During my February 22, 2017 webinar The Gartner Enterprise Information Management Maturity Model (replay available), attendees asked a number of excellent questions. Not able to answer them all during the session, I promised to address them in my blog.
Q. We’re just starting on the EIM journey with a new CIO and data and analytics Leader. How does the accountability and ownership best split between the roles given the opportunity to establish from a blank page?
Doug Laney: In my upcoming Infonomics book (due out in September), I include a set of “Generally Accepted Information Principles” (using the GAAP framework). One of those is the “Optimization Principle” which states: The business is responsible for optimizing the usage and understanding of information; the information management organization is responsible for optimizing information’s availability and utility; and IT is responsible for optimizing information’s accessibility and protection. I think establishing this triumvirate is an ideal starting point for defining the delineation of responsibilities. Of course you’ll want to discuss, negotiate and further refine each of these at a lower level of detail.
Q. Do you recommend or have an opinion on the DAMA DMBOK as far as applying it to an EIM program?
Laney: The DMBOK is an excellent resource (as is DAMA). I find it very functionally-rich, but lacking some alignment across functions, and missing things like vision and metrics and overall EIM strategy. Ultimately the DMBOK is a fine EIM process checklist with detail on each of the functions. But it falls short in defining and how to coordinate an overall EIM program. Others like the CMM DMMM, the EDM Council MM, and MIKE 2.0 (based on my Meta Group work over a decade ago) also lack program/coordination and components for vision, life cycle, organization and roles, or even key activities like MDM. Some also lack incremental improvement recommendations or a self-assessment tool. But more than anything, these other models are not backed by 1000s of related research publications, as is Gartner’s model. Of course I’m biased.
Q. Who should lead the EIM program: – CDO? – IT? – Business/Finance?
Laney: Ideally yes, a CDO or someone with executive level authority and resources. And an effective EIM program must coordinate across IT and business units effectively, so placing the CDO within one of those two can be suboptimal.
Q. What would be the reason not to consider information as a true asset? There seems to be money to be made if they do.
Laney: Interesting question. One argument I’ve heard for the accounting profession not to consider information as a balance sheet asset is that it’s too difficult to measure the value of, and because it can be too easily copied, its ownership and control (key asset criteria) are difficult to ascertain. From an organizational perspective, not accounting for information allows information-centric companies to compile, generate and deploy information without disclosing it publicly. It also drives higher market-to-book valuations for info-centric companies.
Q. What scope / deliverables should an EIM Phase 1 project have? (3 month delivery horizon?)
Laney: First, as I mentioned during the webinar, EIM is not a “project” per se. Rather it is an overall program approach for coordinating various information-related capabilities. That said, you have to start somewhere, right? So I’d suggest adopting the framework and laying out the components would be a great start. Use our Enterprise Information Management Program Template to flesh out your approach. Next, I’d suggest sorting out key roles and responsibilities, and an overarching set of principles for EIM that everyone, including the business and IT, can agree upon.
