The Cost of Too Much Information: Government Workers Lose .../media/Files/Iron... · Correlated to More Information Overload information n = 100 Source: IDC Government Insights' Cost

February 2012, IDC Government Insights #GI232863

The Cost of Too Much Information:

Government Workers Lose Productivity

Due to Information Overload

W H I T E P A P E R

Sponsored by: Iron Mountain

Ruthbea Yesner Clarke Adela ide O'Br ien February 2012

I N T H I S W HI TE P A P ER

This IDC Government Insights White Paper discusses the challenges government faces in dealing with the enormous growth of information and the impact it has on government employees. It explores the potential advantages of using an information management provider to help manage, store, access, protect, and recover government records and information, both physical and digital.

For this paper, IDC Government Insights conducted a survey of 100 federal, state, and local government employees to assess their level of information overload, the reasons behind this information overload, and the impact it has on worker productivity. This paper analyzes the results of the survey and provides practical approaches that government organizations must consider to effectively execute successful information management programs and establish best practices for government to transform data into information.

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#GI232863 ©2012 IDC Government Insights

T A B L E O F C O N T E N T S

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Situat ion Overview 1

Key Challenges in Managing Information for Federal, State, and Local Governments ............................. 1 Challenges to Effective Information Management .................................................................................... 4

The Path to Success 7

Benefits of Effective Information Management ......................................................................................... 7 What Are Information Management Solutions? ........................................................................................ 8 Best Practices ........................................................................................................................................... 9

Step 1: Government Records Storage as the Foundation ................................................................. 9 Step 2: Intelligent Scanning to Convert Paper Documents to Electronic Records ............................. 9 Step 3: Knowledge Sharing and Collaboration .................................................................................. 10

Challenges and Considerat ions 11

I ron Mountain 11

Conclusions 12

©2012 IDC Government Insights #GI232863

L I S T O F F I G U R E S

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1 A Real Problem: Government Workers Suffer Information Overload ........................................... 2

2 Average Percent of Time Workers Spend Trying to Manage Information Overload ..................... 3

3 Percent of Workers Unable to Find or Access Information 50% or More of the Time .................. 3

4 Frequent Interaction with Information Types Directly Correlated to More Information Overload ...................................................................................................................................... 5

5 Paper Information Is More Overwhelming .................................................................................... 6

6 Specific Information Challenges ................................................................................................... 7

7 Benefits of an Integrated Digital/Paper Solution ........................................................................... 8

8 The Path to Successful Information Management ........................................................................ 10

©2012 IDC Government Insights #GI232863 Page 1

S I T UA TI ON OVE R VI E W

The digital universe is expanding exponentially. IDC estimates that in 2009, there were 800,000 petabytes of information (a petabyte is a million gigabytes). In 2010, the digital universe grew to 1.2 million petabytes, or 1.2 zettabytes. IDC predicts that by 2020, the digital universe will be 44 times as large as it was in 2009, or 35 zettabytes.

1

During the time of this digital tsunami, the amount of paper produced in the world will grow 2% per year. It is estimated that 41 trillion pages of paper were produced in 2009, with output from electronic printers, scanners, fax machines, and copiers alone totaling more than an estimated 6 trillion pages. The National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) has averaged 475 million pages of records per year for the past 10 years. Recently, NARA reported a significant growth in the volume of electronic records and total archival electronic holdings — 142 terabytes as of November 2011.

2

It is in this context that government agencies are working to manage vast amounts of diverse information while also facing unique regulatory requirements. Government relies on information to provide services to citizens and run the business of government. In today's digital world, given the aggressive data growth rates and government's need to process both electronic and paper information, managing information does not come easy. An enormous amount of information must be effectively organized and stored, evaluated for disposition, described, retrieved, scheduled, and, as appropriate, destroyed. According to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), the federal government is the largest single producer, collector, consumer, and disseminator of information in the United States.

K e y C h a l l e n g e s i n M a n a g i n g I n f o r m a t i o n

f o r F e d e r a l , S t a t e , a n d L o c a l G o v e r n m e n t s

The challenges related to managing information for government workers can lead to information overload; that is, being overwhelmed by the tasks of finding, responding to, and organizing paper and digital information required to do one's job. In our recent survey of 100 government workers (from federal, state, and local organizations), 70% indicated that they "sometimes" or "always" feel overloaded by information. State workers have more feelings of information overload than either federal or local workers, with local government employees being the least overloaded (Figure 1).

1 IDC's Digital Universe Study, sponsored by EMC, May 2010

2 http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2011/11/28/we-cant-wait-president-signs- memorandum-modernize-management-government-

During the time of this digital tsunami, the amount of paper produced in the world will grow 2% per year. It is estimated that 41 trillion pages of paper were produced in 2009, with output from electronic printers, scanners, fax machines, and copiers alone totaling more than an estimated 6 trillion pages.

According to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), the federal government is the largest single producer, collector, consumer, and disseminator of information in the United States.

70% of government workers indicated that they "sometimes" or "always" feel overloaded by information.

Page 2 #GI232863 ©2012 IDC Government Insights

F I G U R E 1

A R e a l P r o b l e m : G o v e r n m e n t W o r k e r s S u f f e r I n f o r m a t i o n

O v e r l o a d

n = 100

Source: IDC Government Insights' Cost of Too Much Information Survey, 2011

In addition, federal, state, and local workers spend one-quarter to one-third of their time trying to manage this information overload (Figure 2). This represents a significant amount of time and energy that could be spent on more productive and valuable activities. Part of this information overload is the inability of workers to find or access information needed to do their job, even if they believe their organization has the information. When asked "What percent of time are you unable to find information you need to do your job, even though you are pretty sure your organization has that information?" over 25% of government respondents reported being unable to find or access the digital information they need more than 50% of the time (Figure 3).

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Federal, state, and local workers spend one-quarter to one-third of their time trying to manage this information overload.


F I G U R E 2

A v e r a g e P e r c e n t o f T i m e W o r k e r s S p e n d T r y i n g t o M a n a g e

I n f o r m a t i o n O v e r l o a d

n = 100


F I G U R E 3

P e r c e n t o f W o r k e r s U n a b l e t o F i n d o r A c c e s s I n f o r m a t i o n

5 0 % o r M o r e o f t h e T i m e

n = 100


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In a time of severe budget constraints and need for increased efficiency and productivity, prevalent feelings of information overload and the inability to find or access information needed to do one's job are serious challenges for government agencies.

C h a l l e n g e s t o E f f e c t i v e I n f o r m a t i o n

M a n a g e m e n t

IDC Government Insights' research shows paper persistency is more prevalent in government than in other industries, effectively requiring government to protect and manage paper information for extreme lengths of time (possibly in perpetuity). While often new documents generated today are digital, every day government employees need to access documents that are several years old — in other words, paper documents. Our research also shows that government workers frequently deal with multiple media, such as email, paper forms and paper documents, voice calls/voicemail, digital forms and digital documents, and Web information (Figure 4). Figure 4 shows that there is a correlation between information that is dealt with frequently and information that contributes to information overload. The more frequently government deals with an information type, the more it creates the feeling of overload — whether it is a newer information type such as email or a mature information type such as paper forms and documents.


F I G U R E 4

F r e q u e n t I n t e r a c t i o n w i t h I n f o r m a t i o n T y p e s D i r e c t l y

C o r r e l a t e d t o M o r e I n f o r m a t i o n O v e r l o a d

n = 100


Sixty-one percent of government workers surveyed said that paper information is more overwhelming than digital information, as shown in Figure 5. Furthermore, the survey indicates that information comes to government employees approximately 50% in digital format and 50% in paper format. Workers prefer information to be delivered to them mostly in a digital format; respondents said that their preference is for information to be 65% digital.

The challenge is that digitizing documents doesn't solve the entire problem of information overload. There is a lot of redundancy in data in both paper and electronic forms. The survey results indicate that 52% of paper information types are keyed into a computer application, while 49% of digital documents are printed. When one considers digital document management, there are a lot of inefficiencies. As stated, 49% of digital documents are printed — and they are printed an average of 2.5 times. Of these printed digital documents, 39% are then reentered into another electronic system from their paper printout. The redundancy in processes and the blurring of paper and digital information types increase the cost and complexity of managing this information.

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The survey results indicate that 52% of paper information types are keyed into a computer application, while 49% of digital documents are printed. When one considers digital document management, there are a lot of inefficiencies. As stated, 49% of digital documents are printed — and they are printed an average of 2.5 times.

Our research also shows that government workers frequently deal with multiple media, such as email, paper forms and paper documents, voice calls/voicemail, digital forms and digital documents, and Web information.


F I G U R E 5

P a p e r I n f o r m a t i o n I s M o r e O v e r w h e l m i n g

Q. Which is more overwhelming, the paper information you deal with or the digital?


Given the conversion of paper into digital formats and digital into paper formats, it is no surprise that top information challenges include storing and archiving more paper documents than needed and difficulty with version control, as shown in Figure 6. We can see, given the amount of time spent digitizing paper documents and printing digital information, that information is also not in the appropriate format needed by government workers. In addition, the data in Figure 6 indicates a secondary theme that the information itself is not easy enough for both employees and constituents to understand. This exacerbates the problem of information overload.

Paper (61.0%)

Digital (30.0%)

Don't know (9.0%)

n = 100


F I G U R E 6

S p e c i f i c I n f o r m a t i o n C h a l l e n g e s

n = 100


T HE P A T H T O S UC C E SS

B e n e f i t s o f E f f e c t i v e I n f o r m a t i o n

M a n a g e m e n t

According to the survey participants, government workers believe they would gain 51 minutes per day, on average, if paper documents were digitally available. Clearly, increased productivity would be one key benefit of effective information management.

As seen in Figure 7, the top 3 benefits of an integrated digital and paper solution are increased productivity, better access to information, and a reduction in processing costs. Thirty-five percent of government employees believe that the benefit of an integrated digital and paper solution would be increased productivity (Figure 7).

0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70

The documents take too much time to understand

Information is not in the form I need

Constituents need clarif ication on document contents

It is dif f icult to have proper version control

Store/archive more paper documents than needed

(% of respondents)

According to the survey participants, government workers believe they would gain 51 minutes per day, on average, if paper documents were digitally available.


F I G U R E 7

B e n e f i t s o f a n I n t e g r a t e d D i g i t a l / P a p e r S o l u t i o n

n = 100


W h a t A r e I n f o r m a t i o n M a n a g e m e n t

S o l u t i o n s ?

Government workers are inundated with information in a variety of different formats — paper, digital, audio, video, and social media. New technologies and channels for engagement simultaneously produce opportunities to interact with other agencies and citizens and add to the increasing complexity of managing information. While information management is a challenge for any industry, government is also hindered by increased regulation, rising litigation, and tight budgets.

The overarching goal of an information management solution is to get the right information to the right people at the right time. Information management solutions are designed to help organizations acquire, organize, maintain, protect, and share data and information. This requires an understanding and defining of the structure of the information and the necessary controls, authorizations, and processes for maintaining, retrieving, and sharing information. From a technology perspective, an information management solution can include storage, servers, databases, security, data and content management software, and business intelligence tools. There is often a need to integrate systems, processes, information, regulations, and other events or details in order to achieve the most meaningful view of the environment.

0 10 20 30 40

Cut processing costs

Information more widely accessible

Increased employee productivity

(% of respondents)


B e s t P r a c t i c e s

As we discussed earlier, government processes and methodologies can be rife with inefficiency. Surfacing these problems and taking action to create more streamlined workflows can redesign the way information is handled — ultimately saving time, resources, and both hard and soft operational costs. Understanding how information travels throughout organizations — from where it is created to where it is stored — and uncovering where content overlaps and intersects along the way can yield process efficiencies. For instance, some of the information in citizen services databases can be effectively mined to determine additional benefits and eligibilities for programs stored in different systems. Valuable information about vendor payments may be captured only in paper format, but this information needs to get into the billing system for accurate invoicing, recording, and updating dashboards. These intersections between systems, or between paper and electronic information, are good starting points to root out inefficient processes.

Where paper and digital information intersect, as they do in most organizations, a hybrid information management solution can help increase efficiency. A hybrid solution manages both paper and electronic formats and combines the cost-effectiveness of traditional paper storage, often the bulk of records, with the speed, convenience, and cost savings of digital access. Knowing when to digitize paper information provides an opportunity to simplify and streamline information management processes and conserve costs and resources. Generally, with a hybrid solution, information that is stored as paper is converted to a digitized format on demand only. This provides an effective, yet efficient retrieval solution.

Step 1: Government Records Storage as the Foundation

The first step and the foundation of best practices is storing paper records — in a compliant facility. For the federal government, that means a NARA-compliant facility, according to 36 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR), Part 1234. 36 CFR Part 1234 outlines the requirements for records storage facilities and is based on hundreds of criteria related to security, topography, fire protection, disaster recovery, and environmental controls such as air quality.

Step 2: Intelligent Scanning to Convert Paper Documents

to Electronic Records

Once storage compliance is achieved, the second step in best practices is unifying hardcopy records and digital information. Documents that are in paper format can be converted to electronic format. Records that are accessed frequently can be converted in bulk. Paper documents that are rarely accessed can be stored until needed. Once requested, these documents can be retrieved, scanned, and made available electronically for rapid access. Taking a strategic, hybrid approach to


document imaging and keeping records that are not requested in their paper format can provide a cost-effective and efficient route for federal agencies to better manage their information.

A hybrid approach also increases visibility and access to government information, regardless of format or location, with faster retrieval of mission-critical data and easier collaboration across government — resulting in a productive and efficient government. Unification of information provides additional benefits of transparency and collaboration by providing businesses and citizens the convenience of self-service to public records.

Step 3: Knowledge Sharing and Collaboration

The third step is knowledge sharing and collaboration, providing full access to information and extending the value of information via open lines of communication with government officials, businesses, and the public. Extending the value of information provides better decision making and can speed innovation. Consistent processes and training are required throughout each step to ensure repeatability and compliance.

Figure 8 illustrates this path to success, ensuring that information is stored safely and securely, that government is better equipped to understand its information and make sound decisions based on that information, and that government can easily distribute the information to the groups that need to act upon it — in short, making information relevant.

F I G U R E 8

T h e P a t h t o S u c c e s s f u l I n f o r m a t i o n M a n a g e m e n t

Source: IDC Government Insights, 2012

Paper Records

Digital Records

Virtual Records

Integrated Information Management

More Efficient Management of Information

Valu

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ati

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A hybrid approach also increases visibility and access to government information, regardless of format or location, with faster retrieval of mission-critical data and easier collaboration across government — resulting in a productive and efficient government.


C HAL L E NGE S A ND C ONS I D ER A TI ONS

Government agencies must take into account many important factors when considering an information management solution. Given government budget pressures, all levels of government are facing sensitive times in budget planning and resource allocation. There are many competing priorities for government agencies, which means that government entities have to carefully consider the total cost of ownership of new IT services and software, including those related to information management.

Not all information management solutions are the same or right for each individual agency. Agencies should carefully consider their unique needs for managing content, their specific mix of paper and digital documents, and what types of documents need to be accessed with what frequency. A quick survey of workers will reveal the information management pain points in each department or agency and reveal what may be needed to reduce information overload.

I R ON MOUNTAI N

Government entities need to strike a unique balance when it comes to information management. On the one hand, they need to collect, exchange, and analyze large amounts of sensitive information and make it accessible and usable for authorized parties. On the other hand, agencies need to ensure the security and integrity of that information.

When government entities need support for agency document and information management, it's crucial that they find a trusted, compliant information management provider with a history of physical storage, document conversion, and digital information management, as well as a hybrid approach to both paper and digital information. Iron Mountain has a comprehensive solution set that meets these requirements and provides physical storage, secure chain of custody, the ability to convert paper documents to a digital format, and flexible document management solutions for multiple media. Its solutions offer the potential to transform the management of government records and reduce information overload.

Iron Mountain's information management solutions for government offer full life-cycle records management expertise and best practice advice and processes to help government entities improve efficiency and reduce costs. Specifically, Iron Mountain can help:

● Organize, store, and securely destroy paper records in compliance with NARA requirements

● Digitize paper records to an electronic format for better information accessibility, sharing, and collaboration

● Combine paper files, digital information, and hybrid files


● Organize data for easy access for Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests, the Open Government Directive, internal audits, and eDiscovery

Iron Mountain has subject matter experts who take a consultative approach to individual agency environments to determine best practices for managing critical information. The resulting hybrid solution may combine paper and electronic records management to deliver the most efficient way to control information. Greater visibility into organizational information — together with the ability to produce documentation when needed — allows agencies to enhance employee efficiency and productivity, respond quickly to citizen questions, and provide the information needed for transparency, collaboration, participatory government, and FOIA discovery or audit requests.

For more information, please visit www.ironmountain.com (GSA Schedule: #GS-25F-0066M and GSA Schedule 70: #GS-35F-0526U).

C ONCL US I ONS

IDC Government Insights believes that easy and timely retrieval of individual records and groupings of related information is crucial for government agencies to meet their mission-critical requirements, serve citizens, and comply with open government plans. Adapting to the current work environment, with multiple information types and workers who face daily information overload, requires a systematic approach to managing records and adopting information management techniques in order to evolve government business processes.

With ever-growing volumes of information, the expanding diversity of information, and the need to continue to process paper forms and documents, government entities face opportunities for improvement in document retention, employee productivity, and meeting their open government challenges. Coordinated records, information, and knowledge management practices that identify and preserve the correct records while destroying older records in a timely manner should be deployed.

Information management is a balancing act for government. Agencies currently store their critical information in many locations, often making retrieval difficult and time consuming. Paper will not disappear for a long time and needs to be managed effectively, as well as migrated to the digital world. For the foreseeable future, government records managers will need to thrive in a hybrid environment, storing paper and digital information and managing both so that they are easy to find.

As agencies migrate to an increasingly electronic state, they will want to work with document management providers that can provide media-agnostic information management — for their historical and current paper records — as well as hybrid and digital media. Adding electronic


documents, plus social media storage, may complicate the retrieval process. Having an information management partner that can provide not only media-agnostic but also location-agnostic records management allows agencies to store and retrieve records in any media, whether onsite at the agency, managed by a provider, or stored remotely at compliant locations.

Agencies must also plan for the time when they will ultimately replace paper-based records with electronic logging, indexing, classifying, meta-tagging, transferring, retrieval, and storage of information. This transformation will allow government employees who handle virtual case files to access consistent and up-to-date information through easy and timely retrieval of individual records and groupings of related records, according to their levels of authorization. Such an information management practice will enable agencies to be more responsive to constituents, as well as to internal and external stakeholders, and to meet the requirements of open government. Adopting retention policies that can be automated will ensure that the timing and types of storage support are compliant with regulations.

Perhaps the most important reason for agencies to adopt information management processes comes from the government employees surveyed by IDC Government Insights. These workers have told a story of time lost to information overload, lost productivity, and the inability to locate needed information. The results of better information management would be almost an hour of time a day doing other tasks, increased overall productivity, and better access to information. All of this leads directly to a more efficient and responsive government and better citizen services.

Today, solutions exist that can enable government agencies to economically, securely, and effectively create and manage records necessary to meet business needs, protect rights, and ensure accountability and compliance. It is essential that government agencies consider these solutions and take steps toward better information management.

C o p y r i g h t N o t i c e

Copyright 2012 IDC Government Insights. Reproduction without written permission is completely forbidden. External Publication of IDC Government Insights Information and Data: Any IDC Government Insights information that is to be used in advertising, press releases, or promotional materials requires prior written approval from the appropriate IDC Government Insights Vice President. A draft of the proposed document should accompany any such request. IDC Government Insights reserves the right to deny approval of external usage for any reason.

This document has been reprinted by Iron Mountain with permission from IDC Government Insights.