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Key success factors for
implementing new roles and
organisation for information
professionals
Henri Stiller
19 November 2013 [email protected] 2
Presentation outline
A paradoxical observation
Methodology and information sources
State of the art in 8 proposals
Key success factors, obstacles
Conclusion
19 November 2013 [email protected] 3
Histen Riller in brief
Set up in 1979, information as a decision making tool
Reports, surveys, competitive intelligence, information
monitoring, training, consulting
Customer references: large companies, public
administrations and ministries
19 November 2013 [email protected] 4
A paradoxical observation
19 November 2013 [email protected] 5
A paradoxical observation
Information professions are in turmoil
the functions they implement tend to be
scattered within organizations
their role and added value is constantly
challenged
their positioning is not stable
professional wording is not any more in tune
with the evolution of businesses
19 November 2013 [email protected] 6
A paradoxical observation
Production and use of information
grows exponentially
How organizations access to information
they need for their operation, information
that affects or influences their strategy?
19 November 2013 [email protected] 8
Methodology and information
sources
Field surveys carried out by Histen Riller in
large companies, between 1995 and 2010
Professional literature regarding recent trends
of information professions
Benchmarking survey carried out for the
Defence ministry by Histen Riller in December
2012
19 November 2013 [email protected] 9
State of the art in 8 proposals
19 November 2013 [email protected] 10
1 - A significant number of companies choose to
run their business without information
professionals
Almost 36% of the 200 largest French companies do not have an identified information department (HR
survey 2010)
correlated with the sector of business activity (HR
survey 2010)
sectors involved in advanced technologies choose rather to have a team of information professionals
sectors like retail, hospitality and restauration make rather the opposite choice
19 November 2013 [email protected] 11
1 - A significant number of companies choose to
run their business without information
professionals
What solutions for companies without an explicit information department? (HR survey 2010)
A technical system like a massively deployed intranet
fitted with a lot of tools -> information access for users, collaborative practices
external information: access is prepared by the communication department -> downloading on the intranet for provision of staff
19 November 2013 [email protected] 12
1 - A significant number of companies choose to
run their business without information
professionals
What solutions for companies without an
explicit information department? (HR survey
2010)
diffusion of this information:
pull mode – users search for the information they need on
the intranet
push mode - newsletters, RSS flows, mail alerts, etc.
19 November 2013 [email protected] 13
1 - A significant number of companies choose to
run their business without information
professionals
Trend (HR benchmark 2012)
train engineers in technical watch, rather than recruit
dedicated information professionals (even in highly
innovative sectors where access to information technology has a
strategic value)
19 November 2013 [email protected] 14
1 - A significant number of companies choose to
run their business without information
professionals
"In terms of human resources, the trend is to train experts in information searching, rather than the recruitment of information professionals" (electronics / communication sector) - (HR benchmark 2012)
“Involvement of experts and internal specialists, trained in information retrieval techniques, as well as in information monitoring & CI -> development of added value related to information management” (chemistry sector) - (HR benchmark 2012)
19 November 2013 [email protected] 15
1 - A significant number of companies choose to
run their business without information
professionals
“Acquisition of skills, and profile shifting of the same players, without going through the recruitment of new information professionals” (chemistry sector) - (HR benchmark 2012)
19 November 2013 [email protected] 16
The volume of information processed by companies explodes
Figures of the employment market for information professionals demonstrate that these professions are on the decline
either
development of tools to manage this increase in volume
or
processing this increase by other professions, including users themselves
2 - Companies favor the development of technical
solutions for accessing and sharing information
while maintaining their workforce of information
professionals at a low level
19 November 2013 [email protected] 17
Combination of both solutions -> users autonomy
becomes increasingly strong
Sometimes this happens in pain Testimony of an officer of a company in the sector of electronic and
communication: "The Information Centre works with a loyal
and active users core, but is ignored by some of the staff.
The latter is drowned out by the glut of information
available on the intranet "
2 - Companies favor the development of technical
solutions for accessing and sharing information
while maintaining their workforce of information
professionals at a low level
19 November 2013 [email protected] 18
TESTIMONY (HR benchmark 2012)
Defence / Aerospace sector
The «Information monitoring & CI » function is organized around
a CI unit attached to the Direction of Strategy
Oriented primarily toward commercial, competitive, and strategic
information monitoring, this function will be organized around
tools for its network operation and its coordination
2 - Companies favor the development of technical
solutions for accessing and sharing information
while maintaining their workforce of information
professionals at a low level
19 November 2013 [email protected] 19
3 - “Information monitoring (IM) and Competitive
Intelligence (CI)" is a function that is not always at
the strategic level that one might expect, even in
high-tech companies;
« IM » is a notion well understood in large companies
Among them a large part (around 50%) implements a
kind of « unstructured IM »
without the support of the general management, simply
driven by individual initiatives and willingness of managers of
the departments concerned
(HR survey 2010)
19 November 2013 [email protected] 20
TESTIMONIES (HR benchmark 2012)
Aerospace sector:
« IM and CI » is not enough acknowledged in the
company
staff in charge of this function devotes 10 to 40% of its
time, except at the commercial department where a
person is fully dedicated to it
3 - “IM and CI" is a function that is not
always at the strategic level that one might
expect, even in high-tech companies;
19 November 2013 [email protected] 21
3 - « IM & CI » : its implementation combines
actions of information professionals and of topic
specialists
TESTIMONIES (HR benchmark 2012)
Chemistry sector:
Information monitoring has a scattered organization: units
located within branches, without many relations between
them
Some units may have a dedicated information
professional, but rather engineers trained in information
processing perform this function
19 November 2013 [email protected] 22
TESTIMONIES (HR benchmark 2012)
Oil chemistry sector:
Technological watch is provided partly at the Information centre
by information professionals with usually a double training: a
scientific core education, reinforced by ongoing training for
Information Science
Researchers receive from the Information Centre information
related to their topics of interest, and perform a complementary
watch on very specialized subjects
3 - « IM & CI » : its implementation combines
actions of information professionals and of topic
specialists
19 November 2013 [email protected] 23
TESTIMONIES (HR benchmark 2012)
Electronics / communication sector:
The « IM & CI » function is deployed on several levels
In this frame, expert integration to ongoing studies is being
carried out by the mean of tools, implemented by the
Information centre staff
Rather than to recruit information professionals, the trend in
this company is to train experts in information retrieval
3 - « IM & CI » : its implementation combines
actions of information professionals and of topic
specialists
19 November 2013 [email protected] 24
Information professionals largely take part in the « IM &
CI » function: 68% among them are involved in
information monitoring activities (« Professions & salaries »
ADBS survey 2010)
In large French companies, Information Centres are
involved in the information monitoring process,
sometimes they manage it totally (HR survey 2010)
3 - « IM & CI » : its implementation combines
actions of information professionals and of topic
specialists
19 November 2013 [email protected] 25
4 - Staff which is not information professional is
increasingly involved in the “IM & CI” process
TESTIMONIES (HR benchmark 2012)
IM tasks are performed by users themselves through web searches, or through their personal network (aerospace sector)
Technological watch is also performed by scientists (engineers, PhD students). They have been trained in use of information tools (chemistry sector)
The acquisition of new skills allowing analysis of collected information is done through interviews with domain experts in the group (chemistry sector)
19 November 2013 [email protected] 26
TESTIMONIES (HR benchmark 2012)
Also involved in the « IM & CI » process are strategy
analysts, upstream studies engineers, vendors (defense / aerospace sector)
4 - Staff which is not information professional is
increasingly involved in the “IM & CI” process
19 November 2013 [email protected] 27
In large companies, IM systems involve: information professionals
AND
experts in the company fields
Experts -> trained in information retrieval
Information professionals: needs and challenges of experts for whom they work
Observation: a relatively small number of information professionals acts as resource persons (in information technology), the largest part of information monitoring is carried out by the recipients themselves
4 - Staff which is not information professional is
increasingly involved in the “IM & CI” process
19 November 2013 [email protected] 28
Trends
hybridization
tasks distribution according to skills
Information professionals are involved until a certain level of
specialization in the field
Tasks are then taken over by experts
Conversely, domain experts develop search queries until they
reach a level of complexity that requires the intervention of an
information professional
4 - Staff which is not information professional is
increasingly involved in the “IM & CI” process
19 November 2013 [email protected] 29
5 - The functions performed by information
professionals are moving towards the production
of more added value
Basic activities of Information centres show a clear tendency to get reduced in favor of more diverse and complex missions
The needs of companies are turning to the production of analysis, synthesis, to the enhancement of relevant information
19 November 2013 [email protected] 30
In parallel to the development of their autonomy, a need
for user training and consulting tends to increase
In most cases, users perform simple searches for their
need for access to information, and then turn to
information professionals for more complex searches
(eg in the field of patents)
5 - The functions performed by information
professionals are moving towards the production
of more added value
19 November 2013 [email protected] 31
This increase in added-value activities of
information management does not necessarily
result in job creation for information professionals
The implemented solutions are based on the
involvement of experts and internal specialists,
trained in information management, “IM & CI”
5 - The functions performed by information
professionals are moving towards the production
of more added value
19 November 2013 [email protected] 32
6 - A new positioning of information professionals
on cross-functional and intermediation functions
emerges, resulting in the creation of new jobs
Information professionals are more and more
requested for cross-functional projects
Tasks regarding support for project
management are increasing
methodology, skills regarding information sources
and tools
19 November 2013 [email protected] 33
Logistics intermediation: foster access of staff to internal as well as external information by tagging the information landscape
The position of information professionals is changing
they are more likely not to work within a centralized information unit
but they tend to get near to their users being attached to their department
6 - A new positioning of information professionals
on cross-functional and intermediation functions
emerges, resulting in the creation of new jobs
19 November 2013 [email protected] 34
The vocabulary of information professions
continues to enrich
community manager
curator
document controller
records manager, etc.
6 - A new positioning of information professionals
on cross-functional and intermediation functions
emerges, resulting in the creation of new jobs
19 November 2013 [email protected] 35
2 tracks for the development of information professions
1) changes arising from the development of Internet technologies
2) requirements in terms of safety, environmental, quality, health, more generally regulatory compliance
Two strong trends: deeply rooted in the evolution of our society
6 - A new positioning of information professionals
on cross-functional and intermediation functions
emerges, resulting in the creation of new jobs
19 November 2013 [email protected] 36
7 - A reciprocal impregnation of expertise in
information science versus company's business
is being tested in some companies
Tendency to complement the skills of information
professionals and field experts reciprocally
Experimental
Solution for access to strategic information:
hybridization -> gain in added value
19 November 2013 [email protected] 37
TESTIMONIES (HR benchmark 2012)
Chemistry sector
The acquisition of new skills allowing analysis of collected
information -> interviews with domain experts within the
company
Mutual enrichment experts-information professionals being
tested -> detachment of experts in the information centre for a
period of six months to a year
7 - A reciprocal impregnation of expertise in
information science versus company's business
is being tested in some companies
19 November 2013 [email protected] 38
8 - Users deploy autonomy in terms of access and
use of information, sometimes to the point where
they don’t need anymore the intervention of
information professionals
Companies make a decision between:
expert training in information management
or
recruitment of information professionals who will implement their information skills in the company fields
Both solutions coexist in general, with a predominance for the first one
NB: The fact that teaching of information monitoring techniques (STI) is now integrated in the curriculum of engineering education will further strengthen this trend
19 November 2013 [email protected] 39
Autonomy gained by users progress made in terms of human-machine interface in
computer technology (graphical interfaces, intuitive, usable by everyone)
search engine performances
communication and collaboration tools
Large companies: users proceed themselves to
relatively simple searches, and trust information
professionals for more complex searches
8 - Users deploy autonomy in terms of access and
use of information, sometimes to the point where
they don’t need anymore the intervention of
information professionals
19 November 2013 [email protected] 40
Some information professionals are not scared to
disappear because of the autonomy taken by their users
Oil chemistry sector
"The Information centre continues to receive requests
for complex searches involving the use of databases
that users do not have access to, or specialized
functions such as bibliometrics [...] or in the field of
patents "
8 - Users deploy autonomy in terms of access and
use of information, sometimes to the point where
they don’t need anymore the intervention of
information professionals
19 November 2013 [email protected] 41
The whole company is progressing in terms
of added value in its access to information
along with the assimilation of skills in information retrieval by
users-recipients (which allow them to make their own simple research),
new needs emerge, corresponding to an addition in added-value
to meet these new needs, the most advanced skills of
information are implemented
8 - Users deploy autonomy in terms of access and
use of information, sometimes to the point where
they don’t need anymore the intervention of
information professionals
19 November 2013 [email protected] 42
Key success factors, obstacles
19 November 2013 [email protected] 43
Key success factors
Added Value
"The main factor for the successful development of
the information management function in large
companies is acknowledgment of its added value by
executive officers"
19 November 2013 [email protected] 44
Key success factors
1) proficiency regarding tools, methods and organisation required by their implementation: IT tools for :
access to information
Information processing (including mapping, visualisation tools)
communication
sharing
Collaboration
Knowledge of information sources tailored to the needs of the company
web and web 2.0 technologies; etc.
2) understanding of the unique needs of the company’s business
19 November 2013 [email protected] 45
Key success factors
Added value
taking the role of consultant, trainer, and support to ICT implementation (including wikis, collaborative platforms)
proactivity: experimental projects with motivated users to implement new technologies
always ahead of their users on technological advances
constant need for training and information monitoring regarding ICT
19 November 2013 [email protected] 46
Key success factors
Understanding of the specific business needs of
the company: several solutions
Information professionals with a double education
Interpenetration of skills
19 November 2013 [email protected] 47
Key success factors
Communication on Added Value
The added value of the information management function is effective for its development if and only if it is known and recognized
Users positive feedback -> intranet
Proselytism: show the utility of information management tasks (information monitoring ensures good image, then follow on other aspects)
Pilot projects, model implementation (“flash” training on topics or tools)
19 November 2013 [email protected] 48
Obstacles
Acknowledgment of added value by decision makers: if
granted, heads of the information management function
get resources -> virtuous circle
Ignorance of resources provided by the information
management function: information centres typically
operate with a core of active users, but which does not
extend
large population of potential users of the information
management function -> large companies (main success of an
information centre manager of a big aerospace company = "conquest of
new territories")
19 November 2013 [email protected] 49
Obstacles
Difficulties in designing a good organization and good
processes for managing libraries and document
repositories, and information monitoring
New expectations of users - including very short
processing time => adaptation of organizations and
methods
Groping of heads of the information management function
No stereotype of organization, specificity of each business
19 November 2013 [email protected] 50
Obstacles
Free access to information on the Internet -> educational actions, compromise between free and paid sources
Documentary digitalization: complex to implement in terms of tools and organization, perception of time waste, misunderstood issues, volunteering, and often a small part of internal documents is recorded
Development of e-books: publishers implement various processes for dealing with copyright
Solution (eg Thales Communications): service provider that brings this consistency but at the expense of the precise choice of content collections
Multinational groups: differences in culture, ways of understanding the issues related to information
Defense industry: a contradiction between national interests and harmonization of practices at transnational level
19 November 2013 [email protected] 51
Conclusion
19 November 2013 [email protected] 52
Hybrid solutions, complementary
skills
In terms of access to strategic information – information that influences
companies strategy, globally and locally (teams, departments, projects) – companies are developing hybrid solutions, combining the skills from information professionals with their experts ones
Therefore inherently systems are fragmented, with sometimes a coordination at different levels: :
CI unit attached to the Direction of Strategy or the General Direction
information monitoring units attached to a department, more specifically a users department
Information Centre acting as information monitoring coordinator
19 November 2013 [email protected] 53
Lack of governance
Even in very large companies, there is no real
governance of strategic information
Personal initiatives taken by managers at a department level,
with the support of their management of attachment, in a
budgetary framework drawn by the General Direction
Gropings and hesitations
Move without visibility in the information world -> single
landmark: reducing or at least controlling costs
19 November 2013 [email protected] 54
Lack of governance
Observation of the under-utilization of information assets
and internal expertise
Commentary frequently repeated by managers we
interviewed was that “IM & CI" was not sufficiently valued in
the company (not to mention knowledge management ...)
19 November 2013 [email protected] 55
Lack of governance
Company difficulties:
complexity of the information landscape growing permanently
chronic gap between ICT use and implementation
Solutions mostly chosen in large companies:
deployment of systems and tools
without necessarily having projected the implications in terms of organization, changes in processes and uses
19 November 2013 [email protected] 56
Landmarks
Search of invariants or heavy trends
ICT and especially technologies related to the Internet
Evolution towards a society increasingly standardized and regulated
Mobility
Big data
Information world
Reference information
Information / documents with legal or regulatory value, that can be provided as evidence in case of dispute in front of the authorities, or constituting the technological capital of the company
Information regarding the current environment
for decision making and actions guidelines, with a more or less short life cycle
19 November 2013 [email protected] 57
Reference information
Reference information: field of archivists, records
managers, information specialists in intellectual
property…
Functions well defined, with clear tasks, implementing
mature practices and procedures
Usually well controlled by companies
19 November 2013 [email protected] 58
Reference informations, project
documentation
Any new project => consumption and production of a large
amount of information, some of which is destined to
become reference information
For large projects, the function of "document controller" was
created, and plays its role perfectly
Multitude of smaller projects: tracing operations
19 November 2013 [email protected] 59
Reference information, project
documentation
« Multi-project document controller »
cross-cutting interventions as "document controller" on
several projects simultaneously
Comparing to:
quality approach
tendancy to extend project management
the « document controller » is a full member of the project team
19 November 2013 [email protected] 60
New professions related to ICT
and the Internet
Development of information professions related to Internet technologies
webmasters, content managers, community managers, social networks watchers, curators…
These businesses will evolve in parallel with technologies => jobs will disappear, other will be created
Constant adaptation
19 November 2013 [email protected] 61
Intermediary, facilitator, prescriber,
mapping technician, coach, trainer…
Role of mediator, information sources and tools prescriber, setting landmarks to guide users in an informational world increasingly opaque
=> sufficient technical training to master the tools and access to information assets of any kind
Role could be crucial for companies (information overload, poor ICT and company social networks skills)
Information professionals added value
19 November 2013 [email protected] 62
Parallel with quality -> supporting role and advising their users
Training, « best practices » processes for simple information search
Expertise implementation for more complex search
Scheme implemented in some companies => generalize
Intermediary, facilitator, prescriber,
mapping technician, coach, trainer…
19 November 2013 [email protected] 63
Companies: added-value increase
Demanding in terms of skills => effort in information
professionals training and education
technical (tools, information monitoring, collaborative platforms,
etc.)
consulting
coaching
project management
Intermediary, facilitator, prescriber,
mapping technician, coach, trainer…
19 November 2013 [email protected] 64
Survey limits and frame
Sources: field survey of large French companies; recent literature dealing with the question; benchmarking study about a small number of companies, processed as a series of case studies
Heuristic approach, not comprehensive
Conclusions apply mainly to large companies in the industrial world
strong trends for all information professions
Putting it into perspective: development of mobility, of the cloud, of the big data…
profound transformation of the companies organization
19 November 2013 [email protected] 65
Proposals to shape governance
Proposals to shape governance for access to strategic information, its processing and its integration into the business processes
Huge field of possibilities -> community of professions under questioning
Implementation
=> challenge of training courses and education for these professions
=> reconsider the positionning of these professions by business leaders
cross-cutting fields such as quality or management controlling