Information Management
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What is Information Management (IM)?
Information Management is simply a management of various types of information from different sources. Back in 70s and 80s, most information is physical. They were physical and tangible data, files, and papers. However, computers kicked in our daily life and in 90s, people and companies started to transact one another by internet network. As computer network was disseminated globally, information becomes electronically intangible So, we are now having both physical and electronic information these days. By information management, it now allows to collect and store massive amount of various types of information at once, quickly and easily.
Concept
By doing information management, the final goal is to process information and make a decision based on the information. How quickly and accurately process the information is the core of organization's ability because the faster they process the information, the more and better they can work on making a decision.
Information management also requires adoption and adherence to manage informative data properly.
1. A corporation must think that information is valuable assets for them. If they don't value and care their information, any business and support for IM will be weak, regardless of managing information.
2. Information has to be opened and shared in a corporation. It doesn't mean any information to anyone, but employees need to be able to access the information easily and correctly to perform better business work.
3. A corporation needs to keep the information and retain data safely and accurately. It is important to acquire qualitative information, but it is much more important to maintain the information a corporation has been retained.
Information System
Information system is designed for corporations to find specific information that they need among the massive information they have. Information system must be required to fulfill the better information management. In general, Information system is a combination of the five key elements.
1. People are ones who actually interact with this technology to support the business process. They collect data, store it, and process for business uses.
2. Hardware stores a corporation's all of the massive information.
3. Software is used to manipulate the information more easily and accurately.
4. Data (or information) is collected and controlled by information managers of a corporation, who are processing and organizing all different types of information.
5. Telecommunication networks Safe, fast, and large network is necessary for corporation to process the business. Even a corporation has massive valuable information, without the high quality of telecommunication networks, the business process gets slower and it is not competitive to the market and other organizations.
How does Information Management work for companies’ benefits?
IM is more than just managing different types of information. As a computer becomes a popular and convenient tool, all information storage shifted to electronic way. Since computer network can manage massive amount of information, it becomes more complicated. However, in order to produce better service or product, information was necessary. Companies must have IM mind for competitive market nowadays.
For example, there is a retail store. It sells different types of products. If the retail store is small, we can see which products are short or oversupplied. However, if the retail store is big like Wal-Mart, we cannot see the shortage or surplus. Information Management system can keep tracking which products are sold, which products are sitting too much in the storehouse.
When a company has a business with a customer, they can bring his profile and perhaps sends updated information and advertisement to his address. IM allows companies to have numerous numbers of customers’ profiles and information. Customer’s preference of products and service is all based on the history of their transactions and IM searches and brings the information which is 5 to 10 years old from their database.
Application
Managing information is usually done by various types of software. Software for information management can increase the productivity as well as safety and reduction of working times and costs. It is easy to operate as well as save and store. Software such as Microsoft Office (Word, PowerPoint, Excel, etc) can help to organize names, numbers, address, and serial number of products and to make clear and easy-to-read report. Software like PowerPoint or Excel can help individuals to give a presentation in companies.
Security
In order to store massive information safely, accurate and proper security is required. There are five general categories of technological security.
1. Physical access restrictions Unauthorized person should not access the information a corporation has. They can take out the computer and storage media, or they can access into the corporation's network and hack the information. Therefore physical access restrictions are required.
2. Firewalls Firewall is a system designed to detect intrusion and prevent unauthorized access. It can be implemented on hardware, software, and both at the same time. Firewall can set up packet filter, control application-level and circuit level, and act as a server and intercepts all the message in the corporation's network.
3. Encryption Encryption encodes a message before it is sent and decodes the message after it is received. So employees who are authorized to open the message can only access the information. Encryption gives Privacy, confidentiality, and Integrity.
4. Virus monitoring and protection Computer viruses corrupts and destroy data. Virus can erase or seize the control of the entire corporation's hardware where the massive information is stored. A corporation needs to purchase and install antivirus software, not to download data from sources, not to open the emails or messages that are from unknown sources, and warn other uncredited departments if an individual detects virus on his computer.
5. Audit-control software This software keeps track of a corporation's computer activity. When it spots the suspicious action, it records to the users the action. In a corporation, Information Technology department usually monitors this activity.
Reference
Choo, Chun Wei. A faculty memeber of the Faculty of Information. University of Toronto. Why manage information?
Valacich, Joseph, & Schneider, Christoph. (2009). Information Systems Today 4th Edition. Prentice Hall at Washington State University. Amazon.com
Aiim. Enterprise Content Management (ECM) association. What is Information Management?
Wikipedia. The Free Encycolpedia. Information Management
Clay, Paul F. A Professor of Management Information Technology. Washington State University. Securing Information Systems. Copyright 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. Published as Presentice Hall.