Demystifying Information Governance with ISKO

ISKO November Meet Up: The value of Information Governance

We had a great time at the International Society for Knowledge Organisation (ISKO) UK Meet Up on 08 November! It was fantastic to see so many of you!

Our very own Noeleen Schenk, Director here at Metataxis, took to the online Zoom stage to share her knowledge and experience – we hope you enjoyed her interactive session, “Demystifying Information Governance.”

Focussed on the value of Information Governance, Noeleen discussed the various definitions of Information Governance and how it can help organisations improve information management. She also revealed key elements of an Information Governance project, including defining roles and responsibilities, information architecture, infrastructure and lifecycle management.

She went on to share two successful projects delivered by Metataxis. The first case study presented how Information Governance work focused on roles and responsibilities, information architecture, and lifecycle management had helped a UK charity optimise the value of their data and meet regulatory requirements. The second success story showed how Information Governance work on roles and responsibilities, authorities, procedural frameworks, lifecycle management, and infrastructure was able to reduce information risk for a recognised UK regulator.

Key takeaways

Noeleen’s lively session confirmed that Information Governance encompasses all of an organisation’s information – it should not be confined to the governance of personal information only. There are core elements that make up an Information Governance project – but not all of them will be applicable and those that are, can be applied in proportion to the requirements and resources of the organisation.

Overall, she reassured the audience that there is no right or wrong way to approach Information Governance – the path to success is not to perceive it as just an IT lead activity. Although IT remains a critical stakeholder in any Information Governance project, there has to be has an information/data lead and buy-in from the entire organisation for ultimate success.

Watch Noeleen’s session in full here.

Take a look at some of our case studies and learn more about our Information Governance services.

Find out more about ISKO and upcoming events here.

Event: The impact of Information Governance

We are really looking forward to being part of the forthcoming International Society for Knowledge Organisation (ISKO) UK Meet up on 08 November. Featuring our very own Noeleen Schenk, Director here at Metataxis, this lively session will be focussed on the value of Information Governance.

Information Governance is a crucial aspect of managing information in organisations. This ISKO meetup will examine what it is, why organisations are adopting it, and reveal some common overarching processes.

This free to attend online event will also discuss how organisations partition the domain, including whether security, privacy, and quality are included, and if there are any regulations that drive this partitioning.

As an information and knowledge management expert, Noeleen will share her experiences and case studies, covering strategies, information management processes, and information architecture solutions to help you understand what good information governance looks like.

Information Governance ISKO UK Meet up

  • When: 08 November 2023
  • Time: 18.30
  • Where: Online

It’s a great opportunity to learn from Noeleen and understand the value that good information governance can add to your own organisation. The event is free to attend so book your place today! 

Book now:

Find out more about ISKO and upcoming events here.

How Knowledge Audits contribute to Knowledge Management Planning

We were delighted to be part of the recent International Society for Knowledge Organisation (ISKO) UK Meet up.

Chaired by our very own Sharon Stewart, Consultant here at Metataxis, the session focussed on how a knowledge audit can contribute to knowledge management planning.

Knowledge audits provide an “at a glance” view of an organisation’s knowledge assets, resources, and practices. Their purpose is to improve an organisation’s effectiveness through a better understanding of the dynamics and levers of knowledge production, access, and use.

The output can offer valuable insights to inform the design of any change journey in knowledge management, then it can be used as a benchmarking tool to monitor the success of subsequent activity.

Enhancing innovation, increasing competitive advantage, or mitigating risks are all examples of knowledge related challenges or opportunities that might trigger the need for a knowledge audit.

The first part of the session was delivered by Patrick Lambe, Principal Consultant at Straits Knowledge, and the author of “Principles of Knowledge Auditing,” who revealed techniques how to introduce a systematic approach to knowledge auditing, followed by some key insights from Janine Weightman at Knovolution, who shared her practical experience gained from conducting knowledge audits through case studies.

This interactive session was a great opportunity for knowledge management practitioners to hear from experts and ask questions.

The benefits of knowledge auditing

Patrick discussed how knowledge management can be of benefit to organisations, what barriers and risks they should be aware of, and what steps they can take to get started. He suggested that there is still ambiguity around knowledge audits and in order to be successful, we need to improve the way we communicate across disciplinary boundaries with a consistent language and approach to meaningfully share and combine data. 

He went on to advocate the importance of having a clear sense of purpose for the audit before deciding what you need to learn about, in other words, what are you auditing? For example, knowledge stocks (tacit or explicit knowledge), knowledge flows (where knowledge is produced and consumed), knowledge needs and goals (strategy alignment), knowledge management enablers (organisational processes or resourcing), or knowledge management processes (knowledge capture). The outcome of that investigation will inform the methodology for your approach.

How to conduct a successful knowledge audit

Independent knowledge management consultant, Janine Weightman, went on to present two case studies, where she shared the tools and processes she uses, as well as some of the challenges and lessons learned in performing knowledge audits for organisations. She also revealed key recommendations how to conduct a successful knowledge audit based on her practical experiences.

Some of the key takeaways for practitioners from Janine’s session were:

  • Gain a clear understanding of the business goals and constraints to inform the design of tools and processes to be used in the audit;
  • Understand the tools at your disposal and match them appropriately to the capabilities of the people involved in the project;
  • Communicate with stakeholders in their language and be mindful that they may not relate to knowledge management terminology;
  • Facilitation is vital to ensure that the knowledge audit is converted into action.

What we learned

A knowledge audit is a compound and multidimensional activity.

There is no one right way to conduct a knowledge audit – there are many possible ways to approach them, depending on our goals and resources. The key to success is the use of language as well as follow up, with a clear action plan once the knowledge audit is complete to maximise value.

Find out more about ISKO and upcoming events here.

Comprehensive Peer Review supports effective Microsoft 365 migration

Creating a modern and secure teaching and learning environment

Metataxis is pleased to welcome another new customer from the education sector and help design a modern and secure teaching and learning environment with Microsoft 365.

With around 14,000 users, this higher education institution currently runs on an older version of SharePoint and shared network drives. With plans to roll out Microsoft 365 already in place, the University was seeking a partner to review their approach and existing documentation to ensure the successful implementation of this planned migration.

Working with key stakeholders across the organisation, Metataxis will assess the current position, solution design and migration approach to produce a comprehensive Peer Review. This report will include a series of observations and recommendations to ensure the deployment of a well-governed and well-designed Microsoft 365 environment.

We will also offer support, professional advice and coaching to the in-house project team around the implementation of information governance and information architecture.

Noeleen Schenk, Director at Metataxis concludes: “We are delighted to have been selected as the consultancy partner of choice. We look forward working in close collaboration with the University’s project team and enable them to deploy a modern and secure teaching and learning environment for both staff and students.”

Find out more about our Microsoft 365 design services or simply contact us to discuss how we can help your organisation today.

 

Defining the digital transformation journey

New information governance and architecture frameworks for national institution

Metataxis is thrilled to have successfully designed and delivered an information governance framework and information architecture framework to support this public sector organisation on their digital transformation journey.

Metataxis worked closely with the client’s in-house team to understand their aspirations and vision, as well as engaging with key stakeholders in order to design a clear digital transformation journey that would meet everyone’s objectives.

As part of the project, our team of consultants prepared a Microsoft 365 deployment plan, featuring a step-by-step approach to ensure the successful rollout of this powerful cloud technology.

We looked at the implications of deploying Microsoft 365 and proposed a resourcing plan to help this non-departmental public body understand the skills required to effectively implement this solution across the organisation.

Finally, we went on to put forward a clear operating model, presenting key requirements and recommendations to maintain business as usual following the implementation and how to maximise their investment in Microsoft 365.

Noeleen Schenk, Director at Metataxis concludes: “These comprehensive frameworks and suite of documents will fully support the successful roll out of Microsoft 365 for this national public body. We really enjoyed working with the team and helping them define their digital transformation journey and futureproof their IT environment.”

Find out more about our information governance services or simply contact us to discuss how we can help your organisation today.