The Strategic Information Audit:
A Powerful Tool to Prevent Chaos
Louis-René Dessureault, BA, MBSI
Vice-president, Consulting Services
Session plan:
• Information Audit: a definition
• Why and when should you do an IA
• IA Methodology
• Aligning your information systems with corporate goals
Consulting Services – What is it
CEDROM-SNi strongly believes that in order to support our clients
and help them to evolve at the speed of the information, knowledge
and communication age, we needed to push the concept of
customer support by creating a group totally dedicated to service.
The main focus and mission of this group is to provide our current
and new customers with advices aimed at optimizing their
investment in Eureka, Newscan or Euro-Presse.
This new group of consultants is staffed with information
management professionals, business analysts and other specialists
who are used to gathering clients’ strategic information needs and
transforming them into efficient business processes and system
architectures.
Consulting Services – What is it
Working independently from the sales department, our main tasks
will be:
• To advise customers on how to take full advantage of any
information platform by optimizing all processes regarding the
collection, the organization, the usage and the dissemination of
strategic business information to targeted users – knowledge
workers, management, etc.
• By supporting our customers on all aspects of our product and
services implementation: needs assessment, account architecture
support, training, technical support, help desk, library services,
etc.
Consulting Services – Why and When
A focused approach, in a short time-frame
At the very beginning of a new relationship in order to:
• Get an unbiased portrait of the actual situation
• Assess correctly the real information needs
• Evaluate current information gathering and sharing processes
• Make sure these are aligned with the best practices
• Propose the optimal account architecture and technology
• Support implementation and training
• Propose other services that the client may need
Consulting Services – Why and When
A focused approach, in a short time-frame
During a Newscan contract in order to :
• Monitor client usage and make usage match expectations by
proposing specific intervention that will achieve the goal
• Answer clients’ questions and help him / her to develop better
usage by providing IM, KM, CI advice.
• Offer ad-hoc training
• Revise the needs assessment, account architecture, politics,
processes, search strategies, etc.
• Make sure these are aligned with the best practices in their
industry
Consulting Services – What we do
Needs Assessment – Information Audit
Strategic Information Plan and System design
Librarianship & Training Services
Market Intelligence & Monitoring Consulting Services
Information and Knowledge Management Consulting Services
IT Solution & Support
Information Audit - Definition
Several definitions co-exist together
Everybody seems to agree that an Information Audit is a process :
• That tends to:
• Identify an organization’s information needs and resources.
• Identify information flow and networks; internal, external,
formal & informal.
• In order to:
• Create a realistic portrait of the current situation.
• Optimize communication level and information assets.
• Market the information / communication services and enhance
the profile of information / communication professionals
within the organization.
Strategic Information Audit Definition
A Strategic Information Audit (SIA) is a process that :
• Will identify :
• Executives’ strategic information needs,
• Strategic information resources, flow and networks; internal,
external, formal & informal.
• In order to:
• Create a realistic portrait of the current situation,
• Develop a GAP analysis,
• Design or optimize a BI/CI program aligned with the
organization’s strategic needs,
• Optimize all information and intelligence assets
Close to the previous one but focused on a target !
Why and When
Two ways that an SIA can begin:
 Executives are fed-up with the lack of intelligence and fail to make
good decisions
• Things are not going well – You are in trouble !
• Could bring significant changes in the BI/CI unit !
 Proactive BI/CI professionals introduce an SIA program to make sure
they are keeping their executives “HOT”
• Thing are going well !
• Everybody wants to keep on top of changes
Do your own internal monitoring !
Why and When
A needs analysis is often a one shot deal
Needs
Analysis
Recommendations
Portrait &
Assessment
Implementation
SIA Continuous Cycle
Current Situation
Ideal Situation
Optimization
Structural
Review
Report and
Recommendations
Strategic Needs
Identification
Gap Analysis
Implementation
Processes
Review
Ongoing Feedback Process
SIA Methodology
STEP 1: Structural Review
Goal & Objectives
To gain in-depth knowledge of the global organizational structures and
culture specifically focused on information management and business
intelligence.
Activities may include.
 Review of all available documentation (original plans, org. charts, programs,
etc.)
 Interviews with all currents professionals involved in Info management &
research, BI/CI in order to identify their roles and responsibilities
 Review of the IT infrastructure and systems dedicated to the intelligence
process and KM
 Business intelligence and research services organizational structure mapping
and analysis
 Information flows and decisions poles mapping and analysis
SIA Methodology
STEP 2: IM Process Review
Goal & Objectives
To acquire a clear and in-depth knowledge of all tools and methodologies
used in strategic information management in the organization, including past
and currents practices and experiences. All activities and players related to
data collection, analysis, evaluation communication and feedback have to be
identified and documented.
Activities
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Interviews and questionnaires planning
Data collection through interviews and questionnaires
Focus groups to evaluate IM current process, products and performance
Staff capabilities and internal process evaluation
Team interviews debriefing and analysis
SIA Methodology
STEP 3: Strategic Needs Identification
Goal & Objectives
To acquire a crystal-clear understanding of the strategic concerns of the
decision makers of the organization in order to assess the effective
contribution of the IM program to corporate results. Through very targeted
interviews with decisions makers, this exercise will demonstrate the current
level of satisfaction for IM products, contribute to identification of real
strategic information needs, favourite distribution channels, current usage of
existing systems and their effectiveness.
Activities
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Interview planning – building your own knowledge about the decision makers
Ten to twenty interviews with top executives
Interview debriefing and data analysis
SIA Methodology
STEP 4: Gap Analysis
Goal & Objectives
Once steps 1 to 3 are well accomplished, it is now the perfect time to sit down
and evaluate the gap between the what is and the what is expected. What is
true one day can turn out to be false on another day in the business world.
Evaluating current gaps between what is currently done and what keeps your CEO
awake in the night will pave the way for the next step. Benchmarking your
processes with best practices will also bring some good ideas and great benefits.
Activities: Some of the issues to be addressed
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Is the original plan still meeting the expressed needs ?
Is the original plan well served by the current systems ?
Are the current systems still meeting the expressed needs ?
Is the original plan meeting the best practices in the field ?
Is the current program of the organization comparable with competitors ?
SIA Methodology
STEP 5: Report and recommendations
Goal & Objective
The main objective of this step is to produce and present a report which
provides to the client a clear vision of the current state of its IM programs, the
strategic information needs findings and recommendations for optimization in
order to meet the decision making process requirements.
Deliverables
 An executive summary of the key findings and recommendations
 A detailed written report that will discuss:
 The current state of the programs and information flows.
 The best practices in the field and in industry.
 The strategic information needs assessment.
 The recommendations in order to optimize the programs and the strategic
information assets.
The final report should be the cornerstone of the strategic plan
to implement the recommendations for optimization
SIA Methodology
STEP 6: Implementing recommendations
Goal & Objective
The main objective of this step is to plan and implement the recommendations in
the most efficient way suitable for the organization. Working closely with the BI
manager and a change management expert, the strategic plan will be completed,
presented and implemented in order to optimize the current situation.
Activities
Planning sessions in order to understand the change process and the changes to be
made.
Development of the implementation plan :
• Clarify objectives
• Set global and specific parameters – what has to be changed and optimized and
how
• Evaluate the impact
• Develop communication plan
Implementation
Post implementation review strategy
Continuous improvement through a formalized audit program
Aligning Your Monitoring
on Corporate Goals
Environment
Intelligence
Regulation
Technology
Globalization
Alliances
Political Risks
Competition
 Interpretation
 Protection
 Anticipation
 Action
 Innovation
 Strategy
Real Vision
Strategic Information Audit
QUESTIONS & DISCUSSION
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