An Overview of the Process

There are many process-related disciplines in the business world. Movements like reengineering and CRM have had their share of material explaining the steps to follow to make such a program successful. This chapter presents an overview of the steps required to start and sustain enterprise information management (EIM). The level of detail presented here is for the executive and is not a field guide or manual. It sets expectations and establishes the role of the business executive in ensuring the success of EIM. The format taken in this discussion is to review each major step and its activities, and describe what the business leader will see if the activities are going well. It also covers how to adjust the step if it is not going well, and how the business can leverage the output from each step. The EIM program is accomplished through a set of activities that use techniques and methods to produce auditable, incremental steps, and components to manage information assets. The activities specified are not just executed one time. They represent ongoing processes required to adjust and sustain EIM. During these activities, the philosophy of information asset management is manifested through business alignment to a vision and subsequent architecture elements. Business processes are refined and the protocol for managing information is specified. Finally, a detailed road map that expresses business needs in the form of projects is delivered and the activities to sustain EIM are specified.