This document discusses different classification schemes and how functional classification can be applied to organize business information and records. It notes that while humans naturally classify, establishing clear rules is important. Functional classification is recommended as it groups all information and documentation for a particular business function or activity together. An example folder structure is provided, such as Human Resources/Performance Management/Recruitment. The document emphasizes that training staff on the classification rules is essential, as they cannot be expected to intuitively understand the system without guidance.

1. Functional Classification
Business Classification
Schemes Why and How-to

2. Human beings classify, it
is how our brains work
taxonomies
folksonomies
ontologies
biological classification
Dewey decimal system

3. As long as we know the
rules of classification it is
easy to achieve
 But who makes the rules?
 And what rules work best for business?
 Let’s consider something simple first…

4. yellow
banana
food
fruit
nutrition
Which characteristic
should we use?

5. What’s
the rule?

6. alphabetical

7. but is it a “banana” or
“Musa acuminata”

8. What’s
the rule?

9. colour

10. but what happens when
it isn’t that simple?

11. What’s
the rule?

12. function

13. food
fruit
vegetables
dairy
meat
sugar

14. Functions can still be
ambiguous, but in business
they have many benefits
over…

15.  XYZ Company
 Corporate Services Directorate
 Director
 Operational Services Directorate
 AB Unit
 BC Unit
 #Services Manager
 Customer Support
 Mary’s stuff
 Help desk procedures
 Minute to Services Manager
 Operational Strategy Directorate
The dreaded
organisational structure

16. Organisational structure
issues
 Restructures or re-named position/section
 Work that crosses organisational groups
 Relies on staff to know who did the work

17. A functional structure
resolves these issues
 The functions of the business stay the same
 Everything for one activity is in one place
 Organisations can share and find content

18.  Function
 Activity
 Activity
 Sub-activity
 Sub-activity
 Grouping
 Grouping
 Document title
 Document title
For example:
 Human Resources
 Performance Management
 Recruitment
 Expressions of Interest
 External advertisements
 July 2010
 August 2010
 PN012345 – Business Analyst
 PN045342 – Admin Assistant
What does this look like?

19. The only problem with
functional classification
 Helping the organisation understand the
rules

20. But let’s go back a step to
the documents

21. Memo
To: Director,XYZ Company
From: Manager, Information & Records
Date: 12 September 2010
Subject: Proposal for RIM
Improvement Program
Background
Blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah
blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah
blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah
blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah
blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah
blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah
blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah
type addressee
author
date
subject
Like the banana, which
characteristics do we use?

22. Characteristics provide
content and context
 Some go in the folder structure for context
 The document title explains the content
 Together they inform the document

23. Our example
Memo
To: Director, XYZ Agency
From: Manager, Information and Records
Date: 12 September 2010
Subject: Proposal for RIM Improvement Program
 Information Management (function)
 Policy
 Projects (activity)
 RIM Improvement Program (sub-activity)
 Business Case
 Project Initiation (grouping)
 20100912_RIM Proposal to Director_v1_approved
 Proposed schedule for RIM program_DRAFT

24. Training is the answer
 A simple explanation of the structure
 Detailed examples specific to each area of
the business

25. We have to stop assuming
people will be able to work
out the classification rules
 Document that defines top two layers
 Read me file in top two layers of folders

26. And one last time…
Please train your staff, they aren’t psychic
and if they don’t know your rules they will
make up their own!