Recently, a colleague gave me an opportunity to reply to a favorite question: "How should I advise the owner of a startup company about information support?" Here's a synopsis of the typical scenario I shared with her, having encountered variations on the theme over many years:
Among individuals in a small team working closely together, communication is immediate and corporate memory is fresh and readily available, just as physical information objects are but a door knock away from anyone else ("sure, I have that report right here"). As the team grows and the volume of accumulated documentation does too, signs begin to appear that information objects - physical or virtual - present a challenge. ("Who has a copy of ... ? Where is the market study we purchased last month? Which of these versions of the project report is the official one?") People discover they are spending unjustifiable amounts of time hunting for documents and presentations; the volume of material held in shared drives or intranet collections proliferates past the point of utility; and "we can't find things" becomes a common complaint. It gets worse when work is repeated or unnecessary work is done because the memory and evidence of previous relevant efforts can't be found. When management begins looking for a solution, it is often discovered how complex a task it is to address the accumulated backlog of information and at the same time put in place appropriate information related practices for the future.
It's never too soon to plan for the safeguarding and permanent future accessibility of the knowledge invested and developed as the organization grows. And there's a bonus: In addition to their expertise in information and knowledge management, information professionals offer a wide range of skills highly relevant for any entrepreneurial venture.
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