According to research conducted by the Institute of Configuration Management in the US, an 8% loss in data integrity results in a 50% drop in operational efficiency.
This means that if only eight documents out of 100 processed have an error of any kind, it requires twice the number of resources, in terms of manpower, to rework, recheck and sort the problem out.
This is quite a sobering statistic.
The cost and productivity implications attached to data inaccuracy are immense.
Incorrect logging in of client/task data, inaccurate or out-of-date information, and failure to update change adequately can destroy an organisation's competitiveness. A recent Reuters survey of UK financial institutions shows that 10% of organisations surveyed employ over 200 staff to re-key information.
If one extrapolates this type of statistic to a national level the cost and productivity impact becomes exponential.
Change: The pulse of modern business
One Richard Hooker (1554-1600) stated that "change is not made without inconvenience, even from worse to better".
In this age of information overload, change and the management of it, is unquestionably one of the greatest challenges facing business enterprises and government agencies.
Information that impacts on safety, quality, customer service, schedule or cost must be properly managed. To do so is to accommodate change while also ensuring that information remains clear, concise, accurate and thereby valid.
So here enters the latest buzz phrase in IT - configuration management (CM) which may be defined as the management of change by the maintenance of data integrity.
Simply put, data integrity management and configuration management provides investment protection by minimising damage in the event of a compromise. This in turn, lowers the total cost of ownership of IT and other assets, maximises uptime and availability, and allows the scarce IT resource pool to spend time on more essential tasks rather than crisis management.
Change management in practice
It is interesting to note that two weeks after the terrorist attacks of 11 September 2001, the US-based Institute of Configuration Management awarded an honourary CMII Certification (a world recognised standard for the accommodation of change in what organisations do and how they do it) to President George Bush.
The basis for the award was that a mere nine days after the attacks, Bush announced to the world what was to be done and why. It was noted that he did this in a clear, concise and valid presentation. The institute went on to define these words as: clear - meaning easy to understand; concise - listener interpretation was uniform, and valid - if objectives were achieved, the desired results would be attained.
This demonstrated that American professionals perceived that they had dynamic leadership at the helm, capable of making relevant decisions based on accurate information.
These principles can be applied to the management of any enterprise and take it to the optimum level of output and productivity.
Without data integrity management, integrity deviation can counteract large investments in security and infrastructure, creating a negative return on investment (ROI).
With data integrity management, when deviation, unintentional or malicious, occurs, it can be recognised, addressed immediately, and as a result, investment is protected. The consequences should be improved business processes that drive increased revenue and profitability.
Management of the rate of change
If the rate of change in an organisation is higher than the rate at which they can deal with it the result is disaster. CM comes into play by providing systems and business processes that track information change. .
Regardless of the business environment, whether it be manufacturing, financial institutions or government - correct management decisions, customer service, purchase of raw materials and goods shipping, all depend on the availability of accurate and up-to-date data. The absence of this will negate long-term customer relationships and sound a death knell for business growth.
Installing CM processes puts formality into a system. It enables the intelligent use of technology, and facilitates smart decision-making.
The national implications
Government runs off information. Crucial decisions are made on the basis of the integrity of this information.
Lack of productivity, collaboration and the inability to share accurate knowledge is perceived to be a problem within the government sector.
If government was to embrace the concepts of CM within its operations and thereby lead by example in a drive to create a national business psyche geared towards greater efficiency and enhanced ROI, the outcome could prove to be extremely beneficial to SA's productivity ratings.
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