Jacek Buko
Information management in the
postal companies
Ekonomiczne Problemy Usług nr 105, 447-453
2013
NR 763
EKONOMICZNE PROBLEMY USŁUG NR 105
2013
J A C E K B U K O
U niw ersytet Szczeciński
INFORMATION MANAGEMENT IN THE POSTAL COMPANIES
Introduction
M odem inform ation processing technology allow s m any postal com panies to function on tw o levels: the real and the virtual. B y com bining them into one strate gy, enterprises can com e to prevail over the com petition and establish technological dom inance w hich allow s them the follow ing to com m unicate quickly, to react quickly in em ergency situations and to provide h igher standards o f service.
W ith this technological edge, postal com panies can show their custom ers that they are a w ell-m anaged, responsible and forw ard-thinking enterprise capable o f satisfying their custo m ers’ needs in new and im proved ways.
Individuals w ant to be able to choose how they receive im portant inform ation. Less freedom o f choice causes annoyance. In addition, the changing attitude to the increasing share o f electronic com m unication in society show s that i t ’s im portant to offer various options to m eet the different needs o f recip ien ts1.
1. Essence of information management
Inform ation m anagem ent (IM ) is understood as the sum o f various actions aim ed tow ards discovering facts w ithin the context o f business functions and providing inform ation to users. The phrase “Inform ation R esource M anagem ent”
1 Survey o f Postal Letter Habits, Posten AB 2009 [Brevvanor - En rapport om svenska
folkets vanor och attityder till fysisk och elektronisk kommunikation], p. 7; quoted in: Evolution
o f the European Postal Market since 1997, Study for the European Commission, DG Internal
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w as first used in relation to A nglo-S axon literature2. IM requires the m anagem ent o f inform ation resources, such as getting, protecting, using, dissem inating and p ro m oting inform ation.
The m ain areas in IM are: - Inform ation strategy, - Inform ation preparation,
- Potential o f inform ation to m eet m anagem ent needs, - T echnical aspects o f inform ation systems.
IM strategies directly involve the m an ag ers’ w ork and related needs, and in crease responsiveness to inform ation dem ands. The IM strategy also gives a fo u n dation fo r the creation o f teleinform ation strategies, including com puter system s, the buying o f equipm ent and softw are, and the m odernization o f infrastructure. The need fo r strategic thinking about inform ation arises from the follow ing facts:
- Inform ation in the b u sin ess’ dom ain m ust be organized, - Inform ation sources can alw ays be allocated effectively,
- A n inform ation strategy m akes it easier to adapt to new situations, - Inform ation strategies help create and use inform ation3.
The creation o f an inform ation strategy helps process inform ation to develop a know ledge base and to use inform ation effectively in practice. A n inform ation strategy entails the creation o f an inform ation culture w hich m aintains a high stand ard o f resources and cultivates various abilities, including the ability to w ork to geth er in groups, the ability to com m unicate, the ability to use com puter resources, the ability to apply inform ation in decision-m aking processes, and, o f course, the ability to learn and integrate inform ation from disparate disciplines and dom ains.
The strategic benefits obtained from IM vary depending on how the in fo r m ation is going to be used. Such benefits m ay include the follow ing:
- D irect benefits, according to individual needs fo r additional inform ation, - Im m ediate or long-term benefits, as a result o f using resources,
- M aterial and im m aterial benefits, as a result o f having and using infor m ation,
- B enefits from issuing inform ation; e.g., public cam paigning and providing disinform ation to com petitors.
From an econom ic p oint o f view , in business it is necessary to optim ize costs and m axim ize inequality betw een profits and costs. In this context, a very im portant problem is the calculation o f IM costs before the utilization o f resources to research its im pact. The follow ing com ponents m ay be considered in such calculations:
- R esources collected in the inform ation system ,
2 Z.A.N. Smith, D.B. Mendley: Information Resource Management, South-Western Publ., Cincinnati, 1987, p. 68.
3 A. Bytniewski, K. Matouk: Rola informacji we -współczesnej organizacji, in: Informacja
- H um an resources involved in the inform ation system ,
- T echnological elem ents, including both softw are and hardw are.
B ecause inform ation is im m aterial, it is difficult to quantify its effects. The m ost com m on m ethod o f m easurem ent in the literature is ex post. In this m ethod, the effects o f using inform ation are m easured, or, if there are no effects, then analo gous results are evaluated.
To properly plan, execute, and utilize inform ation system s and processes, it is necessary to know the cost o f inform ation. The cost analysis w ith respect to infor m ation system s can be broken dow n as follow s:
- The cost o f generating, gathering, processing, spreading, disclosing, in ter preting and using inform ation,
- The cost o f m aintaining and updating system standards, - The cost o f m aintaining the system ’s technical infrastructure, - The cost o f m aintaining personnel,
- The cost o f m aintaining and conserving the system ’s inform ation re sources4.
IM uses m odern m ethods o f gathering and processing data, and developing com m unication system s. C om puter technology m akes operations quicker, thus sav ing tim e, and, com bined w ith inform ation resources, know ledge and experience, creates new value added. T echnology allow businesses to reduce the cost o f lost opportunities w hich could arise from the w aste o f resources. Im portantly, hidden costs m ay be reduced by m ore effectively accom plishing tasks and em ploying new com m unications m ethods.
The use o f new inform ation technologies is increasing the rate at w hich infor m ation is circulated w ithin and through business m anagem ent system s. It allows businesses to g et the inform ation they need to m ake im portant decisions, and also to analyze th at inform ation on different levels.
2. Information management systems
IM system s can support and be utilized by every level o f business m anagem ent. A m ong the types o f IM systems, often used also by postal com panies, there are:
- System s to inform executives, w hich guaranty the availability o f precise and current inform ation, so that successful plans can be m ade, controlled and executed,
- System s to support decision-m aking processes, based on com puter p ro gram s fo r inform ation and analysis in situations in w hich it is necessary to com bine experience w ith com puter sim ulations,
4 E. Skrzypek: Asymetria informacji ije j -wpływ napodejmowanie decyzji, in: Informacja -
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- E xpert system s, based on know n facts and feedback; the m ain b enefit o f such system s is th at they enable inferences w hen there is n o t enough data to solve a given problem ,
- D ocum ent m anagem ent system s, the basic function o f w hich is the elec tronic storage, archiving, and sharing o f docum ents,
- System s to support team w ork, w hich allow w ork to be organized fo r m any users interacting v ia a telecom puting netw ork; these system s are based on the supposition that com puter netw orks help increase effectiveness, thanks to cooperation and shared data resources,
- C orporation portals, w hich are the origin o f up-to-date inform ation and the platform fo r com m unication in the area o f business resources available through internet brow sers,
- System s fo r the autom ation o f business processes, w here sub-processes can be autom atically allocated, sent, updated, m anaged and m onitored,
- D ata w arehouse system s, w ith bases o f available data fo r long periods o f tim e and m ulti-dim ensional analytical configurations allow ing highly effi cient search capabilities,
- C om m unication support tools.
In postal business m anagem ent, inform ation system s cannot be treated only as origins o f inform ation and w ays o f using new technology to reach targets, b u t also as an area w hich requires active m anagem ent and cultivation in the follow ing ways:
- L ong-term planning w ith consideration o f the developm ent o f inform ation system s w ith strategic solutions, and short-term planning to sm oothly in corporate m odern m ethodologies and com m unication solutions,
- O rganizing, w hich provides a com bination o f m easurem ents and actions w ith various perform ance criteria, including efficiency, taken into consid eration,
- C onstantly and periodically checking coordination o f the inform ation sys tem ,
- A ctivating personnel to w ork according to organization targ ets5.
3. Security of information management
A s the role o f inform ation is grow ing in determ ining the position o f postal com panies in the m arket, the issue o f security fo r inform ation resources is becom ing m ore and m ore relevant. A s m entioned earlier, inform ation resources are stored in inform ation system s m ore often and m ade available to m ore people and in stitu
5 See more: D.K. Barreau: Context as a factor in personal information management systems, “Journal of the American Society for Information Science”, http://onlinelibraiy.wiley.com (4 JAN 1999).
tions, w hich is w hy d ata is exposed to m odifications and even loss. A high quantity o f data m akes postal com panies dependent on technology, com puter netw orks, and diffuse processes.
The im plem entation o f new com puter technology in data processing increases the possibility o f introducing defects into an inform ation system (including equip m ent as w ell as softw are). This is a danger fo r stored resources, and current protec tions m ay n o t be sufficient to secure new techniques fo r accessing data. The fo llo w ing potential effects m ust be considered:
- M aterial w aste - inform ation m ay be involuntarily m ade available to co m petitors,
- Costs o f liability,
- Chaos w ithin the organization,
- Incom patibility and contradictions w ithin data, as a consequence o f incon sistent functionality,
- P oor decisions.
A s postal com panies becom e increasingly dependent on h igher quantities and standards o f quality o f inform ation, so does the level o f required protection o f in form ation system s and gathering o f d ata increase. The m ost basic protection is con nected to the accom plishm ent o f the follow ing param eters:
- C onfidentiality o f inform ation - m aking inform ation available only fo r au thorized personnel,
- Integrity o f inform ation - protection from the m odification o r deform ation o f inform ation resources by unauthorized personnel.
The protection o f an inform ation system m ust incorporate all operations con nected w ith defining, reaching, and m aintaining the necessary protection p aram e ters. The level o f protection required depends on the character o f inform ation to be protected. W hile som e inform ation m ust be protected because o f enterprises specif ic needs, som e m ust be protected because o f legal dem ands.
The protection o f inform ation resources in an enterprise should be an ongoing and dynam ic process, requiring constant control and adaptability to changing envi ronm ental conditions. In service-based enterprises, inform ation protection is m u lti faceted, and involves the follow ing:
- The p oint and purpose o f the inform ation, - Personnel using the inform ation system s,
- System s w here inform ation is produced, processed and stored,
- E nvironm ent in w hich system s are w orking; fo r exam ple, the w orkplace, w iring system s, and pow er supplies.
T here are new dangers and challenges connected to technological d evelop m ent, and they require the constant m onitoring and updating o f inform ation p ro tec tion systems.
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Inform ation safety in teleinform ation system s has both national and interna tional rules and regulations. These regulations define n o t only concrete, technologi cal solutions, b u t also organizational requirem ents and appropriate w ays o f b eh av ing w ithin the enterprise.
In addition to these standards, there are m any recom m endations fo r how to protect telecom puting system s and docum ents connected w ith th eir safety w hich indirectly touch on problem s w ith inform ation safety m anagem ent.
Inform ation safety m anagem ent in the postal com panies includes the follow ing: - Precise targets, strategies, and safety policies fo r inform ation system s, - Identification and analysis o f risks to inform ation resources,
- Identification and analysis o f o ther risks, - D escription o f adequate protection m easures,
- M onitoring o f the im plem entation and exploitation o f safety precautions, - C reating aw areness training program s,
- D etecting and reacting to incidents in w hich safety is com prom ised.
To properly im plem ent a safety m anagem ent system in a business enterprise, precise IM procedures m ust be described and individual responsibilities m ust be clearly delineated. Service-based enterprises, such as postal com panies, w hich use teleinform ation techniques usually have a contingency plan in case o f em ergencies. F o r exam ple, in case there is a com plete o r partial loss o f inform ation system fu n c tionality, including the loss o f a back-up plan to recreate inform ation in unpredicta ble circum stances, then enterprises should have a ready recovery scenario.
Conclusions
In the current econom y, the m eaning o f inform ation as a generative factor is decisive fo r social and econom ic developm ent. A t present, public inform ation re sources, and n o t natural resources, are m ost im portant fo r the national econom y. The m arket positions o f m ost business enterprises are determ ined by th eir access and approach to inform ation, as w ell as th eir skill in using it.
To effectively m anage inform ation resources w ithin an organization, it is n e c essary to have a long-term policy to optim ize the gathering o f inform ation. Service- based enterprises should therefore know th eir inform ation needs very w ell. It should be noted w hat inform ation is accessible, and w hat is in short supply. Public re sources should not have m eta-inform ation, useless inform ation, or inform ation w hich is n o t rich in m eaning, because these m ake it difficult to use inform ation and increase the cost o f operations.
The im provem ent o f inform ation safety is in the interest o f all postal com pa nies and th eir custom ers. The fundam ental and necessary steps to im prove infor m ation safety in the serviced-based businesses should prim arily include the im prov
ing control and supervision to better locate and analyze the organ izatio n ’s w eak points.
Literature
1. Bytniewski A., M atouk K.: Rola informacji we 'współczesnej organizacji, w: Infor
macja - dobra lub zła nowina, Uniwersytet Szczeciński, 2004.
2. Evolution o f the European Postal M arket since 1997, Study for the European
Commission, DG Internal M arket and Services, The W IK-Consult and ITA Con sulting, August 2009.
3. Skrzypek E.: Asym etria informacji i je j wpływ na podejm owanie decyzji, w: Infor
macja - dobra lub zła nowina, Uniwersytet Szczeciński, 2004.
4. Smith Z.A.N., M endley D.B.: Information Resource M anagement, South-W estern Publ., Cincinnati, 1987.
5. Survey o f Postal Letter Habits, Posten AB 2009 [Brevvanor - E n rapport om
svenska folkets vanor och attityder till fysisk och elektronisk kommunikation]. 6. Barreau D.K.: Context as a fa cto r in personal information m anagem ent systems,
Journal o f the Am erican Society for Information Science, http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com
INFORMATION MANAGEMENT IN THE POSTAL COMPANIES
Summary
The improvement o f information management is in the interest o f postal com pa nies and is compatible w ith its custom ers’ needs and postal market regulators. Positive trends in the field o f safety improvement will definitely influence their reliability in public opinion. To effectively protect information resources w ithin an organization, it is necessary to have a long-term policy to optimize the gathering o f information. Postal companies should therefore knows their information needs very well. It should be noted what inform ation is accessible, and what is in short supply. Postal inform ation resources should not have meta-information, useless information, or information w hich is not rich in meaning, because these make it difficult to use inform ation and increase the cost of operations.
