Extract
Information being one of the most valuable assets for companies and organizations, the need to store it in an orderly manner, protect it against threats and guarantee its integrity are critical aspects that must be considered to improve the daily operation and long-term sustainability of the companies and organizations by enabling informed decision-making that improves productivity and keeps the organization competitive in an increasingly data-driven business environment.
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Implementing an Information Infrastructure to Boost Business Efficiency
In today's digital age, efficient information management has become crucial for business success. This management makes use of an information infrastructure that unites systems and technologies to feed databases where data can be stored, organized and retrieved efficiently for all types of analyses and studies that allow organizational performance management and data-driven proactive risk management to have a clearer vision of the current reality of the business and its future.
In this context, companies store their information on physical media (hard drives, SSD solid state drives, USB memory cards, magnetic tapes, etc.) and digital (cloud services and local NAS network servers); and they use networks (local LAN, wide area WAN, as well as Ethernet, Wi-Fi, fiber optic, etc.) to carry out data transfer between its different management systems and business applications.
To ensure that the information can be used correctly and appropriately, there must be secure, scalable and interoperable data transfer. This involves implementing measures to:
Store data in an orderly, structured and supported manner in order to guarantee its performance, accessibility and availability at all times.
Protect data against unauthorized access and unwanted loss or modification that put at risk the privacy of an organization's sensitive information and the competitive advantage of a business.
Track the provenance and modification or manipulation of data with controls that allow monitoring the integrity, consistency and coherence of the movements in the information.
Data Storage: Order in Digital Chaos
Companies should consider implementing efficient storage strategies, such as proper allocation of storage resources, implementation of data compression techniques, and creation of regular backups (at least once a year) to mitigate the risk of data loss.
In this context, Information classification systems (ICS) play a fundamental role in facilitating the search and retrieval of data in an agile manner, providing companies with the necessary tools to efficiently manage and locate documents, formats, files and records using classification methods:
Hierarchical, where a tree structure is used.
Tag-Based, where they are assigned tags or keywords.
By Metadata, where metadata (data that describes other data) is associated.
If we imagine a company as a vast ocean of data, the lack of adequate storage causes chaos and difficulty in navigating. ICSs act as digital compasses, organizing information into logical categories and allowing collaborators to quickly find what they need. to meet your customers' needs quickly and accurately.
If vital information is scattered or difficult to locate, it will provoke in the collaborators frustration and feeling of urgency, in the system a repetitiveness of data, and as a result, slower and less effective customer service. The benefits of implementing these systems are several, among them:
Agility in Customer Service: An efficient classification system results in an Immediate response to customer queries and needs. A prominent example is Amazon's approach, which organizes extensive sets of product data, significantly improving search and providing a faster, more personalized shopping experience. According to a Forrester Research study, companies that implement this approach have achieved a 20% increase in the speed of responding to customer queries, generating greater satisfaction and long-term loyalty.
Error Reduction: The correct organization and updating of information minimizes human errors and builds confidence in data accuracy. Financial companies such as JPMorgan Chase have implemented these systems to reduce errors in reporting and transactions, achieving a 15% decrease in operational errors. This not only improves data integrity, but also strengthens customer trust and financial reputation.
Normative compliance: Ensure a controlled and secure access to information It is essential to comply with regulations. In healthcare, Vanderbilt University Medical Center has implemented classification systems to manage patient data under strict privacy regulations. This initiative has resulted in 100% compliance with regulatory standards, guaranteeing the protection of sensitive data.
Resource Optimization: Efficient data search reduces time spent on administrative tasks, allowing a focus on strategic activities. Tesla, for example, has used classification systems to organize manufacturing data and optimize the supply chain. This efficiency translates into a 25% reduction in operating costs, freeing up resources for strategic initiatives and improving competitiveness in the market.
Open the door to innovation: Efficient data organization not only improves current operations, but also opens the door to the integration of innovative technologies and Digital Transformation. This includes artificial intelligence, predictive analytics and cloud-based solutions, which require large sources of structured data to function properly. This approach is not only strategic in the present, but also positions companies to take advantage of emerging technology trends.
When ensuring access to information, it is essential to address issues in data processing, transfer and maintenance. The reality is that one of the most common problems IT faces is that the network is "slower than usual." The immediate reaction is usually to expand the bandwidth to give the network more capacity.
This solution may be appropriate in some cases, but it may also be wrong in many cases, since network slowness is influenced by several factors, including:
Spread of Unwanted Traffic coming from old systems or applications.
Poorly Configured Systems that can affect performance.
Inefficient Applications that send large volumes of data onto the network at inopportune times.
Without proper analysis, increasing capacity can be a costly and wrong decision. It must be tested first to include batch processing systems, real-time processing, data analysis, artificial intelligence and machine learning, among others methods for processing data efficiently to obtain useful information.
Data Protection: Information Security
Companies should implement security measures, such as data encryption, user authentication, network segmentation, and user activity monitoring, to protect your data against internal and external threats.
Data security is not just a complement, but an essential element to ensure fast and efficient access to information.The effectiveness of a classification system depends intrinsically on the security measures that are implemented; adjusting to the specific importance and sensitivity of the data.
In this context, the international standard ISO/IEC 27001 emerges as a fundamental guide for establishing, implementing, maintaining and continually improving information security through an Information Security Management System (ISMS). This standard provides a robust framework that allows organizations to adapt their security practices to their specific needs and the constantly evolving threat landscape.
Within the ISMS, information levels can be defined that reflect the diversity in the importance and sensitivity of the data. Concrete examples of these levels include:
Public: Information without sensitive data, shared openly with the general public, such as advertisements and marketing advertising.
Internal: Data used internally and not intended to be shared externally, such as operating procedures, institutional correspondence, and internal planning documentation.
Restricted: Sensitive information that requires careful handling and access restricted to authorized personnel, such as customer data, financial information, and individual correspondence.
Confidential: Highly sensitive data accessible only by specific individuals with special authorization, such as information that is part of the intellectual property and competitive advantage of the business.
These classification levels not only provide a framework for determining necessary security measures, but also establish clear protocols for the management and protection of information. The combination of a well-defined classification system and the application of best security practices according to the ISO/IEC 27001 guidelines contributes significantly to the creation of a reliable environment for data management in any organization, an essential requirement to avoid power games, especially in the context of family businesses.
In the field of cybersecurity, Effective cyber risk and threat management is crucial. Some key examples include phishing attacks to obtain information, the presence of malware that can damage systems, the risk of ransomware that locks files, DDoS attacks that disrupt services, social engineering to obtain sensitive data, exploitable software vulnerabilities, and data leaks that compromise privacy.
To do this, they must implement countermeasures such as firewalls, intrusion detection systems (IDS), data encryption, access control policies and identity control, among other physical security measures to protect information against unauthorized access and data loss.
Cybersecurity involves constant assessment, implementation of preventive and corrective measures, and continuous adaptation to address the evolving tactics of malicious actors in cyberspace and in our own work teams. This proactive approach is essential to strengthen the resilience of organizations in the face of growing digital threats.
Data Traceability: Reliability and Transparency
Companies can implement change control mechanisms, such as audit trails and digital signatures, to ensure data remains intact and reliable for use in analysis and decision making.
Data traceability goes beyond simply tracking information throughout its lifecycle; it represents an essential catalyst for transparency and continuous improvement in business processes regarding the use and security of data. This capability not only provides the structure necessary to quickly organize and access information and provide clarity to processes, but also offers a historical perspective to analyze and understand the business evolution, thus nurturing decision making and creating an organization with high performance.
The synergy between traceability and classification drives organizations towards business excellence, providing them with the necessary tools to successfully navigate an ever-evolving business world.
Conclusions: Classification, Security and Traceability, Pillars of Modern Digital Management
In summary, in the digital era, where information is an invaluable asset, efficient management, secure storage and data classification emerge as fundamental pillars for business success.
The implementation of ICSs not only organizes digital chaos, but also enhances agility in customer service, reduces errors, complies with regulations and optimizes resources, highlighting the importance of speed and precision in the customer's perception of value.
The Cybersecurity, supported by standards such as ISO/IEC 27001, becomes an essential shield to preserve the integrity of information at various classification levels, demonstrating that data organization and security are intrinsically interdependent.
The Traceability, by joining the ranking, not only follows the path of data, but also provides a historical perspective, strengthening decision making and cultivating a culture of continuous improvement.
Together, these practices form a comprehensive approach that moves organizations toward strengthening their capacity to Deliver exceptional customer service and achieve business excellence in a dynamic and challenging ever-changing environment. The investment in the development of these concepts is not only strategic, but also a declaration of commitment to efficiency, precision and customer satisfaction, thus anticipating a more resilient and successful business future.
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About Pablo Tellaeche (Author):
Owner and main consultant of TACs Consultores, Speaker and University Professor; seeks to bring a true and positive Lean Culture and Digital Transformation to every company with which he has the pleasure of collaborating.
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