What Is Information?
Information can be defined like stimuli that has meaning in some context for its receiver. When information is entered into and stored in a computer, it is generally referred to as data. After processing (such as formatting and printing), output data can again be perceived as information.
When information is packaged or used for understanding or doing something, it is known as knowledge. [8]
Information includes both electronic and physical information. The organizational structure must be capable of managing this information throughout the information lifecycle regardless of source or format (data, paper documents, electronic documents, audio, video, etc.) for delivery through multiple channels that may include cell phones and web interfaces. [9]
Information Management
"Information management can be defined as the discipline of being able to accommodate increasing levels of flexibility and access to information as well as scalability of infrastructure, while delivering more integrated information, applying more rigor and increasing information integrity. Only by identifying an information management destination and applying a layer of strategic insight can the full value of information management be realized and competitive differentiation achieved." [11]
Information management is a corporate responsibility that needs to be addressed and followed from the upper most senior levels of management to the front line worker [9]
Information management (IM) is the collection and management of information from one or more sources and the distribution of that information to one or more audiences. This sometimes involves those who have a stake in, or a right to that information. Management means the organization of and control over the structure, processing and delivery of information. [9]
Some principles of Information Management
Information management requires the adoption and adherence to guiding principles that include:
• Information assets are corporate assets. This principle should be acknowledged or agreed upon across the organization otherwise any business case and support for IM will be weak.
• Information must be made available and shared. Of course not all information is open to anyone, but in principle the sharing of information helps the use and exploitation of corporate knowledge
• Information the organisation needs to keep is managed and retained corporately. In other words the retention and archiving, of information. If you save a document today, you expect it to be secured and still available tomorrow.[9]
Part of that responsibility lies in training the organization to become familiar with the policies, processes, technologies and best practices in IM. [9]
Management is concerned with six functions:
• Planning
• Organizing
• Directing
• Controlling
• Evaluating
• Reporting [10]
Information, on the other hand, is best defined in context of data and knowledge:
• Data: series of facts
• Information: data given context
• Knowledge: information internalized [10]
Considering users of information (creators, consumers, etc.) experience information through information activities, it helps to provide a sample list of such activities:
Information activities: find, create, receive, acquire, monitor, classify (for records management), classify (for index management), safeguard, organize, use, publish, collaborate, disseminate, archive, dispose, transfer… The list goes on. [10]
This leads us to the following definition
Information Management is "the planning, organizing, directing, controlling, evaluating and reporting of information activities in order to meet client objectives and to enable corporate functions".
Finally, information management also deals with processes, systems and environments to the extent they encapsulate any information activity.[10]
Graphically:[10]
