OpenSource Connections
Category: Uncategorized
Just as people spend far too much time in meetings, they also spend far too much time sifting through reports trying to determine what the most important information to running a business is. With the proliferation of database technology and the ease of creating reports to “summarize” that information, decision makers in an enterprise often find themselves unable to get their hands on what they need to drive business forward. This is not because the information is not available, but, rather, it is not available in a useful format.
What is necessary to complement the proliferation of information, or, as analysts like to say, “slicing and dicing” information, is a way of filtering that information. More reports exist today with an equivalent amount of utility. Therefore, filtering and sifting through the reports has become todays equivalent to filtering and sifting through the raw data 10-15 years ago.
The key to effective management is getting the right reports to the right people at the right time. Often business analysts feel the need to justify their jobs through creating and proliferating reports, most of which either waste leaders time or fill up deleted items folders and trashcans. Test what reports are necessary by eliminating them. See how many people in the organization can no longer make decisions because the reports are no longer there.
How can IT help? Catalog and cordon off the reports. Make them accessible from a central location, but create a pull demand system instead of a push supply system. By having a central repository of reports and opt-in subscriptions, an organization can determine what it has and what it needs in a rapid fashion. Furthermore, it can cut down on the clutter in senior managements inboxes and free up time for strategic leadership and management, rather than in the weeds detail orientation.
Another benefit of this way of managing reports is that it creates a market economy for reporting. Let the body of the organization determine what is important, much as web 2.0 sites allow for filtering of the best what is available. Find out the most popular reports, the most popular author, or trace down a trail just as you might someones movie or book preferences.
Does your company suffer from the curse of a cornucopia of information? Contact us and see how we can help.