DEEP SPACE NINE AND THINKING BEYOND IM/IG BORDERS

Peggy Winton, Chief Executive Officer, AIIM

Peggy launched AIIM 2021 by illustrating the theme of the conference and listing key issues (along with solutions) facing the industry today.

This year’s theme, “A Galactic Digital Experience,” is tied to Star Trek. In the series, Deep Space Nine is a space station that could be used and tapped into for far-reaching missions outside of the federation, or territory.

Like Deep Space Nine, Peggy encourages all IM/IG professionals to move beyond the traditional border – or confines – of the industry. She said that the pandemic made that border “fuzzy,” so now, there’s an opportunity to truly be a steward for your organization’s information.

According to Peggy, three factors affected IM/IG professionals this past year:

1. 1. 1. Long-term trends show increasing information chaos. The volume and variety of information is only accelerating.
      2. The sudden need for remote work forced many organizations to rush their deployment of collaborative tools.
      3. Customer expectations for convenience and availability remained and will outlast the pandemic, so products/services need to be delivered faster and be more easily consumed.

“Organizations can’t simply continue down the path of viewing information management through a tactical or cost-minimization filter,” Peggy said. “Instead, we need a higher level – a more strategic conversation and discourse that addresses the bottom line of intelligent information management investments.”

One big takeaway from AIIM’s 2021 State of the Intelligent Information Management Industry study is that C-level executives are failing to align business and technology strategies, treating IM/IG as more of an afterthought than anything else. The advice is to:

1. 1. 1. Elevate the conversation about information value.
      2. Create an internal framework to understand and balance both risk and value.
      3. Affix senior responsibility for digital transformation, so that someone takes ownership of that change.
      4. Identify culture pressure points that can be leveraged to highlight business value. For example, if your organization emphasizes being client-centered, show how IM/IG supports that.

Here are two other key industry issues and advised solutions Peggy highlighted from the study:

Problem: Organizations are losing the battle against information chaos.

Advice:

• • • You can’t control what you can’t see. Get a better view of where information is, how it’s being managed, the risk associated, and what kind of controls need to be in place.
    • Pick a place to start. Look at your organization to see if there’s one information issue common across different departments – then, start there.
    • Engage the business. The business, the frontline end-users should be trusted and encouraged to solve its information chaos challenges.
    • Problem: Organizations aren’t putting their resources where they should be. It’s really money, focus, and culture – not technology – that are the true secret to digital transformation.

Advice:

• • • The people, processes, and technology trifecta is critical for the success of any IM/IG initiative. Most organizations put 5% into people, 15% to processes, and 80% to technology. Flip that. It should be 80% to people, 15% to processes, and 5% to technology.

For more insights on IM/IG issues and advised solutions, check out the complete study here: https://info.aiim.org/state-of-the-intelligent-information-management-industry-2021

“I FIND YOUR LACK OF FAITH DISTURBING”: CHANGING IG MINDSETS WITH BUSINESS PROOF POINTS

John Daly, Information Governance Manager, Metropolitan St. Louis Sewer District

John expanded on Peggy’s keynote session, focusing on the lack of engagement from C-level executives in IM/IG along with tips on how to communicate and showcase its business value.

According to AIIM’s study, 45% of organizations said their C-level executives are either (1) not engaged at all or (2) somewhat engaged when it comes to IM/IG. Here are John’s “values needed” to move it up in your organization’s value chain:

1. 1. 1. Have grit. IM/IG professionals should have the passion and perseverance to keep things going toward positive organizational change, especially when they’re initially met with resistance.
      2. Be a strategist. IM/IG professionals should form a vision for their program that supports their organization’s vision and mission statements. They should also take the time to identify the current state, so they can make an informed decision on what step to take next.
      3. Be a subject matter expert. IM/IG professionals should strive to be the go-to person for all things information in their organization. In addition, they should also have knowledge of related fields like privacy, information technology (IT), and legal hold & eDiscovery.
      4. Be flexible. IM/IG professionals should be willing to try completely new ways of doing things if it makes sense.
      5. Be a communicator. IM/IG professionals should be able to comfortably interact and share information with individuals across all levels of their organization.
      6. Enjoy the process. IM/IG professionals should enjoy their career and celebrate the small wins.
      7. Practice continuous process improvement. IM/IG professionals should have an eye for what can be improved.

If you lack in any of these seven “values needed,” John suggests leveraging the rest of your IM/IG team – don’t be afraid to ask someone to fill in for the areas that aren’t your strong suit.

“CLEAR SKIES WITH A CHANCE OF SATELLITE DEBRIS.”

Devon McCollum, HR/Compliance Records and Information Systems Manager, General Dynamics Information Technology

Information chaos is one of the – if not the – top issue facing IM/IG professionals today. To help you avoid the creation of even more chaos, Devon shared his recommended four-step process for data migrations.

To start, he made the case for ditching your legacy systems. In AIIM’s study, 92% of organizations said modernizing their information management strategy would help combat the challenges of information chaos. A key part of that effort would be to adopt and migrate to a new, modern content management system to increase productivity.

Here’s Devon’s recommended four-step process to do so:

1. 1. 1. Put the “mission” in decommission: It’s all about buy-in and strategy.

Devon said forming a strong strategy and gaining buy-in are two of the most important parts of data migration. IT, senior management, subject matter experts, and end users should be involved from the get-go.

Also, in this step, your team should get on the same page and set a realistic budget and scope.

1. 1. 2. Plan, plan, and plan some more.

In this step, everything about the data in your source system should be analyzed, documented, and inventoried. Weed out the Redundant, Obsolete, or Trivial (ROT) data, so that you save some time and money by moving only what’s absolutely necessary.

Again – senior management, subject matter experts, and end users should be heavily involved in this step.

1. 1. 3. Countdown to launch from the (information) silo: Prepping for success.

In this step, your team should capture metadata, the original taxonomies, and classification schemes; create a new system with workflows to house the original data; and (as Devon highly suggests) create a parallel environment to help business continuity.

1. 1. 4. The lift off: Putting the migration in motion.

In this last step, your team will need to pay close attention to quality control throughout the entirety of the migration. End users can and should be included in the quality checks. Your organization’s legal department should also be consulted in this stage to weigh in on the correct disposal of the legacy system.

POWER UP FOR THE UNPREDICTABLE: HOW TO BUILD THE IDEAL TECH STACK TO PREPARE YOU FOR ANYTHING

Mark Brousseau, President, Brosseau & Associates

Susheel John, Vice President of Marketing and Strategy, ibml

“What do we do when we are driving down the road?” Susheel asked the audience. We keep accelerating and driving down the road. But when we hit a bend in the road, we tend to take our foot off the accelerator, slow down, and take the turn.

If the same situation happened in a racetrack, Susheel said the driver would look at the bend and see an opportunity to accelerate – to overtake the competition. We can do this with the unpredictable changes that come our way in the business world, choosing to view it as an advantage to accelerate and overtake the competition.

But you can only do this if you’re prepared for the unpredictable. So, Mark and Susheel share tips on how to prepare your IM/IG organization for anything with the right solution:

1. 1. 1. Consider your critical issues.

Mark and Susheel advises IM/IG professionals to not only consider what you’re trying to solve today, but also what you’ll be trying to solve in the future. Then, look for a solution that will continue to grow with your organization and meet its needs over time.

1. 1. 2. Look for advanced technologies.

It’s important to look for advanced IM/IG solutions that can eliminate manual, repetitive tasks. This will free you up for more high-level tasks, making you much more productive overall.

1. 1. 3. Evaluate integrations.

Mark and Susheel suggest looking for solutions that will integrate with your legacy systems, whether that’s an Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP), Customer Relationship Management (CRM), or Accounts Payable system.

1. 1. 4. Prepare for anything.

Certain solution capabilities will help you prepare for any unpredictable situation. Is it accessible from anywhere? Is it available 24/7? Is it in the Cloud? If the answer is yes, yes, and yes, your employees will have the information they need to do their jobs when the unexpected (like COVID-19) occurs.

RIDING THE G-FORCES: HOW CROWDSOURCING PLATFORMS ACCELETATE INNOVATION IN THE MIDST OF DISRUPTION

Steve Radar, CEO/Founder, Crowd Resources Consulting LLC

The rate of change in the business world is going faster than it ever has, and businesses are having trouble keeping up. In his presentation, Steve explains the way the world is going when it comes to innovation and what companies can do to stay up-to-date and relevant in the rapidly evolving world we live in today.

There are three workforce trends we’re seeing today: Innovation Imperative, Open Innovation, and Emerging Open Work.

Innovation Imperative refers to the way new technologies (like machine learning and Cloud computing) are being rolled out, combined with each other, and applied across every industry.

New technologies are emerging so quickly that businesses are at risk of becoming irrelevant if they don’t innovate. In the past, organizations only had to innovate every so often, but now, they’re constantly pushed to.

Open Innovation is going outside of your organization – across industries – to innovate. Uber and Airbnb are great examples. One connects people who need cars to cars, while the other connects people who need lodging to lodging.

Open Innovation, Open Talent, and Crowdsourcing platforms are making this trend easier to join, connecting people from across the world with different backgrounds, skills, and expertise to innovate valuable products and services.

Emerging Open Workforce, according to Steve, is another significant shift happening in the workforce right now. It’s predicted that, if trends continue, freelancers will become the U.S. workforce majority in less than a decade – and not just for “low-skill work,” but also for “high-skill work” and expertise.

This growing “gig economy” is making lifelong learning absolutely mandatory to keep up. As current technologies like automation and machine learning displace and/or change jobs, professionals will need to continuously learn and keep up with the latest tech.

HOW TO STOP AND FOCUS IN A WORLD OF CHANGE

Erik Qualman, #1 Speaker on Digital Leadership

In his conversations with leaders across industries, Erik found one thing they all seem to have in common: Focus. Successful leaders tend to stay focused more than others.

Focus, according to Erik, is what leads transformation. Here are his 3 P’s along with focus techniques to help drive success in your life:

3 P’s:

1. 1. 1. Purpose: Focus is hard, but it can be a learned habit. And the best way to drive a habit is to put a core purpose behind it.
      2. Process: To stay focused, you’ll need to develop a process that keeps you on track.
      3. Progress: As with any goal, focus on progress – not perfection. Good habits (like staying focused) take time.

Focus Techniques:

• • • Use your Power Hour. The human brain works like a phone – Over the course of the day, it loses its energy. That’s why you should get your most important work done during your Power Hour, which is usually the hour after you would naturally wake up (not when your alarm clock or kids wake you up). For some people, that’s before 7 a.m. For most people, that’s sometime between 7 – 10 a.m. And for others, that’s after 10 a.m.
    • Practice 20/20/20. The blue light from your computer screen creates eye strain, draining your energy and focus throughout the day. So, Erik advises us to take a short break every 20 minutes by looking at something 20 feet away for 20 seconds. It’s an easy and not-so-time-consuming way to get away from that blue light.
    • Stop multitasking. Multitasking is only switch-tasking, and it’s better to focus on one thing at a time. Otherwise, you’re losing efficiency. And according to Erik, this can reduce teams’ productivity up to 40%.
    • Say no. Even though it comes more naturally for us to say “yes,” “no” should be our default. If you forego so-so opportunities, that will keep your inventories of “yes” available for the bigger opportunities down the road.

DIGITAL DISRUPTED

Tom Koulopoulos, Chairman and Founder, Delphi Group

Tom believes that by the end of this century, we’ll have more data than atoms that make up Earth. While the statement seems near-impossible, a lot of how we’re living today also seemed near-impossible at one point.

For example, if the COVID-19 pandemic occurred 5, 10, or 20 years ago, Tom said the economic devastation would have been “incalculably greater.” If we didn’t have our current technology infrastructure, we wouldn’t have been able to move into the virtual world so quickly.

Tom explains that those in IM, IG, and IT have had to redefine their profession – their role, position, and the value they bring to their company. We, as professionals in the information industry, have gone over the precipice of what he calls “The Digital Waterfall.”

Technological, behavioral, and cultural trends that would’ve happened anyways were accelerated because of the pandemic. In fact, in the past 12 months, we’ve seen about a 100% increase in data, which is mainly driven by video and AI.

All of this new data being captured is going to require new ways of understanding information, how it’s applied, and how we can make it useful.

We’re also going to have to combat “Digital Friction.” This term refers to the way the overwhelming amount of data is bogging down businesses “like sand in a finely tuned watch.” According to Tom, getting rid of that friction is the biggest challenge facing information professionals today.

And how can we do that? By building digital ecosystems, which Toms defines as a shift from product to service/experience as well as a shift from ownership to strategy.

The best example of a frictionless, digital ecosystem is the “uberization” of industries.

THRIVING IN THE NEXT NORMAL: WHERE CUSTOMERS, CONTENT, AND A COMPLETE VIEW COLLIDE

Ed McQuiston, Executive Vice President and Chief Commercial Officer, Hyland

Necessity is the mother of invention, Ed said. For example, if you had told companies to go 100% virtual in three days, you would have been laughed at before COVID-19. But the pandemic made remote work a necessity, forcing many companies to accomplish that seemingly impossible task.

But how do we transform when it’s not a necessity? To help information professionals moving forward, Ed provides advice for what we can do to best navigate our companies through this next transformation.

We’re all going to have to find the balance between “complete lockdown” and the “old ways.” We’re all dealing with business imperatives (like agility, growth, and efficiency) and market pressures (like the economy, compliance, and competition) while trying to provide the highest possible quality of service.

Ed suggested two focus areas:

1. 1. 1. Adaptability. You need to make sure you have the right technology, strategy, and people in place to react quickly to any change or shift in market pressures.
      2. Complete view. You need to provide complete view, which is giving the right information to the right people at the right time. No one wants to spend time searching, so you need to make access to information quick and easy – but also secure.

A modern content services approach can address both of these focus areas. Ed advised IM/IG professionals to make sure their approach is Cloud-powered, agile, and scalable. Your mix of platforms should provide value across the information lifecycle – from capture, to process automation, to records management, etc.

He said there are two approaches organizations can take in their content services approach:

1. 1. 1. The off-the-shelf option focuses on speed. IM/IG professionals can procure something that’s readymade with pre-built integrations.
      2. The DIY option can be fully tailored to your organization’s needs, but you will have to buy the parts and build yourself.

The approach you take ultimately depends on your company’s needs.

2021, A NEW PRIVACY ODYSSEY

Paul Lanois, Global Privacy, Data Protection and Information Security Professional, Fieldfisher

With the proliferation of data, there has been a strong emphasis on privacy from regulators and the public. People want to know: What is being done with the data collected by organizations?

In his presentation, Paul provides important information considerations as we move forward into this new environment, which calls for more data responsibility and puts organizations at risk for increased fines.

According to Paul, a lot of U.S. states have already introduced a comprehensive privacy law – and many others are considering one. For example, the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) went into effect in 2020. It sets forth general requirements in data privacy regarding notices, consumer rights, and more.

Here are some general requirements Paul addresses:

1. 1. 1. Notices, which includes privacy policies, must:

• • • • Use plain language.
      • Be readable (even on smaller screens)
      • Be accessible to consumers with disabilities.
      • Be available in all languages used to interact with customers.

1. 1. 2. Privacy policies must:

• • • • Include the type of personal information, source(s) from where it is collected, and the business purpose for collecting.

1. 1. 3. Regarding consumer rights, organizations must:

• • • • Describe their rights to access information.
      • Describe the process to request deletion.
      • Provide the option to opt out/opt in for the sale of their personal information.

MAY THE FORCE BE WITH YOU

Peggy Winton, Chief Executive Officer, AIIM

To close out AIIM 2021, Peggy joined the stage once again, offering a personal challenge to all information professionals: Know your mission-critical gaps that information can fill, and then fill them.

There’s currently a misalignment between information management and business strategy. Those in IM/IG can and should leverage their existing skills to play more impactful roles within their organization.

Here are AIIM’s eight considerations to do so:

1. 1. 1. Think strategically about the pace of change that is around us.

The rate of change is faster than we’ve ever seen before. We can’t stop what we’re doing, but it may be helpful to incorporate a “clean up break.” A lot of “just good enough” processes were implemented in a rush to enable collaboration in the pandemic. Taking a breather to “clean up” can help information from getting out of hand.

1. 1. 2. Ask why.

Ask why we’re doing this, or why are we doing this now? What do we need to know that our information might answer for us? Asking these questions before a project or decision will challenge team members to dive deeper into the data, which can reveal answers you may not have considered before.

1. 1. 3. Ask for forgiveness rather than permission.

It’s important to be agile and inspire your organization to be agile. It’s OK to have things not work out, learn from it, and move on. It’s not OK to dwell on it, obsess over it, and/or point fingers.

1. 1. 4. Think of other uses for existing technologies.

Leverage what you already have by finding new uses for your current technologies and systems. Think outside of the box, outside of what things were originally intended for.

1. 1. 5. Engage users where they are.

To be successful, you’ll need to meet your users where they are. It’s the frontline business users that know their own processes in and out, and it’s dangerous to assume you know how it works without asking questions and gaining answers. Incorporate time to ask and listen to end users’ needs.

1. 1. 6. Hone and personalize your C-suite elevator pitch.

It’s helpful to prepare a story (or a few) about how what you do contributes to your organization’s mission. That way you’ll be prepared when you run into one of the C-level executives.

1. 1. 7. Don’t underestimate the power of getting a seat at the table.

It’s important to try to get involved at the very beginning when your organization is assessing a product, project, or solution. Gain an understanding of what types of information that project is going to be touching, managing, using, and storing – and how you can contribute to its success.

1. 1. 8. Remember that you’re as valuable as you can make effective decisions.

A reputation as an effective decision maker will make it easier for your team, your boss, and your organization to give you more impactful, meaningful challenges to address.