Business Information Review recent issues

Overture

2008-11-24

Business information through Spain's Chambers of Commerce: Meeting business needs

Munoz Canavate, A., Hipola, P. — 2008-11-24

From different public and private requirements, mechanisms have been set in action that allow for companies to obtain information in order to make decisions with a stronger foundation. This article is focused on the description of an entire information system for the business world, developed in the realm of the Chambers of Commerce of Spain, which has given rise to the creation of an authentic network of inter-chamber information. In Spain, the obligatory membership of businesses to the Chambers of Commerce in their geographic areas, and therefore the compulsory payment of member quotas, has traditionally generated some polemics, above all because many firms have not perceived a material usefulness of the services offered by these Chambers. Notwithstanding, the 85 Chambers currently existing in Spain, as well as the organization that coordinates them — the Upper Council or Consejo Superior de Cámaras de Comercio — and the company created expressly to commercialize information services online, Camerdata, have developed genuinely informative tools that cover a good part of the information demands that a business might claim, and these are described here.

Why it's not naive to be green

Gabriel, C. — 2008-11-24

This article aims to promote awareness of the environmental impact of IT. It illustrates the impact of extensive use of IT in homes and organizations, and considers the ways in which a business could address IT efficiency and at the same time benefit from Green IT. It looks at the organizational, process, cultural and ICT efficiencies which Green IT offers. It sets out a best practice framework of five steps for a programme that will after the first stage become part of the standard processes of IT operations. The author draws attention to the responsibility of organizations to audit their information and look at information lifecycle management as a key element of greening IT.

Ethics and information: An encyclopedic overview

Hauptman, R. — 2008-11-24

This article gives a detailed encyclopedic overview of the many areas and concepts that fall within the domain of information ethics. Thus, it offers brief synoptic remarks on, for example, privacy and peer review, rather than in-depth discussions of these topics, many of which have generated thousands of studies, articles, and monographic treatments.

Catalyzing innovation and knowledge sharing: Librarian 2.0

Cullen, J. — 2008-11-24

Generation Y are the first generation to fully put the process of `prosumption' into practice. Individuals are proactively seeking to generate and share creative outputs as a result of their online activities, and this produces a set of fundamental questions for business librarians, information management specialists and consultants: does our profession adhere to a logic of service-delivery, which is rapidly becoming obsolete in the context of service-innovation. Suggestions for how information specialists (called librarian 2.0 in this article) can participate in the creation of value for users are offered.

Risk assessment: Trading carefully in an uncertain world

Rarity, B. — 2008-11-24

This article reminds us that risk needs to be identified before it can be quantified. It points out that risk models are only as good as the people who devised them and the basic assumption needs to be frequently re-examined. Points out the advantages of using well-researched credit scoring based on current — and not just on statutory filings — and of the value of monitoring trends. It reminds the reader of the valuable risk-relevant information held in corporate trees and of the advisability of discovering what kind of corporate companions any given director has promotes awareness. Aware of the unfortunate effects that the counsel of perfection can have on cash-strapped Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) in difficult times — with some suggestions as how to avoid the perfect hamstringing the good.

Organizational change: The challenge of supporting staff

Lane, G. — 2008-11-24

Change management is the subject of many books but what is it like to have to lead staff who are finding it difficult? Gina Lane has extensive experience of change in local government, and Non Departmental Public Body and a charity, and in this article provides insight and practical tips for how to support and lead your team as the organization undergoes change.

Contributor profile

Lane, G. — 2008-11-24

BL BIPC Column: The changing nature of commercial research

Spencer, N. — 2008-11-24

News from the National:

In this article, Nigel Spencer compares and contrasts his experience of delivering fee-based business information research from 1987 to 2008. Although the article is written from the perspective of the British Library priced research services, many points made could also apply to the changing role of the business information professional.

What's new: A round-up of new products and initiatives

Foster, A. — 2008-11-24

Regular readers of this column will realise that this is not a random ragbag of business information news stories. There are clear recurrent themes and strategic directions being taken by both the consumers and providers of business information. We have grouped the items under the key agenda areas — the way the information industry is restructuring in the face of the harshest economic climate in more than 20 years; the richness of the many new business information products that have been developed or reworked in some way; the myriad paths of technology development, through software and hardware innovation, affecting business information use; and, last but not least, the growing impact of social networks and their nexus with established business information products.

Finale

2008-11-24

Overture

Sippings, G. — 2008-08-12

Enterprise 2.0 -- What's your game plan?: What, if any, will be the role of the information intermediary?

Marfleet, J. — 2008-08-12

In a world where organizations are increasingly adopting Enterprise 2.0 technology what, if any, will be the role of the information intermediary? Where can information intermediaries add value in their organizations and how can they ride and harness the wave of new technologies that spring up on a seemingly daily basis? Is this a period of boom or bust?

Contributor profile

Marfleet, J. — 2008-08-12

Information management challenges for the professional accountant in business

Oades, C. — 2008-08-12

Information professionals have fundamental skills that — if harnessed optimally — have the potential to be of significant value to professional accountants working in business. The accounting profession is grappling with issues emerging from a changing external environment. The roles, responsibilities and priorities of those with a finance function — especially those in business — are evolving, bringing about shifts in information needs. The opportunity for information professionals is to assert and demonstrate the relevance and value of their skill set to the emerging, more strategic finance function. This article provides an overview of the developments impacting accountants in business to highlight potential opportunities for information professionals.

Contributor profile

Oades, C. — 2008-08-12

Valuation of information assets on the balance sheet: The recognition and approaches to the valuation of intangible assets

Wilson, R. M. S., Stenson, J. A. — 2008-08-12

The perspective taken in this article reflects two particular angles: it adopts an international focus rather than a UK focus — especially with regard to regulatory issues influencing the inclusion of information assets in financial reports; and it recognizes that there are reasons other than meeting statutory/ regulatory requirements which support the recognition (if not always the valuation) of information assets in the management of organizations — commercial and otherwise. The article proceeds by considering the recognition and approaches to the valuation of intangible assets in general, following which it homes in on information assets as a particular category of intangible assets, and concludes with a discussion of the attributes of information that give rise to its value as an asset.

Demystifying Chinese guanxi networks: Cultivating and sharing of knowledge for business benefit

Ben Chan, — 2008-08-12

Guanxi referrals help identify potential business partners. Through guanxi networks, businesses can establish favourable and mutually beneficial relationships vital to business success. Guanxi carries assumed knowledge of trust and facilitates business references. It is the construct of `face' that underpins this trust. The high degree of trust in guanxi networks facilitates the flow of strategic information and knowledge, further adding value to business. This article illustrates through case studies how guanxi relationships are formed and how knowledge in guanxi networks can benefit business. The case studies are drawn from experiences of three Europe-based Chinese business directors.

If you want something done, ask a busy person

Byrne, U. — 2008-08-12

Effective use of personal time management skills and techniques can ensure a successful balance between work and personal life. This article suggests ways of analysing how time is spent, and offers advice on making plans for the future in a business and personal environment.

BL BIPC Column. Intellectual property: The missing link in business information -- The British Library experience

O'Hare, J. — 2008-08-12

News from the National: The British Library Business and IP (Intellectual Property) Centre at the British Library will be contributing opinion pieces about their insights into business information on a regular basis. This item looks at the benefits of merging teams of business and intellectual property specialists to provide better services to customers.

What's new: A round-up of new products and initiatives

Foster, A. — 2008-08-12

Finale

2008-08-12

Overture

Sippings, G. — 2008-05-09

Developing trends and challenges for the information industry examined in the context of the Online Information Conference

Allen, K. — 2008-05-09

Using the development of the annual Online Information conference as a touchstone, this paper examines emerging trends in the information industry that are likely to be of interest to information professionals during 2008. These include web 2.0, enterprise 2.0, social networking, semantic web, risk management, user-generated content, universal search, crowdsourcing and new roles for information professionals

LinkedIn -- a user's perspective: Using new channels for effective business networking

Thew, D. — 2008-05-09

Blogs, mailing lists and networking sites are much in the news, but how effective are they for business users? David Thew is Joint MD of an executive search and recruitment consultancy with an active need to identify and contact people on a targeted basis. In this article he profiles LinkedIn, the business networking membership site that has become a key channel for him and his staff. David looks at key features and benefits and also discusses areas where he feels there is room for improvement.

Copyright for corporate information professionals: Staying within the law

Pedley, P. — 2008-05-09

Considers the role of copyright in the dissemination of information within the corporate sector. Examines the various forms of authorization available for companies using copyright-protected content to ensure compliance with copyright law. Discusses the distinction the law makes between copying for a commercial purpose as opposed to copying for a non-commercial purpose. Looks at the limited scope for businesses to rely on the copyright exceptions to justify their copying, particularly fair dealing. Considers licensing as a way of being able to do more than the copying exceptions would allow, and the interrelationship between contract law and copyright law. Outlines some copyright legal cases and the lessons we can learn from them. Sets out examples of copying activities that should be avoided if one wants to reduce the risk of being accused of copyright infringement.

Developing an information management strategy: The foundation stone for an EDRMS

Waldron, M. — 2008-05-09

All too often organizations have a fragmented approach to Information Management Documents/data is duplicated in many places and users are expected to enter the same information many times. Developing an Information Management Strategy is the foundation stone that should be in place before considering cost justifying or implementing Electronic Document and Records Management System (EDRMS).

Narrative enquiry: A way to get organizations (and the people in them) talking and acting differently: An account of methods of intervention to enquire into conditions surrounding records management and filing to catalyze change

Corney, P., Ward, V. — 2008-05-09

This article imagines a `factional' client in the transport sector. It covers in some detail, in an annotated table, the individual parts of an intervention to enquire into (and catalyze change through the process of enquiring into) the technical, practical and cultural conditions surrounding records and filing in the client. It concludes by considering what might be narratively distinctive about the methods we have applied and, more generally, with a reflection on the issues facing the narrative enquirer. The article is part of an ongoing enquiry by Sparknow. In other essays and research papers, we will be considering knowledge work and the knowledge worker; negative space and its role in knowledge transfer; and the role of museums, libraries and archives in creating narrative coherence, past, present and future, in the 21st century organization. Throughout, we are holding in mind two questions: How can individual and collective relationships to the collections of the organization combat inertia and indifference? What role can collections, and the interaction of people with them, play in the organization as a living system of knowledge transfer?

Careers in business information: Contributor profile

Corney, P. — 2008-05-09

Moving from readers to customers to clients in the Business & IP Centre at the British Library: Changes in the nature of people coming into the centre

Infield, N. — 2008-05-09

News from the National:

The British Library Business & IP (Intellectual Property) Centre at the British Library will be contributing opinion pieces about their insights into business information on a regular basis. This item looks at how they responded to unexpected demands from visitors, which led to them developing new services and re-evaluating the ways in which they interacted with customers.

What's new: A round-up of new products and initiatives

Foster, A. — 2008-05-09

Finale

2008-05-09

Overture

Sippings, G. — 2008-02-18

Business Information Survey

Foster, A. — 2008-02-18

Survey of business information services in corporate information services, based on in-depth interviews with leading business information managers. Key findings are:

• Business information budgets have been stable, with at least inflationary increases built in

• Business conditions have been turbulent of late but this has had no real impact on the services to date

• With more information rolled out to the clients' desktops, the services are all working to add value through a variety of approaches, including training, evaluation and analysis, business and client development, and generally undertaking more complex work

• Some pressure on the staffing headcount in the services during the year

• Recruiting suitable information professionals is a difficult process

• Offshoring information and research work has not expanded significantly but more companies are considering this option

• `Techno-centric' knowledge management remains important in some companies, particularly law firms, but is fading as a practice in others

• There is great interest and envisaged potential in social technology and Web 2.0 tools and techniques — but not much serious deployment yet

• Even in mature corporate information environments, marketing business information services is still seen as crucial by 90 per cent of respondents

• Fifty-five percent of the services provide some kind of competitor information function, albeit not at a high level

• A significant majority (75 per cent) of services support compliance functions such as `Know your client' and anti-money laundering checks

• Existing copyright provisions are seen as a barrier to effective information dissemination within companies by 80 per cent of respondents

• LexisNexis takes over at the top of the expenditure league

• The demand for information on Asian business markets is growing

• Almost all services are committed to training users in the discovery and use of digital business information sources

• The organization, management, and sometimes realignment of services is the highest strategic priority.

Humans versus computers: Differences in their ability to absorb and process information for business decision purposes -- and the implications for the future

Giddings, G. — 2008-02-18

Information overload is a very common problem in the business information industry. However, the root of this problem is not too much information; rather it is the fact that humans have limited attention spans to handle this information. Humans possess more processing power than computers but computers score over us in having almost unlimited attention spans. We must allocate our attention span in such a way as to maximize the information we obtain, given the constraint of our mental abilities. We have adopted a number of strategies to cope, like using intelligent search agents or spreading what attention we have thinly across as many information sources as possible (in other words skimming). The financial services industry, however, has adopted a radical approach: cut the human out of key parts of information acquisition and processing and use computers instead. This article argues that this approach could well spread to the wider business information market in the next few years. Far from being a threat, this could prove liberating for information professionals, allowing them to become more expert in specific industry sectors. The new breed of industry information portals, or community sites, will greatly aid in this transition and will build professional skills and efficiency.

From a business and science search firm: Five insights into managing an information service

Lesky, C. — 2008-02-18

Discusses some principles of managing an information search firm and their similarities to managing corporate libraries. Compares information search firms to other professional service firms. Describes the evolution of one small business and science information search firm. Gives insights into managing customer service and client relationships, quality control and processes, risk taking and professional growth. Touches on David Maister's theory of the quality experience and Michael Gerber's idea of the role of the entrepreneur vs the technician in small start-up businesses.

Harnessing collective expertise: Delivering market and client intelligence research within a law firm

Blaxland, D. — 2008-02-18

Explains how a leading global law firm manages its market and client research. Outlines the firm's divisions, business activities and client base. Explains in detail how the firm uses business research, covering use of market intelligence on the business issues that an individual client faces, and the gathering of intelligence about the client, to disclose the nature and extent of the firm's ambitions to advise the organization concerned. Discusses the staffing of a law firm's business research capability, pointing out that not only staff expertise but also confidentiality concerns mean that it is not always efficient for lawyers to access internal and external information sources directly. Suggests that defining the minimum business research necessary improves the usefulness of the information delivered and saves the firm time — and that removing the uncertainty about what is required improves job satisfaction as well.

Professionalizing knowledge sharing and communications: Changing roles for a changing profession

Cullen, J. — 2008-02-18

Web 2.0 technologies are becoming increasingly ubiquitous among younger generations of IT users and this is creating a new set of expectations about accessing quality information for business, research and academic purposes. The article looks at how this situation has impacted on the expectations of users of library and information services. Although there are solid reasons for standing by professional standards, there is little doubt that the next generation has a greater expectation around being participants in, rather than recipients of, knowledge sharing. How will this impact the status of the professional librarian and information manager, and to what extent should they change with this paradigm shift looming?

What's new: A round-up of new products and initiatives

Foster, A. — 2008-02-18