Exchange views and best practices

A think tank made up of data analysts, IT consultants, information architects and information managers is working to create a unique and more business focussed set of industry standards for the design and processing of complex enterprise data.

The team of specialists behind Information Ergonomics is hoping that the guidelines will become the methodology of choice for in-house and consultant IT practitioners alike, by providing an innovative approach to information management activities such as data integration, migration and business intelligence.

“Automation of processes is common to both IT and to engineering disciplines,” says John Morris, the think tank’s co-founder. “It is not surprising, therefore, that the engineering metaphor for IT system design has been so successful, both in gaining acceptance within the profession and, probably more crucially, delivering the quality IT infrastructure upon which our modern lives depend.”

It is this reliance on the technological element of data-centric activities that the think tank is looking to readdress. “The very success of information-engineering-type approaches to system building is throwing into sharper relief the areas where it struggles to cope,” explains Morris. “We have faster and more powerful hardware and software, so why do we not always have the information we need? Why can’t engineering approaches be so successful here?”

The answer, according to Morris, lies with the fact that information itself is “non-linear and multi-dimensional”, unlike the technological processes that support it. For this reason, individuals will rarely see the same business entity – and when the problem is semantic, referring to an engineering metaphor will not help. “Contradictions in definition are not symptomatic of errors, but are a necessary component of our working life. We should embrace contradiction, not try to eradicate it,” says Morris.

For this reason, the main thinking behind the project is that the provision of information to data customers is all too often an add-on to the main objective of process automation. Organisers say that a new approach is needed, based on four basic principles:

Data centricity – data and information are central, not process automation;
Consumer control – the consumers of information are best placed to judge its relevance and quality;
Technological independence – not driven by any proprietary technology;
Sufficiency – the right amount of information, at the right time, to the right level of quality, in a format determined by the customer.

The think tank provides a forum in which experts can exchange views and best practices to come up with a methodology that places the data customer firmly back in the driving seat. “Each of us has recognised the disconnect between what our data customers want and what we can provide. We have developed works around this to try and bridge the gap,” adds Morris.

Over the next few months, the main focus for the think tank’s energies will be recruiting more members, with a view to publishing a first draft of the methodology. In the meantime, the group will periodically publish research white papers on its website at: www.informationergonomics.org

If you are interested in getting involved with the think tank, e-mail jmorris@informationergonomics.org