The role of information services in global/IT consulting companies (6/16/2011)

Reposted with permission from DC/SLA Radio

by BP Prakash, Asian Chapter, Business & Finance, Competitive Intelligence, Science-Technology Divisions

On June 16, 2011, BP Prakash, General Manager of the Library & Information Center at Tata Consultants spoke about managing a global information center from an international perspective. Mr. Prakash is also the President of SLA’s Asia Chapter, the fastest growing chapter in the Association and has a compelling vision of the future of the profession!

To play the podcast, please go to the DC/SLA Radio site http://dc.sla.org/2011/06/16/mumbai/

At TCS, Mr Prakash, directs one of the largest and diverse informational professional team in Asia.He has successfully lead his team to win SLA B&F’s ” Centre of Excellence Award”, in 2009. He has PG degrees in Development planning and Library Science from Univ of Mysore, Karnataka state, India. An university gold medalist in library science, he is also a Fulbright scholar from Univ of Wisconsin, USA.

Mr. Prakash has 27 years of experience across national institutes, manufacturing sectors, global IT firms & research environments. He enjoys professional interactions & believes that learning is a continual process. He is a life member of Indian library associations and has been a member of SLA since 1999. He feels librarianship is at crossroads today and organizations like SLA have a major responsibility in shaping the future of librarians.

by Darron Chapman, Europe Chapter, Academic, Business & Finance Divisions

Earlier this year, TFPL used its extensive networks to take a snapshot of how organisations are assigning Knowledge and Information Management (KIM) responsibilities and to see what trends are emerging. Key to the survey was the concept of ‘responsibilities’ rather than job titles and the KIM Responsibilities Framework. The Framework was developed following TFPL research in2006 and provided a structure for the survey. Respondents came from global, national and local organisations and were predominately UK based. The full report based on the survey is available on the TFPL website http://www.tfpl.com/resources/reports.cfm but the following key points standout.

Organisational strategy for innovation and investment has become a significant driver for assigning KIM responsibilities, suggesting that KIM is regarded more as an essential, rather than discretionary, business function.  This is a discernible shift towards KIM roles reporting into the business, as KIM needs are identified on an enterprise-wide basis. A model has evolved towards the dispersal of KIM practitioners throughout organisations supported by a central team. A matrix approach also means that dispersed practitioners are also part of a KIM team. So, in spite of rumours to the contrary, KIM teams still have a place in what’s often called the “future ready” business.

KIM headcount is remarkably stable, having not significantly fallen over the last five years. There is evidence of patterns of growth and decline in public and private organisations; however there is a net gain overall, with a wider range of sectors employing KIM staff.

There is a modest growth predicted in roles across the Framework with some areas more dynamic than others. The apparent loss of some traditional roles and responsibilities has been mitigated by creation of other, enriched roles calling for a continuing development of new skills and novel application of traditional skills.
There is a clear move towards the core KIM disciplines – information management, records management, library and information services, business analysis, and knowledge management,– coming together or merging. However, some relevant functions — such as Research, Competitive Intelligence and Information Technology – do not generally align themselves with KIM community.

The personal impact of individuals, team members as well as KIM Leaders is increasingly important. It is crucial to be able to align with, and understand, the organisation, to have the ability to develop skills, and to recognise how the role contributes to corporate success.

Questions raised

Inevitably the survey raised a number of questions in our minds, and we are sure that there are many more. So, for example:

• Should KIM professionals focus on aligning themselves to corporate strategy, innovation and investment?
• Will the KIM profession develop into a multi-disciplinary but cohesive group, or will it become a federation of different disciplines?
• If KIM roles are increasingly dispersed within organisations, will individuals continue to identify with the KIM community as a support network? Or, as new people are recruited into these roles, will they identify with their business community first?
• How far are we experiencing a step change or continuing to evolve as a profession?
• Have some functions, such as Research, began to split off from KIM as a career path?

We would welcome feedback and any further questions you might have at info@tfpl.com.

Darron Chapman is the Managing Director TFPL Ltd and President Elect of SLA’s Europe Chapter. Darron has been with TFPL since 1990, initially focusing on recruitment, becoming Managing Director after TFPL’s acquisition by IDOX Plc. Darron’s work as Director of Recruitment gave him a broad and unique view of developments in the information and business world. An established member of the executive team he helped shape the direction of the company and launched the first recruitment service dedicated to knowledge management.
Darron can be reached at darron.chapman@tfpl.com and followed on Twitter @DPCHA.

by Webb Shaw, Wisconsin Chapter and Government Information Division

In a sense, folks at a publisher like J. J. Keller & Associates, Inc.®, specializing in regulatory and compliance information, have always been Future Ready – or at least future-oriented. We’re always looking ahead for the next relevant regulation to be published in the Federal Register.

But of course, it’s not that simple. Not only do we need to know the regulatory agendas for the agencies we cover, we must understand the impact a given regulation or law will have on our customers. Then we need the right delivery methods to provide the information that will help them deal with it, and that usually involves technology. For us, Future Readiness requires the best efforts of both compliance wonks and content-technology geeks.

There’s no shortage of important regulations in the U.S. federal agency pipeline. And if you think your organization doesn’t need to worry about regs, think again.  Many requirements, including Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) standards and wage and hour laws, cover all employees – even if only one person is on the payroll.  When new regulations are promulgated (OSHA alone issued eight final rules and 21 proposed rules last year), info pros have the opportunity to help their organizations be proactive in managing risk and potential costs. In other words, to be the hero!

For example, OSHA is expected to issue later this year a final rule that will change the U.S. Hazard Communication Standard (HCS) to align with the U.N.’s Globally Harmonized System of Classification and Labeling of Chemicals. The new rule will require many changes in the ways employers classify and label chemicals, and in how information is disseminated to employees regarding chemical hazards and associated protective measures. (You might be more familiar with the HCS than you realize – it’s the regulation that requires Material Safety Data Sheets and those multi-colored labels on chemical containers of all sizes.)

Even more far-reaching, the Department of Labor’s Plan/Prevent/Protect (P3) initiative is based on the notion that employers must “find and fix” violations, rather than relying on agency inspectors to catch compliance issues. OSHA’s injury and illness prevention programs (I2P2) rule is considered the prototype for P3. Under I2P2, which is expected to be published in proposed form in 2012, employers would have to find and fix safety hazards unique to their workplaces, including hazards not covered by any other OSHA standard. This is expected to result in much more employee involvement in enforcing safety compliance.

Other potential changes advancing under the P3 banner include requirements for employers regarding the status of independent contractors, the status of exempt (vs. hourly) employees, Affirmative Action Plans – and recordkeeping for all three.

Understanding the precise impact these regulations may have on the businesses that rely on J. J. Keller’s information involves many factors, including our customers’ size (employees) and industry type, as well as how actively the agencies are likely to enforce the regulations.

Being prepared to deliver the information in the most effective ways requires an understanding of – and investment in – technology.  For decades, J. J. Keller has used technology to continuously improve our ability to find, acquire, manage and distribute content. Advances in the latter two capabilities have been particularly important in making the company Future Ready.

Webb Shaw is Director of Editorial Resources at J. J. Keller & Associates, Inc.®, a leading provider of risk and regulatory management and information solutions. To learn more, go to www.jjkeller.com/infopros.

by Constance Ard, Answer Maven, Candidate for Chapter Cabinet Chair-Elect

Knowledge Revolution is the 21st Century version of the Industrial Revolution.  Revolutions evolve. Be “Future Ready” by leading the evolution.

Educate the masses and transform them into your advocates.  Every member of society needs to know information professionals are not just checking out books at the circulation counter. In fact they need to understand the capabilities demonstrated by any information professional that deals with all the nuances of running an organization within an organization.

Publicize the impact of quality information in a quantitative manner.  Express the services provided in numbers that reflect the bottom dollar goals of the supporting organization.

1. Apply a number to the services provided with a factor for the information sources costs and the value of the professional.  In my waning days at the law firm I had begun toying with the idea of not only collecting the qualitative values of our services, but exploring methods of the quantitative one.  For instance: Winning Summary Judgment = Research Time + Information Source.
   Disclaimer: There are more factors that must be evaluated to develop an accurate equation.
2. eDiscovery is a growing industry in this knowledge revolution.  The cost of sanctions, the cost of preparation and the cost of production are all factors.  Using those factors we can quantify our value for the information management component in a significant manner. No knowledge organization should ignore the importance of information management or they will not be future ready enough to avoid costly risk.
3. Competitive Intelligence research is conducted to grow a business or define competitive advantages.  Quantifying this work is another way to discuss the value added services of knowledge professionals in a manner that establishes us as the leaders of the transition.

Statistics are important, and they need to be the right statistics.  Being future ready means embracing the science part of information science beyond technology and database design.

Eliminate the notion that information centers are overhead. Use statistics. Quantify the value of the information. Quantify costs: both those you reduce through good management practices and those that are necessary to complete the work of the organization. Every web developer knows that analytics are critical – every information professional should too.

Future ready requires you sell your value.

Information professionals are not just info pros – they are salespeople and marketers. It is our job to educate the knowledge workers who benefit from our knowledge, experience and services to view us as strategic partners who can innovate, create, and contribute to the overall goals of our organizations.  Embrace and excel at this sales job and the revolution is yours to transform.

Constance Ard is an Independent Information Professional with 14 years experience and expert research skills.  Ms. Ard offers on-demand research and information and content management business consulting services specializing in e-discovery preparation and project management.  You can follow her blog at http://www.answermaven.com and find out more about her services at http://www.answermavensolutions.com.

Constance is an active information professional organization volunteer. She served as the Chair of the Legal Division of the Special Libraries Association for 2010 and is a member of the New Member Outreach Committee for AIIP.  She has served in many leadership roles throughout her career.

Ms. Ard’s latest publication “Legal Research in the Age of Open Law” was published in the September 2010 issue of Online.  In October 2009, Ms. Ard completed her first published book: Next Generation Corporate Libraries and Information Services.