Information management is easy to explain in the context of document management. Document management is unavoidable because everyone has their personal administration. Organizations are not an exception, their administration is often much larger. In ancient times, civilizations such as the Incas, Egypt, and China thrived thanks to tight document management. The basis of document management consists of two parts that require separate attention. We are happy to explain it further based on the context; books in a library.

The first part is to ensure that the content of the documentation is correct. This often requires subject matter experts (SME) to verify the content, as not everyone is able to do this. In the context of the library, the contents of the books must be correct. This can be left to the writer or someone else who knows a specific domain. It is also important that the author provides relevant metadata related to the book (title, date of publication, publisher, subject,…) so that the library can be set up.  

The second part is building the library based on the metadata. When building it, it is recommended to take the most critical documentation for business continuity as a starting point. In the context of the library, it seems obvious to categorize the books in alphabetical order. However, one can also imagine culture in which some writers are given a special place in the library. In addition, the books can be sorted by subject (fantasy, classics, horror, …) while the alphabetical order is still maintained within each subject. There is no right or wrong with design, but the choices made must be clear. What we can say is that the more structured, detailed, and consistent the library is built, the easier it is to find books later.

MareVisie helps its customers to centralize technical documentation within their technical departments. The premise is that most documentation is under the control of the individual employee. This could be in the mailbox, on a hard drive, on paper, or even just in the employee’s head. As the organization grows, more and more stakeholders call for technical information, and the need for a centralized database became a necessity. Before the documentation can be added to the database, relevant metadata is linked to the documents. In addition, the suppliers of the documentation are trained in thinking according to these metadata guidelines.

We support clients in selecting relevant metadata, the first steps in building a database, and we act as gatekeepers when information is added and requested by stakeholders. Document management pur sang!