Which Way from Here? - The Need for Information Architecture

I've often heard a client ask "Which way do we go from here?" at the end of a project. While I might have helped he/she get to this point by managing the project for them it's not really my role to answer the question. So many groups are undertaking their Information Management (IM) projects in isolation from other organizations or in isolation from other process owners in their own organization.

As a consultant I'm the first to put my hand up and say I'll help a client deliver a project. I have been in the business for so many years I often have the luxury of an outsiders overview of the IM work the client is undertaking. While individual client groups may be using technology in the right way to support their business, more often than not they haven't embarked on their IM path by consulting with others in their business unit or in other business units in their corporation or their Department .

I personally don't feel right taking on work from clients who haven't done an Information Architecture (IA) as there is a high probability that the work will be discarded with an IA is done. Also as a tax payer I feel that the right path to technology use is to architect a) your business process', b) the information needs to support those process' and finally c) the technology to support the architecture. This architecture needs to be done in consultation with your entire business or Department so that the whole is the goal that all of the individual projects seek to implement.

It hasn't been easy arriving at this view, consulting engagements put bread on the table, but in my view the long term approach using Information Architecture is the right way to sustainability, re-usability and longevity of systems. This is the best way to use scarce resources ($ and people) to further the business goals of the organization.

Cheers from the valley.