BSBINM601 Manage knowledge and

information Learner Guide

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BSBINM601 Manage knowledge and information

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Table of Contents

Table of Contents .............................................................................................................................. 2

Unit of Competency ............................................................................................................................. 6

Performance Criteria ............................................................................................................................ 7

Foundation Skills .................................................................................................................................. 9

Assessment Requirements ................................................................................................................. 11

Housekeeping Items .............................................................................................................................. 13

Objectives .............................................................................................................................................. 13

1. Obtain information relevant to business issues ............................................................................ 14

1.1 – Review staff and customer feedback and business performance data ........................................ 15

Reviewing data ................................................................................................................................... 15

Activity 1A .......................................................................................................................................... 17

1.2 – Identify, define and analyse business problems and issues ......................................................... 18

Identifying business issues ................................................................................................................. 18

Define and analyse business issues ................................................................................................... 19

Activity 1B .......................................................................................................................................... 20

1.3 – Identify information required to reach a decision on problems/issues ....................................... 21

Information requirements ................................................................................................................. 21

Activity 1C .......................................................................................................................................... 22

1.4 – Source and gather reliable information ........................................................................................ 23

Reliable information .......................................................................................................................... 23

Websites............................................................................................................................................. 23

People ................................................................................................................................................ 24

Books .................................................................................................................................................. 25

Activity 1D .......................................................................................................................................... 26

1.5 – Test information for reliability and validity and reject where contradictory or ambiguous ........ 27

Checking information ......................................................................................................................... 27

Fact checking and cross-referencing .................................................................................................. 27

Contradictory and ambiguous information ....................................................................................... 27

Activity 1E........................................................................................................................................... 28

1.6 – Utilise formal and informal networks to access corporate knowledge/memory not held in formal systems and review appropriately ......................................................................................................... 29

Networking for information ............................................................................................................... 29

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Access information............................................................................................................................. 30

Activity 1F ........................................................................................................................................... 31

2. Analyse information and knowledge ............................................................................................ 32

2.1 – Ensure objectives for analyses are clear, relevant and consistent with the decisions required .. 33

Objectives for analysis ....................................................................................................................... 33

Objective relevance ........................................................................................................................... 34

Activity 2A .......................................................................................................................................... 35

2.2 – Identify patterns and emerging trends correctly and interpret as to cause and effect ............... 36

Patterns and trends ........................................................................................................................... 36

Interpret cause and effect ................................................................................................................. 37

Activity 2B .......................................................................................................................................... 38

2.3 – Utilise statistical analyses and interpretation where appropriate ............................................... 39

Statistical analysis .............................................................................................................................. 39

Activity 2C .......................................................................................................................................... 40

2.4 – Undertake sensitivity analysis on any proposed options.............................................................. 41

Sensitivity analysis ............................................................................................................................. 41

Activity 2D .......................................................................................................................................... 43

2.5 – Ensure documentation reflects a logical approach to the evaluation of the evidence and conclusions drawn ................................................................................................................................. 44

Documentation .................................................................................................................................. 44

Activity 2E........................................................................................................................................... 45

2.6 – Adjust management information systems/decision support systems to meet information processing objectives ............................................................................................................................. 46

Adjusting systems .............................................................................................................................. 46

Activity 2F ........................................................................................................................................... 47

3. Take decisions on business issues identified ................................................................................. 48

3.1 – Ensure sufficient valid and reliable information/evidence is available to support a decision ..... 49

Checking evidence ............................................................................................................................. 49

Activity 3A .......................................................................................................................................... 50

3.2 – Utilise risk management plans to determine acceptable courses of action ................................. 51

Risk management plans ..................................................................................................................... 51

Activity 3B .......................................................................................................................................... 52

3.3 – Utilise appropriate quantitative methods to assist decision making ............................................ 53

Quantitative methods ........................................................................................................................ 53

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Activity 3C .......................................................................................................................................... 54

3.4 – Consult specialists and other relevant groups and individuals ..................................................... 55

Consulting others ............................................................................................................................... 55

Communication methods .................................................................................................................. 55

Activity 3D .......................................................................................................................................... 56

3.5 – Ensure decisions taken are within the delegation/accountability of the group/individual responsible ............................................................................................................................................. 57

Appropriate decision making ............................................................................................................. 57

Activity 3E........................................................................................................................................... 58

3.6 – Make decisions in accordance with organisational guidelines and procedures ........................... 59

3.7 – Ensure decisions taken are consistent with organisational objectives, values and standards ..... 59

Organisational guidelines and procedures ........................................................................................ 59

Activity 3F ........................................................................................................................................... 60

3.8 – Ensure decisions are taken in a timely manner ............................................................................ 61

Timeliness .......................................................................................................................................... 61

Activity 3G .......................................................................................................................................... 62

4. Disseminate information to the organisation ............................................................................... 63

4.1 – Ensure advice/information needs are documented and are specific to location, format and time line requirements ................................................................................................................................... 64

Communication needs ....................................................................................................................... 64

Activity 4A .......................................................................................................................................... 65

4.2 – Document information and update databases regularly .............................................................. 66

Maintain information ......................................................................................................................... 66

Activity 4B .......................................................................................................................................... 67

4.3 – Design and test systems to meet information requirements of decision makers ........................ 68

Different systems ............................................................................................................................... 68

Activity 4C .......................................................................................................................................... 69

4.4 – Ensure information is up-to-date, accurate, relevant and sufficient for the recipient ................ 70

Checking information ......................................................................................................................... 70

Activity 4D .......................................................................................................................................... 71

4.5 – Develop communication plans and disseminate information ...................................................... 72

Communication plans ........................................................................................................................ 72

Different recipients ............................................................................................................................ 73

Develop communication plans .......................................................................................................... 73

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Disseminate information ................................................................................................................... 73

Activity 4E........................................................................................................................................... 74

4.6 – Adhere to confidentiality/privacy policies in the transmission/release of information/advice ... 75

Confidentiality and privacy ................................................................................................................ 75

Activity 4F ........................................................................................................................................... 76

4.7 – Review and update communication plans regularly ..................................................................... 77

Review and update plans ................................................................................................................... 77

Activity 4G .......................................................................................................................................... 78

4.8 – Utilise technology which provides optimum efficiency and quality ............................................. 79

Communications technology ............................................................................................................. 79

Optimum efficiency and quality ......................................................................................................... 80

Activity 4H .......................................................................................................................................... 81

4.9 – Maintain corporate knowledge and ensure security .................................................................... 82

Corporate knowledge and security .................................................................................................... 82

Activity 4I ........................................................................................................................................... 84

Skills and Knowledge Activity ............................................................................................................. 85

Major Activity – An opportunity to revise the unit ................................................................................ 86

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Unit of Competency

Application

This unit describes the skills and knowledge required to develop and maintain information processing systems to support decision making; and to optimise the use of knowledge and learning throughout the organisation. It applies to individuals who are responsible for ensuring that critical knowledge and information are readily available to review the organisation’s performance and to ensure its effective functioning. It applies to a wide range of knowledge and information such as business performance data, customer feedback, statistical data and financial data. No licensing, legislative or certification requirements apply to this unit at the time of publication.

Unit Sector

Knowledge Management – Information Management

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Performance Criteria Element Elements describe the essential outcomes.

Performance Criteria Performance criteria describe the performance needed to demonstrate achievement of the element.

1. Obtain information

relevant to business issues

1.1 Review staff and customer feedback and business performance data

1.2 Identify, define and analyse business problems and issues 1.3 Identify information required to reach a decision on

problems/issues 1.4 Source and gather reliable information 1.5 Test information for reliability and validity and reject where

contradictory or ambiguous 1.6 Utilise formal and informal networks to access corporate

knowledge/memory not held in formal systems and review appropriately

2. Analyse information

and knowledge 2.1 Ensure objectives for analyses are clear, relevant and

consistent with the decisions required 2.2 Identify patterns and emerging trends correctly and

interpret as to cause and effect 2.3 Utilise statistical analyses and interpretation where

appropriate 2.4 Undertake sensitivity analysis on any proposed options 2.5 Ensure documentation reflects a logical approach to the

evaluation of the evidence and conclusions drawn 2.6 Adjust management information systems/decision support

systems to meet information processing objectives

3. Take decisions on business issues identified

3.1 Ensure sufficient valid and reliable information/evidence is available to support a decision

3.2 Utilise risk management plans to determine acceptable courses of action

3.3 Utilise appropriate quantitative methods to assist decision making

3.4 Consult specialists and other relevant groups and individuals 3.5 Ensure decisions taken are within the

delegation/accountability of the group/individual responsible

3.6 Make decisions in accordance with organisational guidelines and procedures

3.7 Ensure decisions taken are consistent with organisational objectives, values and standards

3.8 Ensure decisions are taken in a timely manner

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Element Elements describe the essential outcomes.

Performance Criteria Performance criteria describe the performance needed to demonstrate achievement of the element.

4. Disseminate

information to the organisation

4.1 Ensure advice/information needs are documented and are specific to location, format and time line requirements

4.2 Document information and update databases regularly 4.3 Design and test systems to meet information requirements

of decision makers 4.4 Ensure information is up-to-date, accurate, relevant and

sufficient for the recipient 4.5 Develop communication plans and disseminate information 4.6 Adhere to confidentiality/privacy policies in the

transmission/release of information/advice 4.7 Review and update communication plans regularly 4.8 Utilise technology which provides optimum efficiency and

quality 4.9 Maintain corporate knowledge and ensure security

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Foundation Skills This section describes language, literacy, numeracy and employment skills incorporated in the performance criteria that are required for competent performance. Skill Performance

Criteria

Description

Reading 1.1-1.6, 2.1-2.6, 3.1, 3.2, 3.3, 4.1-4.9

¾ Organises, evaluates and critiques ideas and information from a wide range of complex texts

¾ Draws on a broad range of strategies to build and maintain understanding throughout complex texts

Writing 1.2, 1.3, 1.4, 1.5, 1.6, 2.1, 2.2, 2.4, 2.5, 2.6, 3.3, 3.4, 4.1, 4.2, 4.3, 4.4, 4.5, 4.7, 4.9

¾ Generates complex written texts, demonstrating control over a broad range of writing styles and purpose

¾ Demonstrates sophisticated writing skills by selecting appropriate conventions and stylistic devices to express precise meaning

Oral Communication

1.6, 3.4, 4.5 ¾ Encourages discussions and applies appropriate listening and questioning techniques while consulting with specialists and other relevant personnel

¾ Presents complex information in formal situations using language, tone and pace appropriate for the audience and purpose

Numeracy 1.1, 1.2, 1.5, 2.2-2.4, 3.1, 3.3, 4.3

¾ Uses highly-developed numeracy skills to interpret complex statistical and researched information, performing calculations on data to render it usable and reportable

Navigate the world of work

2.6, 3.6, 3.7 ¾ Works autonomously making high level decisions to achieve and improve organisational goals

¾ Takes a lead role in the development of organisational goals, roles and responsibilities

¾ Develops and implements strategies that ensures organisational policies, procedures and regulatory requirements are being met

¾ Monitors and reviews the organisations policies, procedures and adherence to legislative requirements in order to implement and manage change

Interact with others

1.6, 3.4, 4.5, 4.6 ¾ Uses a variety of relevant communication tools and strategies to access and share information and to build and maintain effective working relationships

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Get the work done

1.1-1.5, 2.1, 2.2, 2.4-2.6, 3.1-3.3, 3.6-3.8, 4.1, 4.3-4.5, 4.7, 4.8, 4.9

¾ Plans and manages activities with implications for the whole organisation

¾ Gathers and analyses data and seeks feedback to improve plans and processes

¾ Makes high impact decisions, analysing input from a range of sources and, where appropriate, drawing on experience

¾ Explores new and innovative ideas through analysis and critical thinking

¾ Uses digital technologies to manage business operations and actively investigates new technologies for strategic and operational purposes

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Assessment Requirements Performance Evidence Evidence of the ability to: ¾ Source and analyse information for business decisions including:

o identifying business problems and issues and related knowledge and data requirements o confirming the clear and relevant objectives for analysis of information o applying statistical analysis, sensitivity analysis and other techniques to draw conclusions

relevant to decisions o ensuring sufficient valid and reliable information or evidence is available to support decisions o using formal and informal networks to source information not held in formal systems o identifying and accessing sources of reliable information o using technology as appropriate o consultation with stakeholders and specialists

¾ Contribute information and the outcomes of analysis to decision making ¾ Disseminate information to relevant groups and individuals including:

o documenting information and updating databases o meeting identified needs of recipients o adhering to legal and organisational requirements for privacy and security o developing and implementing communication plans

¾ Design, test and adjust information systems to meet needs and objectives including: o management information systems and decision support systems o use of technology for optimum efficiency and quality

o storage and retrieval of information Knowledge Evidence To complete the unit requirements safely and effectively, the individual must: ¾ Give examples of existing and emerging technologies and how they can be used in knowledge and

information management ¾ Explain statistical analysis and other quantitative methods commonly used in decision making

including several of: o correlation calculations o long-term trend analyses o probability assessment o regulation analyses o short to medium-term trend analyses o dynamic programming o linear programming o queuing theory o simulation o transportation methodology

¾ Outline the key features of management information systems and decision support systems ¾ Explain how to utilise risk management plans to determine acceptable courses of action

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Assessment Conditions Assessment must be conducted in a safe environment where evidence gathered demonstrates consistent performance of typical activities experienced in the knowledge management – information management field of work and include access to:

¾ Relevant legislation, regulations, standards and codes ¾ Relevant workplace documentation and resources ¾ Relevant technology and equipment ¾ Case studies and, where possible, real situations ¾ Interaction with others

Assessors must satisfy NVR/AQTF assessor requirements. Links Companion volumes available from the IBSA website: http://www.ibsa.org.au/companion_volumes - http://www.ibsa.org.au/companion_volumes

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Housekeeping Items Your trainer will inform you of the following:

¾ Where the toilets and fire exits are located, what the emergency procedures are and where the breakout and refreshment areas are.

¾ Any rules, for example asking that all mobile phones are set to silent and of any security issues they need to be aware of.

¾ What times the breaks will be held and what the smoking policy is.

¾ That this is an interactive course and you should ask questions.

¾ That to get the most out of this workshop, we must all work together, listen to each other, explore new ideas, and make mistakes. After all, that’s how we learn.

¾ Ground rules for participation:

o Smile

o Support and encourage other participants

o When someone is contributing everyone else is quiet

o Be patient with others who may not be grasping the ideas

o Be on time

o Focus discussion on the topic

o Speak to the trainer if you have any concerns

Objectives

¾ Know how to obtain information relevant to business issues

¾ Explain how to analyse information and knowledge

¾ Learn how to take decisions on business issues identified

¾ Show how to disseminate information to the organisation

¾ Gain the skills and knowledge required for this unit

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1. Obtain information relevant to business issues

1.1. Review staff and customer feedback and business performance data

1.2. Identify, define and analyse business problems and issues

1.3. Identify information required to reach a decision on problems/issues

1.4. Source and gather reliable information

1.5. Test information for reliability and validity and reject where contradictory or ambiguous

1.6. Utilise formal and informal networks to access corporate knowledge/memory not held in formal systems and review appropriately

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1.1– Review staff and customer feedback and business performance data

Reviewing data In order to understand and tackle business issues, you need to gather and analyse data so that you can identify the nature of the problem. When you have identified a problem, you can then take steps to discover the cause of the problem and to resolve the issue.

Information gathered and analysed can:

¾ Assist you with further understanding the nature, cause(s), root and extent of an identified problem

¾ Reveal that a previously unidentified problem exists.

For example, by reviewing customer feedback you can determine that customer satisfaction has dropped:

¾ Your business identifies that sales have dropped in the last quarter. Reviewing customer feedback reveals that customers began to shop elsewhere after the business increased its prices.

¾ Routine analysis of customer feedback reveals that a large proportion of the customer base is unhappy with the recent price change and has taken its custom elsewhere.

In this example, the first instance shows how information can be used to investigate a known business issue, whereas the second shows how the information can be used to identify an unknown business issue.

If this customer feedback were not available, then it would be much more difficult or impossible to investigate and resolve business issues.

Customer feedback

Customer feedback can be incredibly useful for resolving business issues and for continuous improvement processes.

Customer feedback can be gathered in a variety of ways and your organisation may operate several different methods of collecting data.

Customer feedback collection methods may include:

¾ Email survey

¾ Paper survey

¾ Telephone survey

¾ Online review

¾ Product review

¾ Complaints procedures

¾ Compliments procedures

¾ Customer comments

¾ Customer suggestions

¾ Targeted review.

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Customer feedback can concern specific products, services or issues, such as a survey that asks customers to rate customer services or delivery charges.

Customers may also take the initiative to contact you with feedback about a specific product, service or issue, such as to complain that their product is of poor quality or to praise the company on their fast delivery times.

The received feedback will be categorised so that you can use it to review specific issues if needed.

Staff feedback

Staff feedback works in much the same way; staff can be asked about specific issues or their experience in general and may also volunteer general or specific feedback. Staff feedback can be useful for gaining and insider’s insight into the operation of the company, their working conditions and how they perceive their role and the business in general.

Business performance data

Business performance data is generally collected automatically and may be automatically organised and stored.

This data may be:

¾ Sales records

¾ Volume sales

¾ Profitability

¾ Income and expenditure

¾ Resource use

¾ Staff wages and happiness levels.

This data can automatically identify and communicate business issues, such as a drop in sales or an increase in expenditure by highlighting values that are outside of expected or allowable ranges.

If an issue has been identified by the system or otherwise, you can use the business performance data to conduct further research into the causes and effects of the problem.

For example, if you know that income has dropped, you can analyse sales records to determine where the shortfall is occurring and can take appropriate action.

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Activity 1A

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1.2 – Identify, define and analyse business problems and issues

Identifying business issues Most business problems and issues can be detected through knowledge and information management.

Staff feedback

Staff feedback in any form can highlight issues on the shop floor and in working conditions. Staff can often view the business from their own perspective and from that as a customer and can usually suggest improvements and solutions due to their experience and understanding.

Staff are able to approach management and alert them to many different kinds of problems; it is important to allow the staff the chance to share this information so that problems can be dealt with.

Customer feedback

As explained in the previous section, when asked for feedback customers can be very explicit when sharing their views, whether they are good or bad and will tell you exactly what they liked and didn’t

like.

This feedback is very useful for identifying business problems.

For example, the customers can feedback to you:

¾ If there is a safety issue with a product or service:

This is often how companies realise that their latest batch of Lovely Teddy Bears have shards of glass in them or that the jars of Spicy Curry Sauce are all mouldy a year before their sell by dates.

¾ If a product or service is of poor quality:

Customers will complain and review poor quality products and services; this is helpful because it allows you to identify that there is a quality problem

¾ If products and services are too expensive:

Customers will stop using your business if prices are too high and will trigger a drop in sales.

¾ If your business has a negative image:

Customers can feedback to you on issues to do with the business’ image in general or specific feedback.

¾ If standards have dropped:

Customers are sensitive to changes in quality in products and services; if the customer service or other service is in decline then customers will notice it and express their dissatisfaction.

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Business performance data

The data generated and collected by your organisation will show you exactly how well the business is doing and will highlight any problems. As explained in the previous section, systems can be programmed to alert staff if figures fall below a given value; for example, if wages expenditure exceeds x amount per month, the system can draw attention to the fact that wages were overspent by $2,000 last month. You can use the performance data to locate where the extra money was spent and therefore investigate and tackle the problem.

Define and analyse business issues When business issues have been identified, they should then be defined and analysed; this will allow you to determine how serious the problem is, how soon it should be resolved and how it should be tackled.

For example, the information system highlights that staff wages are over budget. By defining the parameters of the problem you can determine that wages were $2,000 overspent. By analysing the overspend in relation to the budget, you realise that this is a significant overspend and should be investigated promptly. The business’ records should be analysed to identify where the money was spent

and if it was authorised.

It is possible in this instance that:

¾ The system has a glitch

¾ There has been an error

¾ Staff did authorised overtime

¾ Staff did unauthorised overtime

¾ A staff member is claiming more than they should

¾ Someone has been paid in error.

All of these instances are a cause for concern and should be dealt with in order recoup losses and avoid a reoccurrence of the problem.

Conversely, if you analyse the situation and determine that wages are only $20 overspent, then this probably does not warrant an investigation.

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Activity 1B

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1.3 – Identify information required to reach a decision on problems/issues

Information requirements When an issue has been identified, you will need to understand what information you need to access and analyse in order to reach a decision on the best course of action.

For example, using the scenario from the previous chapter about the wages overspend, you would need to identify which information to access in order to find out where the overspent occurred. In this instance, you would need to access the payroll database and see who had been paid and who had been overpaid, if applicable.

You need to be aware of the different information systems and knowledge bases your organisation uses so that you can know which information you need to access in different instances.

Other examples may be:

¾ Spoilt milk, duty management book

Complaints have been received about spoilt milk. The milk spoilage is due to incorrect storage. In this instance you would need to check the duty manager’s records or safety

records to examine what temperature the milk was delivered at, what temperature the milk was stored at and what temperature the milk was displayed at. These temperatures are recorded at the point of delivery or transportation and are also checked and recorded periodically throughout the day.

¾ Injured customer claiming compensation, injury log

A customer has filed a suit against the business claiming that they slipped on the floor and suffered head injuries. If anyone in the store suffers an injury it must be recorded in the injury log; the log contains the name, address and phone number of the individual, as well as information on the injury, a reference to the CCTV file and whether an ambulance was called.

¾ Missing order, order system

A customer contacts the office claiming that they have not received their order. The information about their order will be stored on the ordering system, which records what was ordered and when, when payment was received and cleared, when the item was dispatched and when the expected delivery date is/was. When an order is delivered, it has to be signed for; this completes the order on the system.

If you are unsure which information you need to access, speak with a colleague or a member of staff from a relevant department who will be able to advise you.

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Activity 1C

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1.4 – Source and gather reliable information

Reliable information When you are required to source and gather information you will need to ensure that you use reliable sources in order to gather trustworthy information.

Information that is not sourced carefully can be:

¾ Wrong:

o Deliberately

o Unintentionally

o As a result of a misinterpretation

o As a result of misinformation

¾ Out of date

¾ Poorly written

¾ Incomplete.

When you gather information from unverified or questionable sources, it can be flawed, as explained above; this is because it has not come from a credible source, has not been checked and approved and often does not provide evidence.

Reliable information from a credible source will be:

¾ Written by someone who is well informed

¾ Probably written by someone with a professional interest in the field

¾ Approved and reviewed

¾ Checked and updated regularly

¾ Backed up with evidence.

Websites Anyone can write information on a website. There is nothing to stop someone writing false or incorrect information online that readers can place their trust in. Websites such as Wikipedia can be written and edited by anyone and people can and do add incorrect information to these pages maliciously or by mistake.

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Domains

Websites with the following domains are generally written and managed by governmental, official and educational bodies and are considered reliable and trustworthy:

¾ .govis governmental

¾ .org is a not-for-profit organisational

¾ .edu is educational

¾ .mil is military

Website purpose

Another way to judge whether a website is reliable is to determine the point of the website:

¾ Websites that are written as a hobby may not be so reliable, as the person writing it may not be qualified, experienced or well-informed

¾ Websites that are written as a public service are likely to be written and managed by the credible bodies mentioned above, but you should be sure to check this

¾ Websites designed to sell products may or may not be reliable. They may or may not have the right specifications and descriptions and may be biased

¾ Websites that are written to provide information may or may not be credible; again, check who writes and manages the site.

Some information websites may include links to official pages; for example, a solicitor explaining employment law may include a link to the government’s pages on employment law. As a general rule, pages that link to official sources are more likely to be credible, as the official page would contradict any mistakes or misinterpretations and it is likely that the author used the official page as a reference when writing.

In all instances, it is better to check and cross-reference the information you read. Cross-referencing information will be covered in the next section, 1.5.

Dates

You should always check the date of writing or revision for the web pages. Pages that are years or even months old can be outdated. Pages that have not been revised recently may be old and neglected and may not reflect current information and legislation.

People People can be reliable sources of information.

When sourcing information from people:

¾ Ask someone you know is knowledgeable and experienced about the subject

¾ Ask someone in a position of authority as they are more likely to be knowledgeable

¾ Ask someone who is qualified in the subject.

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Depending upon the subject you may or may not need to cross-reference this information with a certified source, such as a government website.

For example, getting legal advice from a lawyer would be considered reliable and you wouldn’t need to

check up on it, but legal advice from a colleague would not be considered reliable. If you acted on misinformation, whether intended or unintended and were found to break the law you would be duly punished, as ignorance is not an excuse.

Books Similar to websites, reliable books should be:

¾ Written by someone qualified and experienced in the subject

¾ Approved and reviewed

¾ Published by a reputable publisher, preferably one who specialises in the subject

¾ Written or amended recently.

When using older or less reliable books you should always make sure that you cross-reference the facts to check that they are correct and are still relevant.

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Activity 1D

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1.5 – Test information for reliability and validity and reject where contradictory or ambiguous

Checking information When you have located some information to use for work purposes, you may need to check its reliability and validity.

As explained in the previous section, 1.4, information often needs to be cross-referenced to ensure that it is current and correct, especially in instances that involve important information, such as legal or medical information.

To test information for reliability and validity you can use two similar and connected methods:

¾ Fact checking

¾ Cross-referencing.

Fact checking and cross-referencing If you can access a source that you know is definitely correct and/or an authoritative one, you should use this source to verify your existing information.

Examples of this would be:

¾ Checking legal information with a qualified and experienced lawyer

¾ Checking medical information with a qualified and experienced doctor

¾ Checking item detailswith the manufacturer

¾ Checking nutrition information with a qualified and experienced nutritionist.

If you cannot access an absolutely reliable source of information you should cross-reference your information with the most trustworthy source you can access, such as an official and accredited website, as explained in the previous section.

It is good practice to cross-reference your information with two other different sources, as opposed to just one; this decreases the likelihood of the information being wrong.

Contradictory and ambiguous information If different non-official sources contradict each other, you cannot be sure which one is correct. In these instances, you should reject the information and seek a more reliable source to answer your query, such as an official and/or authoritative source.

When information seems ambiguous it should be rejected; a reliable source will explain the information clearly and concisely, while a rambling source that does not explain the information properly is probably not a well informed and reliable source.

Another downside of ambiguous information is that you cannot be sure of the facts unless you understand the information fully, which is usually impossible with an ambiguous source.

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Activity 1E

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1.6 – Utilise formal and informal networks to access corporate knowledge/memory not held in formal systems and review appropriately

Networking for information Many organisations have information that is not formally recorded, but can be accessed through communicating with other members of staff.

This information can vary in importance, as seen below.

Racial discrimination

Information about the Racial Discrimination Act 1975 may not be documented in the organisation’s

information systems and available for general access, but you could find out about this from a colleague in the personnel, human resources department and legal department.

The beans delivery

Your organisation may not have formal plans for its warehouse organisation, but may have an information arrangement that is used; you may not be able to review the planning system in organisational information systems, but any member of staff working in the department will tell you that beans are stored in the far-left corner near the door.

The dirty carpet

Your organisation may not have documentation that tells you how to clean spills from the pile carpet in the customer lounge, but any member of the cleaning and housekeeping teams could.

The poor window cleaner

Your organisation may not keep a record of every time the windows are cleaned and by whom, but a relevant manager or staff member will be able to tell you who tried to do them this morning and left them covered in streaks.

The broken finger

Your organisation’s first-aid documentation may not tell you how to handle a broken finger, but the first-aid team will be able to handle the situation and provide advice to you and the injured party.

The rival

Your organisation may not hold information on the rival company who opened up across the road who are taking business, but the staff will know about this.

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Access information How you access the information will vary according to the nature of the query and communication methods used in your workplace.

For example:

¾ You might ask the legal department about racial discrimination:

o Face to face

o Over the phone

o Over email

¾ You might ask the first aid personnel for help with a broken finger:

o Face to face

o Over the phone.

In the above instances, emailing the first aid staff about a staff member’s broken finger would not be

recommended, as this communication relies upon the relevant staff member accessing a computer system and reading an email, which may not occur for hours or days.

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Activity 1F

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2. Analyse information and knowledge

2.1. Ensure objectives for analyses are clear, relevant and consistent with the decisions required

2.2. Identify patterns and emerging trends correctly and interpret as to cause and effect

2.3. Utilise statistical analyses and interpretation where appropriate

2.4. Undertake sensitivity analysis on any proposed options

2.5. Ensure documentation reflects a logical approach to the evaluation of the evidence and conclusions drawn

2.6. Adjust management information systems/decision support systems to meet information processing objectives

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2.1 – Ensure objectives for analyses are clear, relevant and consistent with the decisions required

Objectives for analysis When you have gathered information to analyse you should ensure that you are aware of the objectives of your analysis; this keeps you on track and gives your work a purpose and direction and allows you to analyse the information for a specific reason.

When you need to make a decision, you need to know exactly what you’re looking for from your information – these are your objectives. When you have identified your objectives and met them, you should have enough understanding of the situation to make a decision regarding a course of action.

For example, we will look at the wages discrepancy from chapter 1.2.

¾ Issue:

o Wages were overspent last month.

¾ Information:

o Budgets

o Expenditure records

o Payroll

o Timesheets, etc.

¾ Objectives:

o Find out how much the wages budget was overspentby

o Determine whether this is a significant or insignificant overspend and categorise priority

o Find out where the overspend occurred

o Find out if it was authorised or not.

¾ Decision.

By setting objectives for your analysis you will gather all of the information you need to make an informed choice.

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In this instance:

¾ Find out how much the wages budget was overspent by:

o £2,000

¾ Determine whether this is a significant or insignificant overspend and categorise priority:

o Medium significant, should be investigated quite soon

¾ Find out where the overspend occurred:

o The overspend was overtime allocated to a team working on a very important project that needed to be finished

¾ Find out if it was authorised or not:

o Yes, it was allocated overtime.

¾ Decision:

o No further action to be taken.

Objective relevance The objectives must be relevant to the problem you are trying to solve; there is little point spending time and effort answering questions that do not contribute towards the decision you are trying to answer.

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Activity 2A

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2.2 – Identify patterns and emerging trends correctly and interpret as to cause and effect

Patterns and trends Patterns and trends can be evident in your organisation’s information systems and records and can be interpreted to determine causes and effects; this information can be used to solve problems, identify problems and implement continuous improvement processes.

The following examples will focus upon a pattern of sales dropping (effect) after a price increase (cause) and slowly recovering over time.

Solve problems

If you know that sales drop after a price increase, you can examine the data and the trends to figure out how far sales drop and you can use this information to plan for future changes.

By examining these trends, you may find out that the price increase actually results in a significant drop in profits, so it makes more financial sense to freeze the price and retain normal sales levels, thus solving the problem of the significant drop.

Identify problems

If you notice that sales have dropped, you can examine sales data to identify that the drop is an effect of a recent price increase.

Continuous improvement

By identifying that price increases result in a significant loss of sales, you can prevent this by moderating price increases and doing so only when absolutely necessary.

This would help because:

¾ It would help to retain a steady flow of sales

¾ Would maintain income for the business

¾ Would maintain customer satisfaction and loyalty.

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Interpret cause and effect You can analyse patterns and trends to identify both the cause and the effect; searching back to see what triggered the event in order to determine the cause. You can analyse the effect of the event by measuring the data and changes in the period after the cause or trigger.

Cause:

In the example above, by looking at the sales data you can identify a significant drop in sales. You can trace this back to the point where the price increase was implemented and make the connection to determine that the price increase triggered the drop in sales.

Effect:

The drop of sales in the data is the effect and you can determine this by identifying the drop as represented in the sales data.

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Activity 2B

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2.3 – Utilise statistical analyses and interpretation where appropriate

Statistical analysis Statistical analysis refers to a collection of methods that are used to process data for different purposes. You can use statistical analyses to interpret quantitative data and identify patterns, trends and also relationships and causes, as explained in the previous section.

Statistical analyses may include:

¾ Correlation calculations

¾ Long-term trend analyses

¾ Probability assessment

¾ Regulation analyses

¾ Short to medium-term trend analyses.

Different methods will be useful for different purposes and the one(s) you use will vary according to the nature of the data and the information you need to gather.

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Activity 2C

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2.4 –Undertake sensitivity analysis on any proposed options

Sensitivity analysis When you draft and propose solutions and courses of action in response to problems, issues or other situations, you should conduct a sensitivity analysis on your options in order to assess how likely they are to succeed and be implemented successfully.

A sensitivity analysis mainly includes asking a series of ‘what if’ scenarios to your available options. By asking ‘what if’ you can assess whether the plan would succeed if things didn’t go exactly to plan.

For example:

¾ What if we can’t get the resources?

¾ What if the staff can’t do it?

¾ What if it goes over budget?

¾ What if it’s not approved?

¾ What if sales don’t pick up?

¾ What if customers don’t like it?

If the plan falls at the first hurdle, you should:

¾ Take steps to alter and reinforce the plan

¾ Abandon it for one that can stand the problems.

Conducting a sensitivity analysis allows you to form contingency plans and to restructure your plans, instead of implementing a poor plan and encountering problems to try and overcome.

For example:

¾ Problem:

o Wages are starting to exceed the budget every month.

¾ Solution:

o Manage wages to ensure that they do not exceed the budget by cutting overtime and reducing hours if necessary.

¾ What if this upsets the staff?

o Morale will drop and people may leave or be unhappy in their work.

¾ What if this means that there are not enough hours to get everything done?

o Then production will fall behind and output requirements will not be met.

¾ What if output and morale suffer?

o Then the business will gain a negative reputation and may lose new and existing customers.

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This may not be a viable solution, as there is a lot to lose. It may be better to see whether the budget can be expanded to accommodate the required additional hours instead.

As you can see, a lot of problems can occur from the implementation of this solution. The plan could be adapted to reduce the level of cuts to be implemented, or a budget increase should be pursued.

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Activity 2D

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2.5 – Ensure documentation reflects a logical approach to the evaluation of the evidence and conclusions drawn

Documentation The documentation you produce that records your findings, actions and recommendations should show how you took a logical approach to evaluating evidence and forming conclusions. This will enable readers to follow your working process and understand how and why you reached the conclusions you reached; it will also allow you to justify your decisions.

The structure and content of your documentation will vary according to its purpose and your organisational requirements.

In any case, you should always ensure that:

¾ The documentation is structured sensibly in line with organisational requirements

¾ You refer to evidence to support your recommendations and actions

¾ You refer to evidence to show where you got your information

¾ You show the process you followed when reaching your conclusion

¾ You explain your conclusion.

Your documentation may be used by relevant departments or supervisors in order to implement a recommended solution. It may also need to be submitted for approval.

When producing documentation, you should always ensure that you are aware of your organisation’s

requirements and expectations, in order to ensure compliance.

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Activity 2E

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2.6 – Adjust management information systems/decision support systems to meet information processing objectives

Adjusting systems A management information system is a formal system for collecting, storing and synthesising information to be used in management decision making. This allows you to gather and review the required information for making a decision.

You may need to adjust information systems to meet your objectives; this generally involves adjusting the settings and results shown.

Displaying information

One way of adjusting the information system to meet processing objectives is filtering results. You can filter results to show you only the relevant information that you need for your decision.

Examples of this may be:

¾ Filtering down attendance records to see who was in the building during a designated period

¾ Filtering sales records to show a specific product’s results

¾ Filtering expenditure records to show only money spent on wages.

This means that you don’t have to manually sift through irrelevant information and identify the right

information yourself.

Processing information

You may need to adjust the system to process information into different formats.

Examples of different formats may be:

¾ Graphs

¾ Charts

¾ Comparisons

¾ Overviews and summaries

¾ Timelines

¾ Tables.

This allows you to see the information in an easy to read and interpret format and means that you don’t

have to convert it yourself.

An example of this would be the system creating a pie chart to show how much money was spent on wages in different departments.

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Activity 2F

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3. Take decisions on business issues identified

3.1. Ensure sufficient valid and reliable information/evidence is available to support a decision

3.2. Utilise risk management plans to determine acceptable courses of action

3.3. Utilise appropriate quantitative methods to assist decision making

3.4. Consult specialists and other relevant groups and individuals

3.5. Ensure decisions taken are within the delegation/accountability of the group/individual responsible

3.6. Make decisions in accordance with organisational guidelines and procedures

3.7. Ensure decisions taken are consistent with organisational objectives, values and standards

3.8. Ensure decisions are taken in a timely manner

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3.1 –Ensure sufficient valid and reliable information/evidence is available to support a decision

Checking evidence As explained previously in this unit, you need to ensure that you gather and analyse all the information that is relevant to the situation you are dealing with in order to make an informed decision; this information must also be explained and referenced in the documentation associated with the problem, your decision and its solution.

You must also remember to gather information and evidence from credible and reliable sources, as explained in section 1.4 of this Learner Guide.

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Activity 3A

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3.2 – Utilise risk management plans to determine acceptable courses of action

Risk management plans Risk management is the process of identifying potential negative events and the development of plans to mitigate or minimise the likelihood or consequences of the negative event if it occurs. This may involve avoiding instances associated with these risks and/or creating contingency plans that can be implemented if required.

You should determine acceptable courses of action in line with a risk management plan, in order to ensure that action can be taken if required. Any proposed courses of action should be examined in terms of risk management and contingency plans and modification implemented to minimise these risks; this is similar to the sensitivity analyses, as explained in section 2.4 of this Learner Guide.

Courses of action that are high risk should be:

¾ Modified, if possible

¾ Subject to contingency plans

¾ Avoided.

Courses of action that cannot have risk minimisation plans applied to them effectively should be either avoided altogether or implemented with extreme caution and monitoring.

When you have several equally viable options to choose from, you should examine each in terms or risk management; the one that has the lowest risk associated with it may be the most sensible one to implement, depending upon the circumstances.

Example:

Problem: the ingredients and production costs for one of our best selling items, scone four-packs, have risen recently and they have become marginally unprofitable.

The risk: upsetting customers.

Possible solutions:

1. Increase the price of the four pack:

This solution is likely to put customers off buying this popular product, as they will feel like they are getting less value for their money.

2. Remove a scone and sell three-packs for the same price:

This solution may also feel like the customer is not getting value for their money, as the same money now only buys three scones.

3. Continue selling four-packs at the same price, but make the scones slightly smaller:

The smaller scones do not obviously indicate that the customer is getting fewer scones for their money. Customers may be more likely to accept this change, instead of a price increase or loss of a scone.

Conclusion: reducing the size of the individual scones seems like the safest option as customers are less likely to outright object to this.

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Activity 3B

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3.3 – Utilise appropriate quantitative methods to assist decision making

Quantitative methods You should apply quantitative methods to your decision-making process; analysing figures, statistics and measurements can give you a clear indication of how effective different solutions may be.

Quantitative methods may be:

¾ Dynamic programming

¾ Linear programming

¾ Queuing theory

¾ Simulation

¾ Transportation methodology.

By defining the possible benefits and improvements different solutions can make, you can judge the different potentials of the plans.

Dynamic programming

Dynamic programming means breaking a problem down into smaller elements and components. Tackling a series of smaller, simpler problems can sometimes be more effective than attempting to tackle a single complex problem.

Linear programming

Linear programming is an optimising technique that focuses upon finding the best value or result possible from a given scenario. An example of this may be balancing cost and quality to meet a point whereby the best quality item can be produced for the best possible price.

Queuing theory

Queuing theory is used to make queuing systems more effective, which reduces customer waiting times and the dissatisfaction that is a result of waiting lengthy periods for service.

Simulation

Simulation is the process of replicating something in order to experience its potential, like a trial run. Issues can be identified and resolved before the implementation of the actual system and other improvements can be made.

You can use different quantitative methods to determine which is the best course of action for you and your company.

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Activity 3C

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3.4 – Consult specialists and other relevant groups and individuals

Consulting others Sometimes you may need the advice of others to make a decision, especially if the subject is an area you are unfamiliar with. You may be able to consult specialists and personnel who have knowledge about the issue being dealt with and the expertise to assist the decision making process.

As explained in section 1.4 of this Learner Guide, you can consult colleagues and specialists who are knowledgeable, experienced and authoritative in the relevant field.

If you need to contact a specialist outside of the organisation for advice or help, your organisation may already have an established contact for you to use.

Your organisation may have external contacts for people such as:

¾ Lawyers and legal advice

¾ IT and tech

¾ Mechanics

¾ Engineers

¾ Cleaning and hygiene

¾ Advertising and marketing

¾ Recruitment

¾ Etc.

Depending upon the nature of your business and your workplace, you may have access to personnel of the above fields, or any other relevant ones, within your workplace. Your knowledge of the personnel should allow you to identify who you can consult with; if you are unsure, ask.

Communication methods You may be able to use a variety of communication methods when consulting with colleagues and specialists, though your options may be limited by:

¾ Organisational policy

¾ Preference of the person you are trying to contact

¾ Practicality.

Where possible, it is good practice to have the information recorded in writing; this enables you to refer back to the information when required and to share it with others, while reducing the chance of mistakes, misinterpretation and miscommunication. You can record the information as or after you receive it or you may be able to get it in writing from the person you are communicating with.

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Activity 3D

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3.5 – Ensure decisions taken are within the delegation/accountability of the group/individual responsible

Appropriate decision making It is important that anyone making a decision is trained, authorised and eligible to do so; in order to make an informed decision for the best interests of the company, a decision maker needs to understand the problem, their solution and how this will affect the organisation. People or groups who are eligible to make decisions will be permitted to do so; people or groups who do not possess these qualities will not.

As well as managing others, you must also ensure that you work within the limits of your own role as well. You should be aware of the limitations of your role already; if you are ever unsure, you should speak with your superior or other relevant colleague. If a task seems out of your scope of knowledge and/or ability, you should also communicate this to the appropriate body.

When delegating tasks to others, you should also check their levels of authority and experience.

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Activity 3E

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3.6 – Make decisions in accordance with organisational guidelines and procedures

3.7 – Ensure decisions taken are consistent with organisational objectives, values and standards

Organisational guidelines and procedures Though you may be required to make decisions on solutions to business issues, you must always ensure that your decisions are made in line with organisational guidelines and policies. These stipulations prevent staff deliberately or inadvertently making decisions that may damage the business in some way.

The decisions that are made by staff on behalf of a company will vary widely in their significance; more insignificant decisions may be entrusted wholly to the staff, while other important decisions may have to be okayed by organisational authorities.

In order to protect the business and act as a buffer, your decisions may be pitched to business authorities, such as the director. The director will review the recommendation and decide whether it should go ahead. If the director is unhappy because the decision does not comply with organisational guidelines and procedures or for another reason, they can reject it and request a revision.

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Activity 3F

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3.8 – Ensure decisions are taken in a timely manner

Timeliness Decisions on business problems may or not be subject to a deadline; deadlines may be used as a matter of course or may be applied to more urgent issues that need resolving quickly.

When you are assigned a problem to deal with, you should be advised of either an enforced deadline or a required timeframe; in any case, you need to endeavour to adhere to these. Where problems occur, you should communicate immediately with the party awaiting the decision, so that other provisions can be made, if required.

Where no deadlines or timeframes are given, you should use your own judgement to determine the task’s priority, in terms of business

function and your other priorities.

Where others are involved in making decisions in whole or in part, you should also contribute to managing this, if appropriate.

Delays in making decisions can have adverse effects on the business, especially in areas of critical importance, though it is important that all decisions, no matter how important, are received complete in a timely manner.

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Activity 3G

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4. Disseminate information to the organisation

4.1. Ensure advice/information needs are documented and are specific to location, format and time line requirements

4.2. Document information and update databases regularly

4.3. Design and test systems to meet information requirements of decision makers

4.4. Ensure information is up-to-date, accurate, relevant and sufficient for the recipient

4.5. Develop communication plans and disseminate information

4.6. Adhere to confidentiality/privacy policies in the transmission/release of information/advice

4.7. Review and update communication plans regularly

4.8. Utilise technology which provides optimum efficiency and quality

4.9. Maintain corporate knowledge and ensure security

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4.1 – Ensure advice/information needs are documented and are specific to location, format and time line requirements

Communication needs Your organisation should have a system in place either formally or informally that records who needs to know what, in terms of organisational information. This system should record the location of the information to be disseminated, the format it should be communicated in and when it should be sent.

Information systems exist to ensure that personnel can access the information they need; by ensuring that there is a record of who needs what, the information can be distributed effectively.

For example, if the general staff need to be informed that the office will be closed on Friday for decorating, then you will need to ensure that they receive the required information in the appropriate format and in plenty of time; this may mean that the staff in this city’s office need to be informed by

email on Monday.

Ensuring that information needs are recorded enables you to take steps to ensure that information is disseminated as required, with a lower likelihood of errors occurring.

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Activity 4A

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4.2 – Document information and update databases regularly

Maintain information In order for an information management system to function effectively and fulfil its purposes, it will need to be updated and maintained regularly and as required; this generally involves adding new information to the system when it is generated and collected and updating databases.

Your organisation should have systems in place that record new information as it arises; this information should be documented and added to the information system promptly, to avoid it getting lost or forgotten about and to maintain the accuracy of the information system.

Databases need to be updated regularly to maintain their accuracy. Your organisation may have a system that updates the databases automatically with new information, such as new customer records, but others will require a person to input and update the information; this will also vary according to the nature of the information.

Ad hoc updating

The system can be updated on an ad hoc basis, as and when new information is gained. This minimises the duration of time that the system is lacking information and fosters a culture of automatically updating the systems as required.

Scheduled updating

The system can be updated on a schedule, such as updating the information on wages expenditure four-weekly and updating the sales records at the end of business every day.

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Activity 4B

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4.3 – Design and test systems to meet information requirements of decision makers

Different systems Different types of decision may require the use of different information systems. It is important that information systems are designed and tested with decision making in mind; if the systemscannot meet the basic needs of decision makers, then they should be re-evaluated and adjusted accordingly. Your organisation should use information systems that are compatible with the type of information your organisation collects and needs to access.

As explained in section 2.6 of this Learner Guide, you can adjust the system to facilitate information gathering and analysis; this generally involves filtering information down to show only the relevant data and/or formatting and presenting the information in a suitable and easy to read and interpret way.

The system should be tested periodically to ensure that it still meets the information requirements of decision makers. You could operate a system whereby feedback is gathered from users of the system so they can point out the good and bad points of the system, suggest improvements and state their information gathering needs.

Where possible, you should design and implement improvements or new systems to meet user needs where identified. Your organisation may have policies and procedures in place governing the creation or alteration of its information systems, so you need to be aware of these and work within any given stipulations.

For example, it has become apparent that the organisation would benefit from being able to gather and access information on how many people are visiting the organisation’s website. To gather this

information, you would need to design a system that records visitor hits to the sites. In order to meet the information needs of the system users, you could design the system to record when customers are visiting the site, so that patterns and trends can be identified. This will allow the staff to gauge site traffic, identify what causes peaks in usage and also to identify what proportion of customers go on to make a purchase.

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Activity 4C

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4.4 – Ensure information is up-to-date, accurate, relevant and sufficient for the recipient

Checking information Before disseminating information you should ensure that the information is up to date, accurate, relevant and sufficient for the recipient.

Check the source

The first point of action for ensuring this is to check that the information you are accessing when creating the communications is correct; if your research source is incorrect for any reason, this can mean that the information you contain within your communications is also wrong.

When you access the information, check the date it was updated. You may be aware of how often internal information sources should be updated and will therefore be able to identify if the information is not up to date. As explained in section 1.4 of this Learner Guide, you should examine the release and revision dates of information sources you use and check that any information that appears dated is checked for accuracy and relevance.

Section 1.4 of this Learner Guide also explained how you should cross-reference information and use reliable sources; if you use a reliable source, check for accuracy and ensure it is up to date, then the information you take from it to insert into your communications has the best chance of being correct, thus minimising the likelihood of errors occurring.

Check your work

When you have drafted your communications, whether it will take the form of an email, a letter, a speech or any other form, you should check you have your facts straight. This can be done by rereading your draft and checking facts, figures and statements.

Some organisations have an identified person or team who can be called upon to proofread communications and correct any problems.

Check requirements

You should be aware of the requirements of your work before you begin; if you know why you’re

writing the communication and who for, then you can tailor the work from the beginning, which prevents the work being irrelevant or unsuitable and having to be edited or rewritten.

Style

The style your communication is constructed in will vary not only because of its content and purpose, but also for the recipient. The style you use to address the higher management will be different to the way you address the shop floor staff, which again will vary to the way you address customers. It is possible to restyle information to suit different audiences, so you can reuse information for different recipients.

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Activity 4D

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4.5 – Develop communication plans and disseminate information

Communication plans A communication plan is a structured program for the dissemination of information and the receipt of feedback information from individuals relevant to the process or activity.

A communication plan details who needs to know what and when, and why and how they need to know it; it should facilitate the receipt of feedback and responses from recipients.

Communication plans should include information on:

¾ Who:

o Who is the recipient?

o Who is the sender?

¾ What:

o What is to be communicated?

¾ Why:

o What is the point of the communication?

o What are you trying to achieve?

¾ When:

o When should the message be sent?

o When does it need to be sent by?

¾ How:

o How should the information be sent?

o What are the organisation’s policies?

o What are the recipient’s wants and needs?

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Different recipients Different organisations will have different target recipients for information dissemination; some examples are:

¾ Staff base

¾ Existing customers

¾ Potential customers

¾ Local community

¾ Job seekers.

Develop communication plans The above information combined with your organisation’s policies and procedures will form the basic structure of your communication plans. You will need to ensure that you understand what your organisation is trying to achieve, what it is expected to do and what it needs to do, in terms of communication, in order to create an effective communications plan.

Disseminate information The communications plan will facilitate the dissemination of information to the desired or required parties.

This information may be communicated in a variety of methods, such as:

¾ Television

¾ Radio

¾ Social media

¾ Website

¾ Email

¾ Letters

¾ Leaflets

¾ Other.

Some organisations, especially larger ones, may have departments or offices dedicated to managing and implementing the communication plans.

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Activity 4E

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4.6 – Adhere to confidentiality/privacy policies in the transmission/release of information/advice

Confidentiality and privacy Different organisations and types of business may be affected by confidentiality and privacy requirements; although the industry type of the organisation will affect which elements of confidentiality and privacy laws are applicable, all organisations that handle customer details will be bound by privacy laws to an extent.

Industries like health and education will be bound by much stricter privacy and confidentiality requirements than industries like catering and cleaning; this is because there is more personal and sensitive information to protect in these industries.

Each industry type can be affected differently by confidentiality and privacy policies, including their communications and transmission of information.

The law establishes expectations and requirements that organisations must abide by when transmitting information, including:

¾ Encryption of information

¾ Secure communication methods

¾ Protected receipt

¾ Identification verification

¾ Password protection.

As a manager of your organisation, you should already be aware of how privacy and confidentiality laws affect your business operations; if you are ever in doubt or unsure, check the facts with a reliable source, such as your legal department.

Where privacy and confidentiality requirements are in place, you must always ensure that they are adhered to; this applies to yourself and any other staff.

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Activity 4F

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4.7 – Review and update communication plans regularly

Review and update plans Communication plans need to be reviewed and updated regularly in order to ensure that they are up to date and correct. Every time a change occurs in the communications policy it should be recorded in the communications plan as soon as possible, to prevent errors.

Communication plans may be reviewed as a matter of course or in response to a trigger, such as:

¾ Positive or negative feedback

¾ Problems that have arisen

¾ System update

¾ New reason for communication

¾ New contact group

¾ New communication method.

For example, if your organisation decided to start emailing its customer base weekly with information about items that are going to be on special that week, this would be a major update to the communications plan.

Minor changes also need to be updated in the communications plan, such as alterations to titles and greetings.

It is good practice to schedule a regular reviews and updates; this allows you the chance to detect issues before they cause problems and allows you to keep on top of maintenance requirements.

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Activity 4G

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4.8 – Utilise technology which provides optimum efficiency and quality

Communications technology There is a wide variety of communication technology available to meet the varying communication needs of a modern business.

Organisations may need to communicate with both internal and external parties for various reasons; the different reasons for communication may require different communication methods in order to make the communication more effective and accessible.

Different communication methods will require different types of technology. Technology may include:

¾ Audio-visual media

¾ Internet

¾ Intranet

¾ Print media

¾ Radio

¾ Telephone

¾ Television.

In terms of optimum efficiency, you need to match your message with an appropriate format. When you have identified an effective format, you will have to match this with the best type of technology.

For example, if worked for baby product supply company and you wanted to communicate to your customer base that you were having a sale and wanted to include a discount voucher, it would be more effective to email this information to your registered customer base than it would be to take out a small ad in a national newspaper.

This is more effective because:

¾ It would be cheaper

¾ You could provide links to your site and featured products, which would be convenient for parents of young children

¾ You could include more details, pictures and information

¾ The recipients are all people with an interest in the business and buying baby supplies, as they have registered their email address.

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Efficiency

This would be more efficient because it would go direct to the customer’s inbox, would contain links to products, could display specifications and details, would allow the user to buy online and could be accessed at any time of the day or night.

Quality

The quality would be higher in an email than it would be on a small newspaper advert; the increased space would allow you to include pictures and details for the items on special, as well as information about the promotion.

Optimum efficiency and quality When determining media for efficiency and quality, think about the end product; the result the customer will see. Think about the information and communication channels the target audience are likely to use.

You also need to consider the content of your message; different information needs may be more suited to different formats.

For example, text-heavy communications would be more efficient and of a higher quality on formats such as email, website and social media, than they would be on an audio-visual format, such as the television.

In order to maximise the efficiency and quality of your communications you need to be familiar with the information you are communicating and the intended recipient; this allows you to match the content and format to meet the needs of the recipient.

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Activity 4H

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4.9 – Maintain corporate knowledge and ensure security

Corporate knowledge and security Corporate knowledge is the knowledge held by the employees and other stakeholders in an organisation; corporate knowledge is gained by the stakeholders through their experiences with the organisation and may not be formally recorded in the information systems.

Corporate knowledge can be:

¾ Copyright

The copyright of company property, such as logos, images and text

¾ Intellectual property

Such as where an employee or stakeholder produces intellectual property on behalf of the organisation and the organisation owns the material

¾ Technology

Such as where employees or stakeholders have created software, programs, or similar, that the company relies on to operate.

The problem with corporate knowledge is that it leaves with the individual or team. A key manager who has worked with the organisation for thirty years may have a wealth of knowledge about running their department or the business as a whole; if they leave for whatever reason, this knowledge is lost.

Corporate knowledge usually relates to the operation of the business and may include topics such as:

¾ Staff rota, preferences and requirements

¾ Operating policies and procedures

¾ Problem solving and trouble shooting

¾ Business contacts and agreements.

Where possible, this corporate knowledge should be recorded and maintained. Information is often not recorded because it seems like there is no need to; the personnel manager may be well aware of the fact that Debbie and Tyler are divorced and should never be placed in a team together, but they may not ever record this officially. If this personnel manager leaves and Debbie and Tyler are paired up, this can cause distress and anxiety between the parties, as well as disappointment.

Other elements of corporate knowledge may be more significant in terms of running the business; for example, the chef in a restaurant may produce several off-the-menu dishes that are very popular with regular customers and attract new customers who want to test the rumour. If this chef leaves, he takes his recipes with him; this could have a negative impact on the business, because the regular customers may have no reason to return and others will not hear the rumour and decide to visit.

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Corporate knowledge should be recorded wherever possible; once this information is recorded it may require security protection, such as copyright or encryption. Security prevents staff or others from accessing, stealing and misusing corporate knowledge and property.

Intellectual property

For example, if a stakeholder is commissioned to design a logo for the company, they should be required to sign over the intellectual property to the business and the business should trademark it. Signing over the intellectual property to the business means that the business owns the design and the creator cannot take it back. Trademarking the logo means that others cannot copy, steal or use it.

Copyright

If an employee or stakeholder creates images, text or sounds for the organisation, the organisation will need to gain copyright of this material. For example, if a writer is commissioned to write material for a training guide, the organisation will have to copyright the material within to prevent others stealing, copying and reselling the material.

Technology

Technology that is created for the company should also be protected through the use of copyright and the assertion of intellectual property. If an employee or stakeholder has created software, programs, styles, etc. for the business or during their work, the business should take steps to ensure that they own this technology, so that the employee or stakeholder cannot take it away.

You should ensure that there are systems in place to record and protect corporate knowledge before it is too late and you experience an issue.

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Activity 4I

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Skills and Knowledge Activity

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Nearly there...

Major Activity – An opportunity to revise the unit

At the end of your Learner Workbook, you will find an activity titled ‘Major Activity’. This is an

opportunity to revise the entire unit and allows your trainer to check your knowledge and understanding of what you have covered. It should take 1-2 hours to complete and your trainer will let you know whether they wish for you to complete it in your own time or during session time. Once this is completed, you will have finished this unit and be ready to move onto the next, well done!

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Congratulations!

You have now finished the unit ‘Manage knowledge and information’