5.1 Knowledge Information and Data

5.1 Knowledge, Information and Data

External and Internal Data

External data is data entering the organisation from the outside (from an external source), or data created within the organisation and then output to an external organisation. Internal data is data whose source and destination are within a single organisation.

Quality of Information and Information flow
Because information is vital for each daily task and is used to guide business decisions, using low quality information leads to mistakes.
There are five main factors that affect the quality of data. Data should be;

- Accurate
- Up-to-date
- Complete
- Relevant
- Presented Effectively

Quality is not static – As information moves within an organisation its quality can change. For example if a manager receives poorly presented production figures from the shop floor they may be given a lot of irrelevant details. Hence data that is considered high quality in one place may be low quality in another due to lack of relevance.

Data quality can also be affected by the way an information system is actually constructed. While an information system that is the result of a well-considered analysis and design should present high quality information, a poorer system can lead to problems- It may address the wrong problem and therefore be of no help to users. This may happen if analysts have misunderstood the main problem.

- It ignores the structure of the organisation. That is, if analysts or designers have tried to impose an unrealistic vision of how the company should work upon the company and it has not been accepted.
- The above two examples assume the analysis was reasonable, but slightly flawed. There is also the possibility that the analysis was totally wrong but not realised until an ineffective system was up and running.
- The system was developed for the wrong reasons, for example a new manager wanting to make his mark or because the ICT department have bought unnecessary new technology. Users may resent this approach because from their perspective, the old system worked fine and all they feel they have gained is a lot of unwanted hassle.

Presenting Information
Not only should information be accurate, up-to-date, complete and relevant but it must also be presented effectively. Otherwise, correct data can be rendered useless.
There are different ways of presenting information to people.
One-to-one: Often a face to face conversation is the most effective way for someone to ensure they have been understood. It is also useful if confidential matters must be discussed. However this is not effective if a lot of people have been told the same thing.

- As a verbal presentation: There are times when it is necessary to call people together and speak to them as a group. Often some sort of projection system will be used highlight the key points – either an overhead projector with acetates or a laptop running a presentation package.
- Verbally, by telephone: This can be achieved by telephoning each person who has to receive the information (although this is slow) or by phoning a few people who will pass it on. The latter is a quick way to pass information but it is more difficult to ensure accuracy.
- As an e-mail to the appropriate people: Much quicker and more accurate than a telephone call, although there is the possibility that the e-mail may be leaked. Also, as many people receive a huge amount of mail each day, there is no guarantee it will be read.
- As a printed summary: As with e-mail, some people receive more pieces of paper than they can deal with. However, a piece of paper sitting on a person’s desk is more difficult to ignore than an e-mail.
- As a formal document: If presented using desktop publishing software, it looks more ‘official’ than a simple printout and hence may be treated more seriously. It is particularly effective for certain types of information, such as quarterly reports or technical documentation.
- Via a company intranet or the internet: Information can be quickly disseminated this way. Instead of printing bulky documents that may never be read, a PDF file can be made available for download. This has the benefit that the files can be searched. Many companies expect employees to check intranets regularly for new information.

No matter which of the presentation methods is used, the same informant can come across as either appealing or unappealing, depending on who presents it and how. While plain text is often an easy way to present data it can be unattractive for readers. On the other hand, while graphics are appealing and easy to follow, the temptation to use too much colour or too many design elements must be resisted. Colour is good, but can be overpowering if the page appears to have emerged from an explosion in a paint factory.

Verbal presentations can be useful, but only if people are interested. Many meetings leave people more confused on leaving than when they arrived because of poor use of graphics or a lack of communication skills on the part of the speakers. The advantage of verbal presentations, when compared to leaving notes for people, is that if everybody attends they have no excuse for not knowing what they are expected to know.