We make the intangible matter in organisations tangible, measurable and manageble, so that management will be equipped with overview and understanding. We measure and benchmark in het areas of knowledge and information management, organisational culture, innovation management & creativity and strategy.

The insights and visualisation of our measurements can be translated in clear plan of actions. It is the ultimate instrument to accompany mergers and acquisitions, or for the management of change.

Informationland has developed a quick and effective method of measuring and accurately charting aspects that are “difficult” to measure in organisations.

It concerns the following building blocks of successful organisations:

1. The development, application and yield of knowledge and the management thereof.
2. Key elements of the organisational culture and the differences between divisions, departments or teams.
3. The development, application and yield of innovative management and creativity.
4. Availability and use of the right tools and techniques.

Introduction

The result of the measurement is an organisation chart which is superimposed upon an organogram, or any other representation of an organisation, which clearly shows the way the intellectual capital is spread out, in a way that is visually as accessible as possible. This gives a wide scope for interpretation, vision forming, and the basis of an approach. It allows for an analysis of the organisation up to unit and department levels, and even team levels. During years of experience, Informationland has built up a database of more than 1200 relevant questions concerning the sub-divisions Knowledge and Information Management, Organisation Culture, Innovation Management and Creativity.

The questions used are spot-on in the raising of issues and answering them. The questions are posed interactively on Intranet or Internet and consist of animations, informative text and mostly multiple choice questions to be filled out with the click of a mouse. Participants find the filling out quick and informative. Most of the measurements are plotted for middle management and higher, and complemented by spot checks for lower levels. There are also experiences with measurements on the work floor, measurements across the breadth of the organisation and input for 360 º feedback. The way Informationland poses the questions ensures a greater involvement in the subject by the participants, reflects qualitative and quantitative current behaviour clearly, and lays the foundation for the development of expectations concerning these subjects in the future.

The measurements are reflected in clear well-ordered reports and striking figures. Projection of data and figures on the organogram or other representation of the organisation or its activities show cultural distinctions, differences in dynamics and activity of knowledge and information, but also the accessibility of sources, collaboration structures, blockage of vital streams, disruptions in attitude, deviating disciplines, centres of high effectiveness, concentrations of expertise, transparency, application of tools and techniques, benefits tracking, regional and international cross- cultural differences etc.

All data is clustered according to every structure that could be desired and may be compared with the data of seventy different organisations and a broad range of organisational types. Upon request, a strategic benchmark with selected organisations will be made. From the data and the interpretations of ist and soll, clear and effective plans for a modus operandi may be made, divided into work streams and areas for attention, and coming together in the separate sub-divisions of the organisation. The effect of the approach over a particular time span may also be professionally monitored.

Informationland’s organisation meter is an excellent instrument for the clear charting of the bottlenecks and pitfalls associated with fusions and take-overs in a practical way. The chart produced by Informationland gives clear indications of which integration opportunities or problems could present themselves, and ensures a professional base for the choices made in the manner of dealing with a fusion. It will show explicitly where culture and capital will reinforce each other and in which way, where cultures could possibly be weakened or where intellectual capital will not be fully utilised or disappear.

Efficiency and performance depends to a large degree upon the dynamics of knowledge. These dynamics, usefulness, ease of locating and application differ to a great degree within organisations or even sub-divisions of an organisation. The explanation for the differences can be found partly in the availability and use of information technology and communication technology, but also in the degree to which intellectual capital- human, structural and cultural- is part of the dynamics of the core processes in the organisation. Understanding which aspects of these sub-headings have an important impact upon efficiency and performance is basic to achieving a quick and effective measurement. Informationland provides for a tailored organisational measurement and ensures that the results lead to better-substantiated decisions and a well-founded approach. The starting point here is not the value of knowledge and information pur sang, but the streams whereby these move throughout the organisation, expressed in terms of quantity and quality. In the measuring of management and organisational culture, the issue is not only the value of management or culture, but also their application and the appreciation within the organisation. This is the most objective and effective method of rating intangible values.

To support our method of operating, we will elucidate one sub-heading under knowledge and information management, in which we base ourselves on four of the pillars of modern management:

1. Knowledge → knowledge: the ease and spot-on certainty with which I can call on people regarding knowledge and experience, and the frequency, tenor and efficiency of our meetings.
   
   
2. Information → knowledge: the manner in which basic information necessary for core processes is being supplied, the manner in which knowledge, information and external sources reach the workplace, how these are distinguishable and connected, and to which degree these are used.
   
   
3. Knowledge → information: the disciplined and regular central saving or making available via collaborative workspace, of work documents, insights, lessons learned and project reports etc., the ease with which this can take place, as well as the degree to which it does take place.
   
   
4. Information → information: searching for information, the techniques used to that end should be consistent, addressing the right sources, the sources should be compatible, the taxonomies or knowledge-trees that are employed by the organisation should be stable, of high quality but most importantly, equal in build-up, word-choice, and relationships.
   
   

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Knowledge → Knowledge

The way in which we work together, have meetings and deliberate these days, is faster and more effective than was ever possible in the past. Length, motive and results differ significantly per organisation, and even per sub-division of an organisation. In a transparent organisation meetings will take place more often and be shorter. Organisations with a Knowledge Chart that functions well have one- on -one meetings more often, with more chance of an appeal for specific knowledge from constantly differing angles. This creates more opportunity for re-using experience. Innovative power is reinforced and newcomers settle in faster, and more independently. In international organisations, more transparency causes cultural differences to emerge more strongly. The measurement tells explicitly to which degree these occur and to which degree tolerance, or competition and suspicion play a role. Organisations that have paid attention to the development of transparency and the creation of synergy in a constructive culture of co-operation profit greatly by this.

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Information → Knowledge

The way in which professional knowledge workers are informed and drawn into multiple issues and elements of knowledge can gain momentum, be accelerated. Access to the right knowledge and information is crucial to performance. The quality areas that we are looking at are new and challenging. How topical is the information with which they work, how complete and how reliable? Are the information streams relevant? Information flow is complex and must be well balanced. The conditions for the effective use of basic information, recorded knowledge and external sources are different and require separate approaches by management. Who carries or co-ordinates responsibility? Which information streams have which impact, and which changes bring about what kind of pros and cons? Have the best practices been made available? The navigation structure determines more than the finding of the right document quickly. It is characteristic of the effectiveness of working. The navigation structure must be consistent in its build-up and exploitation by the whole organisation. Newcomers should receive a good introduction on how to come by information and knowledge tools, so that they too can connect directly to the knowledge and information streams and shorten their settling-in time.

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Knowledge → Information

The issue here is new ways of working and adding values that have especially been developed in a culture of responsibility and self-discipline. Knowledge workers are expected to regularly relinquish documents and organise debriefings at the end of projects in which the important lessons learned and insights are recorded for later use. In the measuring we look at the usage and integration of techniques like communal project or memory space, WorkFlow Management, electronic discussion groups, Tele working, tele-learning etc.

The use of Intranets in organisation show a varying inter-activity, whereby it is of primary importance that the input of information be made simple, but managed well. The organisation-meter checks if there are enough introduction and training opportunities provided. Expectations as to the impact on performance are explicitly stated. It is important to perceive how one has been measuring throughout the year, managing and encouraging when it comes to the recording and saving of intellectual capital.

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Information → Information

It is important to gain insight into the compatibility of and variety of combinations for the different information and knowledge sources.

We research the application and use of search technology and the range from every relevant location to every relevant source. We research to which degree the information structure is based on taxonomy and the consistency with which this taxonomy is applied over the whole breadth of the organisation. We look at the degree to which there is an overview over the whole arsenal of sources an information. Finally, we place the tools and techniques based on ICT on a dynamic integration diagram.

A dynamic integration diagram ranges between the extremes of stand-alone data, and applied knowledge. Certain tools and techniques have the power to play an important part in many fields. With a few simple modules Intranet can in this way not only spread information but also integrate data into the core processes of the organisation, or make lessons learned and insights gained available on that level. What makes a difference is the development of the dynamics and the maturity of management that has recognised the importance of those dynamics and has the skills to apply them in practice on that level. Informationland charts the differences between potential and attained dynamics.

As an example, we have an average size municipality with a stable but complex organisational structure. The chart presented after the measuring offered many insights and space for the making of a pragmatic, tailored plan for dealing with things. One can easily identify the best practice areas or problem areas. One can explain choices and visualise progress.

As an example, we have the chart for an international organisation. The cross-cultural differences have been visualised and with this knowledge you could address problems or monitor the impact of the solutions better.

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