Integrating CI with Enterprise Information Management

[Tristan Sternson]

Recently I have spent some time discussing with some local organisations who have an Enterprise Information Management (EIM) practice whether they have integrated CI (or considering integrating CI) into their EIM function. The way I see it CI is as heavily dependent on information as is BI and other EIM capabilities classified by organisation within EIM and would benefit from enterprise wide management of the information (ie. centralising and managing all CI data through a dedicate business unit). Most seem not to have CI in their EIM capability or even as part of a long term vision to include CI in EIM. The data gathering, classification, governance, quality control and distribution of data all share the same principles as other EIM capabilities. The differentiation point is how the information is used once it is made available, which is the common denominator in all EIM capabilities, ie. Content Management, Business Intelligence, Master Data Management, Analytics etc... This may seem to be a data centric way of looking at CI, but without data we lack information to support our intelligence.

I am interested in peoples thoughts on EIM and CI?

Is this something people are experiencing with their clients? Or perhaps this is due to the maturity of the local market Australia/New Zealand?

Or is CI still a muchly siloed capability run by individual business units? And should it be?

[Arik Johnson]

This should be a rich discussion as there are many in CI who will rail against it being called an information science. I'm a bit more pragmatic; I view CI as intensifying its inter-disciplinary nature and therefore continues to find good reasons to be a promiscuous partner with many associated analytical disciplines throughout a firm. So, in that respect, you're quite correct about EIM: why not?

- Arik

[Tristan Sternson]

Arik – you comment “partner with many associated analytical disciplines” is spot on. This direction I see CI and EIM venturing is as a partnership where both disciplines complement each others capability, given the rise in available information and its availability to be transformed into intelligence.

-- Tristan