The phrase ‘socio-technical’ encapsulates the symbiotic relationship between society (people) and technology, but a socio-technical systems model is needed to understand the relationship.
Information Context
Morphing Organizations
Organizations must respond to changes in their internal and external environment in order to survive. The term ‘morphing organization’ is used to reflect that although the organization changes, some elements of the organization need to remain the same to maintain the organization’s identity. As an organization changes, the context in which information is managed also […]
Dangerous Data: A Health Warning
Information technology provides the means for capturing, storing, processing and retrieving data in information systems. Advances in information technology have continually challenged information systems to explore new ways in which the data captured can be used. The move from improving efficiency of data capture and data storage led to process improvements, improving the effectiveness of […]
Information Management in Practice: Business Start Up
Black Country Gifts (www.blackcountrygifts.co.uk) started trading four months ago. The information management in practice series discusses the challenges of managing information on a day-to-day basis in organizations. This blog reflects on the initial stages of setting up the business and the information that Black Country Gifts needs to manage. Starting the Business The business model […]
Data About Not Shopping
Retailers have information systems in place to capture and analyse data about our shopping purchases, however, Ken Davies (2015) reporting from the Omnichannel Summit, announced that “80% of shoppers leave a bricks and mortar retail outlet without buying anything”. Retailers therefore need information systems to capture data about the times when we go into a […]
Information to Measure Performance
Data are collected to measure performance of organizations, systems, processes and people. Some performance measures are status indicators providing information to inform decisions about whether or not action needs to be taken to avert a crisis or improve specific areas of performance. However, often measures of performance are reported as data with insufficient context to […]
What Business Are You in?
In an article in the Harvard Business Review Michael Porter and James Heppelmann ask organizations to reflect on the question ‘What business are you in?’
Dangers of Incomplete Data
It is easy to make comparisons between sets of quantitative data but it is important to be aware of the dangers of incomplete data. There is a risk of mistaking data for information.
Location Data is Not Location Information
Where are you? Do you know where you are? Are you sure? Location is a common parameter used in the provision of context-based services. Information technology can be used to capture data about locational parameters but quality information about location can still be difficult to find. Location data is not location information.
Black Country Gifts: A Live Case Study
Black Country Gifts was launched this week as a live case study to support the learning, teaching and practice of information management.