Category Archives: Operations

January 19, 2019 · 11:29 pm

Estimates v. Facts

“How Estimates of the Gig Economy Went Wrong,” The Wall Street Journal, January 8, 2019. Estimates of the impact of the “gig economy” based on a 2015 survey turned out to be not that accurate a prediction of the actual impact (which was minimal), looking back.

Estimates and opinions and forecasts are, in one sense, Information. But they are not facts. How do you determine how much weight to give an estimate or an opinion? Do you put your own opinion of the error band around an estimate: the plus-or-minus versus facts? Is how you use this type of Information part of Governance? Is this included in “Information Management,” or is it the other way around? Where does “how you actually use Information fit?

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Filed under Accuracy, Theme One: Information, Theme Two: Governance, Use, Use

November 19, 2018 · 8:48 am

The government does it better

In the macro sense, one of the bits of information that we own, manage, and hopefully control is who we are. How does the government control and manage this?

“Banks Find Solutions for ID Fraud at DMV,” The Wall Street Journal, November 13, 2018 B10. Banks may use DMV databases to verify your online identity, because how you have to establish your identity to get a driver’s license normally involves you appearing in person and providing supporting documents.

Key to the process at the DMV is the trained person who checks your supporting documents. The banks want to leverage that person’s knowledge and experience, rather than relying on a bank manager to do it.

Where else in our lives do we rely on government employees rather than ourselves as a critical control?

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Filed under Access, Accuracy, Controls, Data quality, Definition, Duty of Care, Governance, Information, Internal controls, Knowledge Management, Operations, Oversight, Privacy, Protect assets, Third parties, Use

November 13, 2018 · 9:44 am

More of your data for sale

“Wall Street Analysts Are Selling More Data,” The Wall Street Journal, November 8, 2018 B11. Analysts are searching and make available a bunch of information on your information, including “social media sentiment … and geospatial mapping.” Think of it as expanded research reports.

Well, they are in the business of reviewing data and offering opinions (for a price). Is it much of a disintermediation for them to start selling the information directly? I guess there’s money in it. Or service.

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Filed under Access, Analytics, Collect, Controls, Corporation, Duty, Information, IT, Management, Operations, Ownership, Security, Third parties, Use, Use, Value

June 14, 2018 · 3:19 pm

Old dogs, new tricks

“Old Spy Plane Tries to Learn New Tricks,” The Wall Street Journal, June 8, 2018 A3. Using new data analytical techniques to harvest more information from U2 spy photos taken from 70,000 feet, freeing up human viewers for other duties.

What old information do you have that you could process differently with newly available technology? What value could you harvest?

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Filed under Analytics, Collect, Data quality, Information, Management, Operations, Technology, Use, Value

June 4, 2018 · 7:49 pm

Do your customers have an alternative?

What happens to your business if you or your customers can’t get to the Internet?

“Visa Hit by Outrage In Parts of Europe,” The Wall Street Journal, June 2, 2018 B12. Users of Visa cards in Europe couldn’t use their cards on Friday as the result of a hardware failure.

Are you prepared for a hardware failure that prevents your customers from reaching you? Is this an aspect of information governance? Business continuity planning? Both?

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Filed under Access, Business Continuity, Interconnections, IT, Operations, Risk

May 29, 2018 · 4:38 pm

A Mayor’s challenge

“Probes, Cyberattack Distract Atlanta as It Pitches Amazon,” The Wall Street Journal, May 29, 2018 A3. Investigations of former mayor and the aftermath of a ransomware attack hamper efforts to entice Amazon to the city.

Corporations should conduct structured risk assessments. Do cities?

One assumes Atlanta has done a risk assessment and identified the risk of official misconduct. Did it also capture the risk of a cyberattack? Did the risk assessment suggest that if these risks occurred, Atlanta would lose the chance of phenomenal growth?

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Filed under Business Continuity, Communicate, Compliance, Compliance, Controls, Duty, Duty of Care, Governance, Government, Internal controls, IT, Management, Operations, Oversight, Protect assets, Risk assessment, Security, Third parties

May 29, 2018 · 4:25 pm

Extra credit reading

Interesting Journal Report on health care technology. Several articles on new uses of information, or uses of new information, in order to do everything from brain surgery to looking after aging parents.

Headlines:

Interesting.

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Filed under Collect, Definition, Information, Operations, Use, Use, Value

May 18, 2018 · 12:19 pm

Keeping conversations semi-private

“Police Move to Make Their Radio Traffic Private,” The Wall Street Journal, May 18, 2018 A3. Police encrypt or delay release of radio traffic, limiting but not preventing public access. Keeps the crowds down.

So, they can’t limit your speech, but they can delay your access to theirs? Makes sense, if they’re planning a SWAT raid. How transparent do we want the police to be? How transparent should your company be?

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Filed under Access, Business Continuity, Controls, Duty, Government, Information, Internal controls, Operations, Security, Third parties, Value

May 8, 2018 · 12:05 pm

Value through use

The value of information is in its use, or perhaps in the ability to prevent others from using it.

“H&M Ramps Up Data Use,” The Wall Street Journal, May 8, 20189 B4. Store chain mines social media to identify and track trends, and analyses store-specific information to determine what to stock in that store.

So, they use a common technology approach to data analysis chain-wide to derive a store-specific stocking strategy. They find that computers don’t get distracted by emotions as much as humans.

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Filed under Access, Analytics, Collect, Information, IT, Knowledge Management, Management, Operations, Use, Use, Value