Effective Information Management to empower team success

By FirstWatch

“We’re not in an information age anymore. We’re in the information management age.”

Chris Hardwick

It’s safe to say, we now live in a data-driven digital world and as it experiences continuous development, the amount of information available also grows. This volume of information that flows from various sources can be a gold mine for some, but for others, it can sometimes be an information management nightmare. This is what we call information overload. 

With information overload comes information silos – where information isn’t shared between departments or divisions, which prevents efficiency and hampers growth. A survey of 300 C-suite executives at major organizations around the world, highlights that the single biggest barrier to effective decision making is organizational silos and bureaucracy. Similarly, a recent survey of 560 business executives by Harvard Business Review Analytic Services, found that while 83% of companies stress the importance of turning data into actionable insight, only 22% feel their company is successful at doing this. 

However, both surveys identify that organizations must improve their ability to think in an integrated way – cutting through silos to connect the relevant people to the relevant information, across the whole organization.

Large organizations are being held back in their decision-making by their own history, legacy and culture. Naturally, the larger an organization is, the more coordination and collaboration are needed – but SMEs are not exempt from the challenges of information silos. SME organizations also need to contend with the fact that they often don’t have a dedicated or centralized team to manage information – and as they grow, this will present itself as a challenge. So how can these businesses prevent these issues from arising in the future? 

Free flow of information and harnessing the power of insights to drive business success should be at the forefront of strategy. With the right insights platform, SMEs are able to take advantage and reap the same benefits as larger organizations. 

FirstWatch Publish feature for Effective Information Management

How does FirstWatch help you manage information?

With FirstWatch, you get to organize the information and resources you are interested in, your way. Our AI-driven technology then filters out the noise to deliver the relevant, high-quality content you need to discover key insights and stay informed. You can then favorite your key topics for easy access on your homepage, or subscribe to receive updates directly to your inbox. You can even collaborate with colleagues in your shared workspaces.  

But what if you had the power to take it one step further? 

As an administrator or publisher, you can prioritize must-reads for you and your colleagues. Our publish feature allows you to create your own articles and/or modify them. You can then curate and send newsletters to user groups, or better still, educate everyone in your organization by publishing to company topics, so key articles appear in their FirstWatch feeds. 

Imagine you work within a management consulting firm and you frequently receive requests from other teams asking for the latest developments in a particular industry…

You have access to this information and you understand the context. However, for other departments or teams, this information is not readily available. This can result in:

  • Unavailable or missed information which hinders opportunities and decision-making
  • Reduced efficiency through duplicated work
  • Fragmented information which creates poor quality data 
  • Lack of trust and transparency within the organization
  • Increased risk of leaked information and cybersecurity attacks.

These challenges then trickle down and spread, creating an environment where data is inconsistent and of poor quality – ultimately risking growth.

Being a publisher on the FirstWatch platform can help you to overcome these challenges. Not only has the tool been designed so that it’s quick and easy to use, but you can also help teams stay focused, save time and keep up with important topics – ensuring critical business insights are highlighted.

To recap – yes, we are in an information age. But, in reality, it’s all about effective information management. This means not just receiving high-quality information, but creating and sharing it! 

We’ve created a powerful centralized and collaborative information management solution to help you make knowledge-sharing part of your organization’s culture. 

Take matters into your own hands and publish your first article or newsletter today. Click here to request a demo with the FirstWatch team.