Do you have a Data, Information, or Knowledge Problem?

Organizations manage, use and share more data, information, and knowledge than ever before.  Managing and employing this amount of content is challenging.  Often, even after great expense, organizations struggle with their data, information, and knowledge.  Users  may not get what they need, or they may not be able to use it.  Often it comes down to a data, information, or knowledge problem.  Let’s explore how to determine the problems associated with each.

Data Problems

Data is how information and knowledge are stored.  It is their basic building blocks.  Data problems mean that the information and knowledge in your organization can’t be formed. Problems with data usually mean that the data is not formatted correctly, or the wrong standard is used to present the data.

Email with data rendering problems due to bad HTML

The result could be that information cannot be displayed or there are errors trying to transmit the information.  This problem can be an instant turn off to customers.  Imagine receiving the above example email meant to engage a customer.

How to Address Data Problems

Data errors are often caused by technical issues, but there are some things that everyone can do to help prevent data errors.

• Make sure your organization standardizes its typeset when creating content.  Databases, web browsers and email systems can be very picky about the characters they accept. One wrong character in a dozen pages can cause an error for the entire document to fail. Be careful…some programs use their own special characters, such as the smart quotes found in Microsoft Word.
• Use data validation where you can.  Validation will help your organization reliably collect data.

Who can help with persistent Data Problems?

Data architects, database architects and administrators, content management system administrators, and web administrators.

Information Problems

Bad information will make it hard for its consumers to either understand or use it.  Bad information manifests itself as poorly formatted or organized web pages or documents.  The result is a reader or user finds it difficult to comprehend or navigate the information they are consuming. An example of bad information is poorly executed instruction manuals that make it difficult to assemble or operate a product.

How to Address Information Problems

• Make sure it is built based on good data.  If you are creating an assembly manual, make sure all the part names and pictures match the product that the customer is assembling.
• Information needs to be organized to be easily understood and in the right context.  For example, "Instruction step four" should not go before "instruction step number three."
• Format is crucial.  Bad formatting makes information hard to understand. Long prose may not be a good choice for an instruction manual. Lists and pictures may be more appropriate.
• Good content makes good information.  Good content comes from knowing the purpose, audience, the audience’s environment, and timeliness among other things.

Who can help with information problems?

Information architects, user experience developers, librarians, and content strategists.

Knowledge Problems

You can have all the information and data at your fingertips, but if you cannot find the specific information, know you have it, or know that you need it…it is worthless.  This is a knowledge problem.  I was in a conference workshop last month and the purpose of the workshop was to try to come up with solutions.  At the end of the workshop, a participant stated that we were going down a road that many have gone before, and the solution is out there.  We just were not looking in the right place.  Have you ever been frustrated at work when your organization repeatedly must rework problems because people cannot remember how it was done, or that the problem was addressed before?  This sits squarely in the problem areas of knowledge.  Another knowledge problem for organizations is when certain people know key information, but others who need the information do not have it.  This can be a cultural issue, but often it can be addressed with good knowledge management.

Hallway conversations may yield great information,

but it is volatile and will be lost

the second the conversation is over with if not captured.

How to Address Data Problems

Here are some ways to make sure everyone in your organization has the knowledge they need:

• Determine what information is the most important. Publish it in a place that everyone knows where they can find it and in a way that helps people answer the need for the information they are looking for.
• Make sure information gets captured and retained.  Meetings are notorious places where knowledge is lost.  Notes are a good start, but people do not often go back to the notes.  Action items and information need to be posted in the prominent places mentioned in the previous bullet.
• Appoint knowledge agents throughout your organization.  These should be the people who know how and where to find the information.  They should be responsible and empowered to keep knowledge up to date in the organization and share with colleagues.

Who can help you with knowledge problems?

Knowledge managers, knowledge architects, and librarians.

Conclusion

Issues do not often fit nicely into data, information, or knowledge problems. However, if you can identify the symptoms your organization presents, you have a better chance of fixing the problem effectively and quickly.