnaire or set of questions that are prepared with the purpose of obtaining information from people. Interview: It is a technique aimed at establishing direct contact with people who consider themselves a source of information. Unlike the survey, which is limited to a questionnaire. Direct observation: begins to gain more credibility because it allows obtaining direct and reliable information, as long as it is done through a systematized and highly controlled procedure, for which they are being used today Very complete audiovisual media. Document analysis: its purpose is to analyze printed material and is based on bibliographic data sheets. Internet: today it is one of the main means of capturing information.
- Evolution of information: we must ensure that the information is reliable and that is why it is necessary to provide information. To begin the evaluation, you must first take into account where the information comes from:
| From library funds or resources: since the library acquires all its information for teaching, learning and research; all documents before being acquired are selected and evaluated. That is, they go through a review process. |
| From Internet pages: since there are usually no controls or evaluation criteria to publish on the Internet, we must submit the information to rigorous analysis to ensure that the information is reliable. |
Pompeu Fabra University (UPF) provides:
| Questions | Look at | |
| Who? | Who is the author? | Are you an expert in your field? |
| What institution do you belong to? | ||
| Than? | What is it about? | The information is complete and accurate |
| Indicates the sources of information and / or the origin of the data | ||
| The conclusions seem justified | ||
| When? | Is the information updated? | What date is the article / book |
|
When the website was last updated |
||
|
Do you need to look for more modern information to update the data? |
||
| Where? | Where is the information found?
Where does the information come from? |
The website is on a personal, institutional or commercial server The reputation of the publisher of the book or magazine |
| For what? | Who was the page written for? | It is aimed at a specific audience (experts, children, etc.) |
| Try to recommend or sell a product | ||
| Try to persuade some opinion |
- Processing and production of information: here we process the information for later beneficial use by the company.
Some of the actions to be carried out at this stage:
"• Synthesize, organize and present information
- Be able to carry out an analysis and synthesis of informationReflect and conclude Master the basic techniques of written expressionKnow how to make reportsNOT copy and pasteIntegrate to paraphrase, transform and somehow represent the informationUse diagramsUse synoptic tablesUse tablesUse graphsKnow how to write an essay ”(Rosas Sanchez, 2012)
- Decision making:
Decision making is the process through which a decision need is identified, alternatives are established, one of them is analyzed and chosen, the chosen one is implemented, and the results are evaluated. As for business, decision making is a tool that allows you to make the best decisions for the benefit of the company.
In order to make a good decision we need to have timely, clear and reliable information; therefore, information is the key to decision making.
CONCLUSION:
In everyday life, as in any organization, information is required for making correct decisions. For this reason, the evaluation of the information that is counted and the implementation of data and information systems are important.
By eliminating fuzzy information, correct decisions can be made based solely on the best information.
Bibliography
- Calva Gonzales, JJ (2004). The information needs: Theoretical Foundations and Methods. Mexico: National Autonomous University of Mexico.Definicion.de. (sf). DEFINITION OF. Obtained from DEFINITION. FROM: http://definicion.de/informacion/Goldratt, EM (1992). THE PAJAR SYNDROME. MONTERREY: EDICIONES CASTILLO. Rosas Sanchez, L. (MARCH 14, 2012). Gesiopolis. Obtained from http://www.gestiopolis.com/el-uso-de-informacion-difusa-en-la-toma-dedecisiones-empresariales/UNIVERSIDAD DE ALCALA. (sf). LIBRARY OF THE UNIVERSITY OF ALCALA. Obtained from http://www3.uah.es/bibliotecaformacion/BECO/BUSQUEDADEINFORMACION/i ndex.htmlWILKIPEDIA. (sf). WILKIPEDIA. Obtained from
