Museum Computer Conference Workshop on An Integrated Approach to Manage Museum Information. Montreal, 20 November 2013. #MCN2013

1. An Integrated Approach to Manage Museum
Information
Cristiano Bianchi / Adrian Cooper

2. Agenda
14:00 - 14:10
Introductions
14:10 - 14:30
Preamble
Session 1 - Analysis & principles
14:30 - 15:00
Museum information workflows (group exercise)
15:00 - 15:15
Patterns, commonalities, differences (discussion)
15:15 - 15:30
Software applications (discussion)
15:30 - 15:45
Principles of database design (talk)
Break
Session 2 - Design for integration
16:00 - 16:15
Part 1: Abstraction (talk)
16:15 - 17:00
Part 2: First steps (group exercise)
17:00 - 17:10
Part 3: Think big (discussion)
17:10 - 17:30
Workflow management (talk)

3. Who we are
combines software
development and digital design in a single
agency.

4. Who we are
‣
Qi Content Management Framework

5. Who we are

6. 14:10 - 14:30
Preamble

7. Who we are

8. Questions
1. Worldwide push for sharing data between
museums
2. Why not start by sharing information internally?
3. Can we seriously COPE?

9. Questions
1. Do multiple problems need multiple products?
2. Where is our data?Can we enable workflows
for collaboration and sharing across our
organisation?
3. Can we offer a high-level view of everything
across our organisation?How do we get more
out of our software?

10. Issues
What do we mean by (lack of) integrated
approach?

11. The issues
Vertical applications
‣One problem, one product
‣Data sharing as an afterthought
‣No clear data ownership
‣Lack of overview

12. Issues
▪ Products
▪ Reproductions
▪ Digital images
Integration
▪ Internet
▪ Intranet
▪ Micro sites
Museum
Museum
▪ Newsletter
▪ Blogs/Forums
▪ Crowdsourcing
▪ Statistics
▪ Personalisation

13. Issues
What is preventing a more integrated
approach?

14. The issues
1. Organisational
‣Departmental divisions
‣Purchasing patterns
‣Lack of shared information management strategy
‣Lack of clear sharing standards
‣Senior management

15. The issues
2. Cultural
‣Disinformation
‣Legacy patterns
‣Change management failures
‣Sponsorship

16. The issues
3. Technical
‣Software design
‣Legacy constraints
‣Lack of recognised standards for integration
‣Change management

17. The issues
4. Financial
‣Lack of funding to restructure
‣Funds for training and support
‣False economy of avoiding change

18. Issues
Why push for better integration?

19. Issues
Advantages are across the board
‣Data consistency
‣Easier information sharing
‣Support collaboration
‣Cost savings

20. Issues
Why is it a challenge?

21. Issues
It won’t happen overnight
‣People will resist change
‣Software failures
‣Legacy systems
‣Management culture
‣Ownership

22. Idea
The one idea to take home
Product
Process

23. The idea to take home
Product
Interface

24. The idea to take home
Process
Product
Interface
Logic
Data

25. Issues
14:30 - 15:00
Museum information workflows (group exercise)
5 mins intro
15 mins group work
10 mins present
1.What are the departments involved in the flow of
information?
2.What types of content are managed, exchanged and
published?
3.Who owns each type of content?
4.Apart from what they own, can you map which types of content
each department needs to access?

26. Issues
15:00 - 15:15
Patterns, commonalities, differences
(discussion)
1.What are the crossovers of information management?
2.What information is used by more than one department?
3.How is it currently handled and exchanged?
4.What are the bottlenecks?
5.What is unique? What is common?

27. Issues
15:15 - 15:30
Software products (discussion)
1.List products
2.Map products to type of content
3.Map products to departments (access)

28. Issues
15:30 - 15:45
Principles of database design (talk)
1.Relational data concepts
2.Non relational data models

29. Issues
15:45 - 16:00
Give us a break

30. Issues
16:00 - 17:30
Session 2 - Design for integration

31. Issues
16:00 - 16:10
Part 1: Abstraction (talk)
1.Data architecture (types of data)
2.Simple
3.Multiple
4.Relational (with context)
5.Logic infrastructure (access management)
6.Interface design (task driven)

32. Issues
16:10 - 17:00
10 mins intro
20 mins group work
20 mins present
Part 2: First steps (group exercise)
Exhibition project
Digitisation project

33. Issues
16:15 - 16:55
Part 2: Exhibition project
The Museum of Fine Scarves is putting on a major new
exhibition in six months time. The majority of objects are
from the collection but enhance by a number of key loan
items into the museum.

34. Issues
16:15 - 16:55
Part 2: Digitisation project
The Museum of Fine Socks has received a large donation
to create a digital learning resource.

35. Issues
17:00 - 17:10
Part 3: Think big (summary)
1.Database requirements
2.Access control
3.Interface requirements
4.Publishing and sharing

36. Issues
17:10 - 17:30
Processes and Workflows (interactive talk)
1.Concepts
2.Discussion
3.Examples

37. Questions
1. Do multiple problems need multiple products?
2. Where is our data?Can we enable workflows
for collaboration and sharing across our
organisation?
3. Can we offer a high-level view of everything
that goes on across our organisation?How do
we get more out of our software?
• ?

38. Issues
1. So far we have discussed only managing
data
2. Process-centric (vs. product-centric) offers
better visibility of data and data ownership
(what / when / by whom)
3. Managing business workflows is still driven
by informal methods outside any system

40. Issues
1. How do we introduce workflow
management into our set of processes?
2. Product-driven vs. Process-driven

41. Product-driven

42. Process-driven

43. Examples
Examples

44. Thank you.
Come and see us at booth B3 in the Exhibition Hall
http://www.keepthinking.it
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