Information flow within organizations: a competitive advantage

As businesses grow, so does the amount of knowledge they compile. A nugget picked up by a sales manager combined with information heard by R&D and a fragment by advertising can alert management of an impending competitive product launch. Regular information flow is critical to the overall success of a business functions and increases the value a group contributes to the company overall.

Experts have made claims that approximately 80% of the information one wants to know about a competitor or market resides within their own organization. But unfortunately what organizations fail to realize is that information collected in isolation does not benefit the company as a whole.

The failure of a business to share information among departments often translates into the possession of partial or flawed information resulting in flawed conclusions or decisions.

A steady flow of information within an organization requires the development of an internal network. This internal network does not equate to a sophisticated Information Technology network, but rather an even more powerful set of computational power: the collective minds of each department.

Realizing the benefits of networking (meeting new people as well as colleagues) is a challenge at best and elusive to many. Using effective techniques can smooth the road to a practical flow of information across multiple departments still remains a challenge in most organizations. Knowing who knows what, when to initiate contact, and how to follow up are the keys to networking success, and building an effective, respected, and flourishing business intelligence unit.

If we regard an organization as an organism, the information processing system, like the central nervous system, it is the foundation of all voluntary behavior. Organizations must be seen as complex systems, the elements of which must collaborate to compete effectively.

The most vital source of competitive advantage may lie not in the possession of specific organizational resources or skills, which can often be imitated or purchased, but in the power of utilizing the available resources & skills to the optimum level but openness of information sharing and ability of information compiling to form meaning ‘knowledge’.

One can identify company’s current information flow model by:

• Gain an understanding of the impediments to information sharing.
• Develop and facilitate a process to increase information sharing across departments.
• Implement practical tools/techniques to build an internal network.

Motivate people to communicate, not conceal, what they know

Business process improvement

What is the difference between a business that consistently achieves its goals, versus achieving goals occasional? Well-defined, consistently executed and continuously improved processes.

What is a process? 

Put simply, a process is a set of defined tasks needed to complete a given business activity, including who is responsible for completing each step, when, and how they do so. Though processes can seem mundane, their importance to our business success cannot be undermined.
Process is something that holds together the organizational elements: People and Technology. It is the glue between the modern organizational assets and so it runs right across the organization.
Most of the times the design of workflow and hierarchy in organizations is based on assumptions about technology, people, and organizational goals that may not be necessarily valid.  Leadership must continually plan and oversee the organization from down to top to design processes that increase organizational productivity. Applying principles of reengineering to streamline the work process can achieve significant levels of improvement in quality, time management, and cost.
In other words, when we can look for different way of doing the same task to achieve fast  and better results. Think about what we do and change it. We may indeed be more efficient if we keep the stapler on the right hand side of the desk, or using the right software for a task can save time.
Business process improvement is defined as a systematic approach that allows companies to optimize their core processes in order to obtain the most efficient results. It is the analysis and redesign of workflow within and between enterprises. 

If businesses have a clear understanding of their day-to-day operations and processes, they stand a better chance of long-term success. 

For instance, access to essential software (technology) and information to individuals in the larger prospective can help business respond to the market changes and provide faster and better services to its customers. Poor process which delays transfer of either critical information or resource slows down the response time of a business requirement resulting in either poor customer service or loss.
The organization should focus on the sum of all activities and how they flow together in complete business processes to design a process.

In today’s struggling economy, more and more businesses are starting to realize that in order to survive they must improve their existing processes and address areas of concern.  Often times, businesses struggle in one way or another, whether they have poor customer service or their sales are simply down.  If a business wants to correct problems and optimize its performance, it will have to take a close look at its existing processes and start making improvements.