| "Companies run on information, not data." | | | | and life moves on. But there is little point |
| | | | in having information if it is not acted upon |
| - Bryce's LawINTRODUCTIONI have been doing a | | | | at the time it is received. It means |
| lot of reading lately regarding the latest | | | | actions/decisions will not be performed as |
| fads in the industry, particularly in the | | | | required.This brings up a point, information |
| area of "Agile Methodologies," "Business | | | | is consumed by human beings, not by machines. |
| Rules," "Information Architecture," and | | | | True, machines process data but only humans |
| "Enterprise Architecture." There is a | | | | require information. I get into a lot of |
| considerable amount of material to wade | | | | arguments over this concept. Let me see if I |
| through. Of interest, I have noticed all | | | | can clarify it. Let's imagine a totally |
| stress the importance of requirements and | | | | automated company (what I like to call a |
| warn of the consequences if they are not | | | | "company in a closet") whereby customers |
| defined properly. This sounds nice, but I | | | | interact with a computer through a network |
| found them all to be very evasive in terms of | | | | connection to place orders for a product or |
| describing the inherent properties of | | | | service that can be delivered electronically. |
| information and how to document them. I | | | | The owner of the company is retired and |
| guess this shouldn't come as a surprise as | | | | spends most of his time playing golf and |
| the industry for years has been wallowing in | | | | checks on his stocks and other investments. |
| how to define information requirements.Many | | | | I contend the machine is just |
| think it is nothing more than a set of data | | | | |
| or output specifications; others see it as | | | | processing data and will continue to do so |
| nothing more than a programming spec. | | | | until there is some sort of mechanical |
| Rarely, does anyone want to take the time to | | | | malfunction. However, under this scenario |
| truly understand information requirements and | | | | there is still a need for information by such |
| prefer, instead, to get down to the business | | | | people as: |
| of programming where they feel more | | | | |
| comfortable. It should, therefore, not come | | | | Customers who want to check prices, product |
| as a surprise that requirements definition is | | | | service availability, terms and conditions, |
| left to the interpretation of the individual. | | | | order status, and to report problems.Vendors |
| Inevitably, this leads to inconsistencies | | | | who offer upgrades or additional |
| and errors. For something that is supposed | | | | support.Government regulators who need to |
| to be so critical for success, information | | | | know about sales volumes and taxes.And the |
| requirements definition is too often taken | | | | owner himself who needs to know about how his |
| for granted.Let's see if we can clear this up | | | | "company in a closet" is performing, thereby |
| by describing the characteristics of | | | | making decisions regarding modifications to |
| information and end with a definition. This | | | | the business. |
| may all seem very elementary, but the problem | | | | |
| of requirements definition is very real. | | | | Processing data is one thing, making |
| Perhaps a simple description of the | | | | business decisions and taking actions is |
| properties of information may provide the | | | | something entirely different. Until such |
| insight needed to adequately perform this | | | | time as machines become true freethinking |
| vital task.CHARACTERISTICSFirst, information | | | | entities, they will only need data, not |
| is not synonymous with data. Data represents | | | | information.D. Information is not stored, it |
| the facts and events of a business consisting | | | | is produced.Information is produced and |
| of primary values (such as "Customer Number," | | | | consumed as required. On the other hand, |
| "Unit Price," "Name," etc.) and generated | | | | data can be stored and retrieved as required. |
| values ("Percent Complete," "Net Profit," | | | | We have long touted the concept |
| "Total Ordered," etc.). By itself, data is | | | | that:INFORMATION = DATA + PROCESSINGThis |
| meaningless. It is only | | | | simply means there are two basic variables in |
| | | | the production of information; data (the |
| when it is put into a specific context, at a | | | | facts to be processed) and the process itself |
| specific point of time, and delivered to a | | | | (the logic). Assuming this is correct, if |
| specific human-being, does data transform | | | | the data remains the same, but we change the |
| into information. From this perspective, | | | | processing, then the |
| let's consider the fundamental | | | | |
| characteristics of information:A. | | | | information will be changed. Conversely, if |
| Information supports actions and/or business | | | | the processing remains the same, but we |
| decisions.This is a critical characteristic | | | | change the data, then the information will |
| that is vital to define. If an action and/or | | | | also be changed. This means it is important |
| business decision cannot be made from the | | | | to manage the resources needed to produce |
| data presented, it is not information, it is | | | | information, which is the premise of |
| just raw data. In this world of application | | | | Information Resource Management (IRM). If |
| development there is a tendency to produce | | | | we can control the resources, we can |
| too much data and not enough | | | | manipulate them accordingly to suit the |
| information.During my "PRIDE" classes I | | | | information needs of the business. |
| usually illustrate this point by describing a | | | | Therefore, "Information Management" is a |
| "bookmaker" or "bookie" (slang for someone | | | | fallacious concept; we are not truly managing |
| who accepts wagers on sporting events). | | | | information as much as we are managing the |
| Among the bookie's actions/decisions include | | | | resources needed |
| paying off bets, and collecting on | | | | |
| | | | to produce it.E. Information changes.The |
| bets. Using a blackboard, I would write | | | | actions/decisions of the business are greatly |
| down the following scores:6 | | | | influenced by such things as: |
| | | | |
| 54 | | | | Customers and Vendors |
| | | | |
| 3I would then ask the students to play the | | | | Government/political changes |
| role of a bookie and asked them if what I | | | | |
| wrote on the blackboard could support their | | | | Economics and competition |
| actions and decisions. Of course they said, | | | | |
| No, that they needed more data; to which I | | | | Market expansion/contraction |
| wrote down:New York - 6 | | | | |
| | | | As an example, suppose the government |
| Chicago - 5Cincinnati - 4 | | | | decides to impose a new regulation on a |
| | | | company's manufacturing process or institutes |
| Los Angeles - 3Still not satisfied, they | | | | a trade embargo on a country the company does |
| wanted to know what sport I was describing; | | | | business in. Inevitably, this will cause a |
| to which I added:Sport: BaseballNew York - 6 | | | | change in the actions/decisions of the |
| | | | business, thereby affecting information |
| Chicago - 5Cincinnati - 4 | | | | requirements.Let's also consider the affect |
| | | | new shipping methods might have on keeping |
| Los Angeles - 3Since a city can have more | | | | the company competitive. Again, this will |
| than one team, they also wanted the | | | | undoubtedly affect the company's information |
| | | | requirements.In a static world, information |
| team names.Sport: BaseballNew York Yankees | | | | requirements would not change. The reality |
| - 6 | | | | is we live in a dynamic world. The more we |
| | | | know about our external influences, the |
| Chicago White Sox - 5Cincinnati Reds - 4 | | | | better we can adjust and adapt our |
| | | | information requirements.F. Information is |
| Los Angeles Dodgers - 3They also needed to | | | | conveyed through outputs.Media such as |
| know who the bettor was, so I added:Sport: | | | | screens, printed reports, and audio/video |
| BaseballNew York Yankees - 6 | | | | represents the human interface by which |
| | | | information is transmitted. Hence, the |
| Chicago White Sox - 5Cincinnati Reds - 4 | | | | temptation by a lot of developers to |
| | | | |
| Los Angeles Dodgers - 3Bettor: | | | | think of outputs as the starting point for |
| | | | specifying information requirements. The |
| John Doe - $30 - New York Yankees - Odds: | | | | business rationale for the information is |
| 3:1 | | | | much more important than physically how it |
| | | | will be delivered. If we do not understand |
| 123 Main Street, Tel: 123/456-7890They then | | | | the rationale for the information, we will |
| said they had the information needed to | | | | inevitably make erroneous conclusions |
| fulfill their actions or decisions (e.g., | | | | regarding the outputs. Also consider this, |
| they would pay $90 to John Doe for betting on | | | | there is not necessarily a one-to-one |
| the Yankees).This example demonstrates two | | | | relationship between information requirements |
| things; first, information is data that is | | | | and outputs. One information requirement may |
| arranged in a specific context, and; second, | | | | be implemented by multiple outputs, |
| it is based on the actions and decisions to | | | | |
| be supported. This means we must first have | | | | and one output may be used to satisfy |
| a clear understanding of the actions and/or | | | | multiple information requirements.Knowing the |
| decisions to be supported before we can | | | | relationship between information requirements |
| determine the required data elements (primary | | | | and outputs, existing screens, reports, etc. |
| or generated). This is an area commonly | | | | provide a convenient road map for documenting |
| | | | requirements. Simply ask the user what the |
| overlooked in application development. If | | | | business purpose of the output is and what he |
| we cannot act on it, than it is not | | | | she will do with the information (better yet, |
| information, it is just raw data.B. | | | | ask him/her what would happen if you took the |
| Information is a perishable | | | | output away).A DEFINITIONOkay, now that we |
| commodity.Information has value at a specific | | | | understand the characteristics of |
| point in time. This is because we must make | | | | information, let's try to devise a |
| certain actions/decisions on a timely basis; | | | | definition:Information - the understanding or |
| e.g., daily, weekly, monthly, quarterly, | | | | insight gained from the processing and/or |
| annually, or upon request. Using our example | | | | analysis of data. Information is created as |
| above, the bookie requires his | | | | a result of the collection, processing and |
| | | | analysis of data in a prescribed manner. |
| information daily; having it delivered | | | | Information supports specific business |
| weekly, monthly, or annually will not | | | | related actions and decisions. The accuracy |
| satisfactorily support his actions/decisions. | | | | of information depends on the validity and |
| It thereby becomes important to define | | | | completeness of the data and the processing |
| "when" actions/decisions have to be | | | | logic used. CONCLUSIONIt is true that |
| made.There are three attributes to | | | | defining requirements is the Achilles heel of |
| timing:Frequency - specifies how often the | | | | any development project, but a lot of people |
| actions/decisions have to be made; e.g.,4D - | | | | are vague or have different interpretations |
| four times daily | | | | of what this means. In the "PRIDE" world, it |
| | | | means supplying the end-users with the |
| 1W - once a week | | | | necessary intelligence to support the actions |
| | | | decisions of their end of the business. The |
| 2Y - semiannually | | | | more we know about the business, the better |
| | | | we can service it; see:No. 77 - "Enterprise |
| R - Upon Request (anytime the user wants | | | | Decomposition" - May 29, 2006 |
| it)Offset - specifies when the cycle should | | | | |
| begin; e.g., | | | | on output specifications is nice but it |
| | | | doesn't supersede the need for accurately |
| 8H - on the 8th hour (8:00am) | | | | defining information requirements. Frankly, |
| | | | users do not particularly care what physical |
| 7D - on the seventh day (end of the week) | | | | form outputs come in; it is immaterial to |
| | | | them. All they are interested in is: Do |
| Note: There is no scheduled offset when the | | | | they have the necessary information to |
| Frequency is "Upon Request").Response Time - | | | | support their actions/decisions; is it |
| specifies the maximum amount of time to | | | | timely, and is it accurate?It is fallacious |
| deliver the information; e.g., | | | | to believe, "Users do not know what they |
| | | | want." They may not know how it physically |
| 5S - Five Seconds | | | | should look or be delivered, but they most |
| | | | definitely know what they want. You're just |
| 1D - One Day | | | | not asking the right questions.For more |
| | | | information on this subject, see:No. 4 - |
| Note: This should not be confused as a | | | | "Defining Information Requirements" - Dec 27, |
| measure of machine throughput.These timing | | | | 2004 |
| attributes will ultimately influence the | | | | |
| design of the system and software. For | | | | 29 - "Using Information Strategically" - |
| example, if information is needed "Upon | | | | June 20, 2005 |
| Request" with a five second response time, | | | | |
| than in all likelihood it will be an | | | | Bryce is the Managing Director of M. Bryce |
| "interactive" type of application. | | | | & Associates (MBA) of Palm Harbor, Florida, a |
| Conversely, a weekly process with a one hour | | | | management consulting firm specializing in |
| response time will likely result in a "batch" | | | | Information Resource Management (IRM). Mr. |
| process (maybe even a manual process).C. | | | | Bryce has over 30 years of experience in the |
| Information is a consumable | | | | field. He is available for training and |
| commodity.Information is received, acted on, | | | | consulting on an international basis. |