Information value is growing substantially within today’s organizations. Governing information is now being viewed as critical to business success. However, in today’s age of information overload, both structured (e.g. databases) and unstructured (e.g. emails) data have become so substantial that database tools and analytic software techniques are no longer sufficient to manage it all.
Things like social, mobile, and cloud allow employees to produce and distribute information at alarming rates. With the continuously shifting technology landscape, enterprises are feeling the strain of increasing compliance and legal demands to garner control of their information. Thus, organizations are increasingly looking towards implementing information governance programs.
Just what is information governance (IG)?
IG is defined by AIIM International as “the establishment of enterprise wide policies and procedures and the execution and enforcement of these to control and manage information as an enterprise resource”.
These three key points are highlighted in AIIM’s definition.
First, IG requires establishing a foundation of policies, procedures, and processes that will regulate information management throughout an organization. Second, IG needs a governance steering committee to ensure the implementation of the program occurs. Third, successful implementation requires enforcement through technology, processes, and people-focused programs.
IG endeavours to meet the needs of the entire enterprise – such as lines of business, IT, legal, and compliance – through augmented information management practices. It involves establishing policies, procedures, processes, and tools, as well as providing training to employees. It encompasses all enterprise technologies, including social, mobile, and cloud.
In short, implementing information governance means having one program to manage it all.
