Information is ubiquitous in today’s world and plays a central role in an almost endless list of business processes and functions. It comes in all shapes, sizes, and file formats, and also carries numerous risks.
As time goes on, the way organizations manage their information will become more and more important. As new technologies emerge and new trends disrupt multiple industries, businesses that can confidently and competently manage their information will be at an advantage.
In this article, we’ll look at why information management is so important, some of the key trends making an impact in this area, and some best practices for businesses to follow.
What Is Information Management?
Information management is the web of processes, activities, and infrastructure that is used to manage, store, categorize, protect, and deliver the information in your organization.
The goal is to ensure your information is available to the appropriate people when needed, while simultaneously keeping it safe from threats.
Why Does Information Management Matter?
In the context of information management, information refers to a wide range of things. It encompasses the emails your teams send and receive, the documents you use to inform staff, records about your employees and customers, financial records, and much more.
Managing that information is critical. Here’s why:
- It helps you do a better job. The goal of information management is to deliver the right information to the right people at the right time. Organizations that can manage information well are more successful at this task, which allows them to reach their goals and perform more effectively and efficiently.
- It allows you to comply with the right laws. Managing your information properly and securely reduces the risk of losing it in data breaches, internal theft, and other incidents. This helps you avoid legal issues and stay on the right side of relevant data privacy regulations.
- It drives innovation. Creativity is a byproduct of having access to a lot of varied information. By delivering the right information to the right people, you give your teams the raw material to create new products and generate ideas.
Current Trends Impacting Information Management
Let’s explore some of the key trends right now that are relevant to information management, and why they’re important.
AI
Artificial intelligence is built to analyze large datasets and draw key insights quickly. This makes it an excellent tool for information management, helping you organize and deliver the information in your organization much more efficiently. AI can also streamline record-keeping, clean up storage, and even improve security.
New Risks
Unfortunately, cybercrime isn’t going anywhere. Data breaches are still common and affect businesses of all shapes and sizes. This puts your information at risk and makes it more important than ever to focus on securing it.
Cloud Computing
According to Statista, public cloud application services and SaaS usage and spending has been steadily on the rise since 2015. In fact, spending on cloud SaaS has increased from $31.4 billion to $232.3 billion in those nine years.
Also, if we look toward the future, over 85% of organizations will embrace a cloud-first principle by 2025, according to Gartner. The Cloud makes it easy to store large amounts of information securely, and can also make accessing that data both easier and safer.
Democratization of Data
Data democratization refers to a trend where data is becoming more accessible to a wider range of people, even those without much of a technical background. This makes a wider range of information more accessible to everyone in your organization, with a wide range of benefits.
How Can Companies Prepare for the Future?
With so much changing all the time, how can organizations ensure their information management strategy is prepared for the future? Let’s look at some best practices.
Carry Out an Audit
A good place to start is to conduct an assessment of your organization to pinpoint any areas of concern when it comes to your information infrastructure.
This will help you identify the areas you need to focus on and the concrete steps your teams will need to take to drive better information management.
Go Digital
A common issue is relying on legacy infrastructure underpinned by filing cabinets full of physical documents. Digitizing your records can make it much easier to manage key information and quickly share it, while also improving security.
Focus on Security
When it comes to securing your information assets, you need to take a proactive and ongoing approach.
A common weak point for businesses is remote work — employees often access critical information when they’re outside the organization. A strong endpoint security strategy can help reduce this risk. Investing in good Cloud security can also be a smart move to keep sensitive information protected.
Another useful step here is to put appropriate user access rules in place, so information can only be accessed or shared by people with the right credentials.
Get Organized
The better organized and categorized your information is, the easier it will be to manage, secure, and deliver where it’s needed at the right times.
To start, create sensible, consistent categories for your information, implement labeling standards, and educate your team members on the importance of proper organization.
Invest in the Right Tools and Partnerships
Today’s organizations have access to a wealth of useful technologies and tools to make information management easier. Examples include project management software, database management tools, and document management tools.
On top of that, it helps to work with the right partners, who can help you optimize various areas of your information management strategy and navigate the entire process with confidence.
Work with DYOPATH
At DYOPATH, we can help with many aspects of your information management journey, from security to infrastructure management.
Contact us to learn more and get started.