I was recently emailed an article titled, “The New Business Of Managing Information - A Process-Centric Approach” that can be found here. I will confess that after reading the first line (the most successful businesses are process-centric) I was hooked.  

Those of you that know about Collaboration Consulting Inc. will understand that central to all our work is the idea that we believe it is critical for a business to understand what it does, the information needed and the measurement to prove success.  In reading this article in detail I was encouraged. I’ve been of the belief for many years that Information Management (IM) must be derived through an understanding of what you do (what this article refers to as process-centric). I have blogged on this idea a few times in the past. However, I have rarely seen other organizations or people speak so specifically or clearly as in this article. I shall leave it for you to imagine how pleasantly surprised I was to receive this link (my thanks to Janet at the GoA).

Whilst I completely concur with this statement I would add that the effort to understand information in the context of process is actually spiral, or cyclical. A comprehensive understanding of information will not only flow from an understanding of activity (or process), but must in turn be measured so that the process can be managed (by management) and future iterations of refinement can be improved upon.  To help explain this concept we have developed the AIM model.

	One definition of process is that an activity takes an input, adds value to the input and produces an output.    With an understanding of what the activity entails or requires as well as whom is completing this activity there should be an understanding of the information required. In this way, information can be directly attached to specific process activities.
	Once this understanding is in place activity should be monitored through objective measurement. In turn the results should then feed back into the management and  improvement of how things are done (Activity).

We communicate this idea with our clients by asking the three following questions (I have blogged on these questions before but they are worth repeating here):

I was recently emailed an article titled, “The New Business Of Managing Information - A Process-Centric Approach” that can be found here. I will confess that after reading the first line (the most successful businesses are process-centric) I was hooked.  

Those of you that know about Collaboration Consulting Inc. will understand that central to all our work is the idea that we believe it is critical for a business to understand what it does, the information needed and the measurement to prove success.  In reading this article in detail I was encouraged. I’ve been of the belief for many years that Information Management (IM) must be derived through an understanding of what you do (what this article refers to as process-centric). I have blogged on this idea a few times in the past. However, I have rarely seen other organizations or people speak so specifically or clearly as in this article. I shall leave it for you to imagine how pleasantly surprised I was to receive this link (my thanks to Janet at the GoA).

Whilst I completely concur with this statement I would add that the effort to understand information in the context of process is actually spiral, or cyclical. A comprehensive understanding of information will not only flow from an understanding of activity (or process), but must in turn be measured so that the process can be managed (by management) and future iterations of refinement can be improved upon.  To help explain this concept we have developed the AIM model.

	One definition of process is that an activity takes an input, adds value to the input and produces an output.    With an understanding of what the activity entails or requires as well as whom is completing this activity there should be an understanding of the information required. In this way, information can be directly attached to specific process activities.
	Once this understanding is in place activity should be monitored through objective measurement. In turn the results should then feed back into the management and  improvement of how things are done (Activity).

We communicate this idea with our clients by asking the three following questions (I have blogged on these questions before but they are worth repeating here):