This document discusses developing an Information Management as a Service (IMaaS) framework. It notes that information management has fundamentally changed with the rise of mobile devices and cloud computing. The document recommends taking an iterative approach to building an IMaaS using principles from Kanban, including visualizing workflows, limiting work in process, focusing on continuous flow, and driving continuous improvement. The goal is to design an information platform that meets long-term business needs by integrating storage and service strategies across on-premise and cloud-based systems.

1. IMaaS—Ensuring Information Can be
Harvested for Better Productivity
Christopher Wynder, Ph.D
Director of Client Services
ThinkDox, Inc.
@ChrisW_thinkdox
chrisw@thinkdox.com

2. Overview
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Developing a framework for
long term success
Managing IMaaS
Implementing a service
orientated Information
Management strategy

3. Burst
Lift
Mortar
Information management has fundamentally changed
Burn
Fuel
Com. P2P
Fire Control
Pre-BYOD Today
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4. Patterns of HOW work gets done have changed
Strictly Org. Chart Nodal
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Model adapted from Dion Hinchcliffe @dionhinchcliffe; IT models
Image from: http://gmdd.shgmo.org/Computational-
Biology/ANAP/ANAP_V1.1/help/anap-userguide/manual.html
• Information passed upwards.
• Access to information was strictly tied to
position in hierarchy.
• Ability to action on information tied to
hierarchy
• Information passed between nodes based on
relationships within organization.
• Ability to action on information tied to role
and project.

5. Documents consist of information
that is used for particular business
processes. There is no requirement
for documents to be maintained for
any period of time.
Records are a subclass of
documents that must be treated
differently. Specifically, they must be
maintained in a format that cannot be
changed for a specific length of time.
Technology has mixed separated tasks
Users do not have “silo’ed” work days where they
handle just records or handle just documents.
9am
DATE
?
5pm
The average user’s day
ERP/CRM
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6. The days of separate information sources is over
Organization-owned content stores
Departmental
controlled
content stores
Resource driven view of the
corporate information
Individual corporate
stores
Individual personal data
DATE
?
Service driven view of
corporate information
ERP/CRM
ERP/CRM

7. Integrating storage and service strategies
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Developing a framework for
long term success
Preparing for success
How to ensure that you meet the
actual needs of the organization

8. Refresh scheduleMix of content types
The Information Garden
Harvest schedule
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9. The soil is the key. Each plot needs to be
balanced for the crop
IT
Efficiency
Risk
Mitigation
Business
Efficiency
The Soil is the platform for
information movement.
Each “plot” (service) is designed to enable
personas based on information usage.
In a cloud environment users may want
different platforms for each “plot.”
The garden as a whole needs to accessible for
all users.

10. Supporting Nodal working patterns
An architect plans the design of information:
Brings structure to unstructured sources.
Provides easy access to information users already know about.
Requires existing user compliance and understanding of
information sources.
A gardener sets the parameters of access:
Single point of entry across multiple types of
information based on process.
Provides access to a wide variety of information.
Requires understanding of how work gets done.
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11. Matching resource access to working patterns
9am
DATE
?
5pm
The average user’s day
How many different
applications are they
using
How many times are they
breaking compliance
ERP/CRM
Generate-
How do users generate content-what are the filetypes,
what are the key applications
Record
Where is the information from that content being
recorded? Office documents, applications
Organize
What is the point of the content? Is the information
being shared? Is it for revenue generation? Does it
need to be moved to other people?
When
..is the information source used again. What do users
really need, what can you securely provide them.

12. This is a multi-project problem
Information risk
and value
Enterprise wide policies
Archiving
Disposition, growth control
Information
Organization
Build a taxonomy
Storage management
Enterprise wide storage control
through deletion
The key to controlling growth is translating management practices
into governance policies
Management Governance Long term ROI
PolicyTech

13. Taking advantage of infrastructure
advances
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What is shaping ECM and
information management in
general
Preparing for success
Implementing a service
orientated Information
Management strategy

14. What does your infrastructure look like?
IT and worker location Structure/Arrangement
Main ITS
Location 2
Location 1
Location 3
Separate
App/Inf/s
service
Balancing budget with innovation
As budget and capacity become
restrained, the need for consolidation
will be increased.
For most this has meant moving high
workload, low compliance applications
to the cloud.
Without a clear security and access plan
to partition services, “working” becomes
a series of security compromises

15. ThinkDox LLC.
You may not know it but you are already
part of the cloud

16. Cloud based infrastructure is a boon for IMaaS but it is
not an easy transition
Communicate
• IM or email
doesn’t matter.
• Automatically
control content.
• Comply with
regulations with
ease.
Edit anywhere
• Complete version
control.
• Keep documents
under control.
• Integrated mobile
device
management.
Communicate
Collaborate
Edit anywhere
Enable
What cloud vendors are marketing What your reality is
Collaborate
• Let teams choose
how they work.
• Complete
document
management.
Enable
• Build work-
focused social
networks.
• Find experts
easily.
• Let users own their
sites.
Providing a seamless experience requires implementation of at
least FIVE separate cloud applications plus the access and
identity management system.

17. DATE
ERM
SharePoint
Legacy
Exchange
ERP
Information will be in a mix of on-premise and cloud during the
transition period
On-Premise Software Cloud and SaaS
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18. Your security plan needs to change to
protect your information
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Web Access
Home
AD
Mobile Client
Client
Web Access
Home
AD
Mobile Client
Client

19. Strategic planning requires an understanding of how IT
resources map to business services
Business facing
IT measureable
IT resources
IT service
Capacity
Applications
Business activities
People
Infrastructure
A IT service should reflect the business
activities.
Business activities are rarely performed in a
single application or storage location
Financial Services
Resource planning
The applications and
storage points user need.
Expand the list to include
back-end systems. These
are the key capacity
resources
ERP, “S drive”, excel
ATL Data center, local SAN, web
service
Applications
Infrastructure
Example

20. Capacity management is the first step. Master the
performance analysis then plan appropriately.
Capacity planning are the actions taken on re-
occurring management concerns
Capacity management is a tactical activity
focused on the present. It is the foundational
procedure of defining KPIs that provide
insight into critical temporary events.
Capacity planning is a strategic activity
focused on the future. It is the process
forecasting based, on historical usage, peak
usage, and business inputs.
At its core, IM-as-a-Service is about measuring and
analyzing information supporting technology in a way that
is useful for both management and planning.
Measure Predict Confirm
The measured
value must
provide
actionable
insight.
Look for trends
that are repeatable-
and predictable.
Use the
predictions to
set average and
peak values.

21. Identify resources that are key to capacity based on dependencies.
Critical resources will be those that are key integration points or systems where multiple resources pass through across multiple services.
Application
Data Center
Azure
ERP CRM
Local DB
ECM
Infrastructure
IT service Financial
reportingXy
“S” Drive
Network hub to DC
Email

22. Move from here to IMaaS carefully
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What is shaping ECM and
information management in
general
Managing IMaaS
How to ensure that you meet the
actual needs of the organization

23. Design an information platform for long term use
Public
Access
Home
Mobile
Client
Web
Access
API?
Data Lake?
Connector?
User access?
Vendor consolidation?

24. Insight
Day-to-
day
operations
Content
creation
Archive
Marketing
Financial
Competitive
Hiring processes
A/P processes
Time-off
External comm.
User store
Group “junk drawer”
Legal
Long term value
Use
Archive
Run-off
Context
Multi-
department
use
Key forward
thinking information
Value of content increases
Numberofusersfor
contentincreases

25. Insight
Day-to-
day
operations
Content
creation
Archive
Use
Archive
Run-
off
Context
Multi-
department use
Key forward
thinking
information
The move to Office 365
displaces normal software
usage.
As organizations move to
Office 365, day-to-day
operations are often
transferred out of purpose
built apps and into
collaborative O365 tools.
Transfer of information
between applications often
lags behind the process.

26. Insight
Day-to-
day
operations
Content
creation
Archive
U
s
e
Archi
ve
Run-
off
Context
Multi-
department use
Key
forward
thinking
informati
on
Focus on ensuring that
information moves between
applications at the same rate
as the process.
Start with back-end services
to ease compliance.
Long term success requires a
policy framework that leads
both IT and end users to
understand HOW information
is governed.
RecordsValue

27. Build you IM-aaS iteratively
Principals of Kanban
1. Visualize Work
• By creating a visual model of your work and workflow,
you can observe the flow of work moving through your
Kanban system.
2. Limit Work in Process
• You can also avoid problems caused by task switching
and reduce the need to constantly reprioritize items.
3. Focus on Flow
• By using work-in-process (WIP) limits and developing
team-driven policies, you can optimize your Kanban
system to improve the smooth flow of work, collect
metrics to analyze flow, and even get leading indicators
of future problems by analyzing the flow of work.
4. Continuous Improvement
• Once your Kanban system is in place, it becomes the
cornerstone for a culture of continuous improvement.
Teams measure their effectiveness by tracking flow,
quality, throughput, lead times and more.
Use Kanban as a starting point
Kanban is from Toyota’s “Just-in-Time”
model of supply management.
This required precise knowledge of when
parts were needed, how many and what
the rate of replenishment was for any
given part.
Similarly, from a users perspective
information is only useful at the time of
use.
Unless you are an academic- you likely
want the information in order to do
something now.

28. Alignment and mapping of goals and how-to
User perspective
What do users need to
know to perform their
job?
Is it tied to a process or
just general knowledge?
Does it expire? Or change
based on time or location?
Enterprise
perspective
What are the required
permissions for users to get
their job done?
Does access to information
enhance process efficiency?
Where is necessary
information for a process
coming from?

29. Don’t impede day-to-day operations
User perspective
Don’t re-build process in
version 1.0.
Aggressively push for
more access to base
information.
Limit the need for
application switching for
information only purposes
Enterprise
perspective
Design simple,
implementable versions
that fix a pain point.
Think information
movement first, technical
integration second.
Limit the number of apps
that manage processes

30. Look to cull “extra” people steps
User perspective
Collect data, focus on
changes that to reduce
tedious steps.
Embed compliance
steps into automation.
Design for “peak
laziness”
Enterprise
perspective
Focus on efficiency of
whole process.
Be willing to pay for
automation to be done
correctly.
Provide ECM/BPM team
will full access to
compliance needs

31. Have a plan for version 3.0 before completing 1.0
User perspective
Have a transparent
roadmap for what you
are building towards.
Keep assuming there are
steps that can be
removed from users.
Stage the transfer of user
driven to machine
performed steps so as to
be seamless.
Enterprise
perspective
Place a premium on
process efficiency as a
design element
Engage process users to
reduce the headaches of
change.
Automate steps that
impede information
movement.

32. Dept. level
Balance strategy with reality
Org. level
System of
interaction
System of
record
Access control
Findability
Archive
Ad hoc/
Fileshare
Holistic planning for information management
Infrastructure planning
Requirement gathering
Implementation
Integrated retention and disposition schedules
Understanding trends in content generation
Information management strategy
Technological support for managing information

33. Move from single process to enterprise strategy by cross mapping
inefficiencies to work nodes
A/P
Order
Processing
Department specific processes
Check
schedule
Follow-up
Confirm
Payment
Send order
Review
order
Monitor
action
Request
internal
action
Review
fulfillment
Financial
information
Analysis
Documents
Messages
Finance
HR
C levels
BAs
Map the path
through the nodes
via user to user
communication
Strategic planning of service upgrades requires an understanding
of how users use information to move through their day both
within their department and between departments.
Department movement through information
sources

34. DO NOT underestimate the role of engagement as part of the move
to IMaaS
Over-explain the need for user
involvement in the move to IMaaS
project.
Provide a mechanism for feedback.
Schedule and keep to the schedule of
feedback.
Nothing kills a ECM project faster
than silence from the ECM team.
Communicate
Build collaborative partnerships
with the business when shaping the
changes in related processes;
employee on-boarding, retire/fire,
financial reporting.
Create a clear, shared vision
between the key stakeholders and
IT. Take everyone with you,
develop a shared agenda.
Collaborate
Build confidence in the change
– allocate time and resources for
user testing and training.
Provide visible and active post
rollout support. Get feedback, fix
problems, and keep
communication channels open.
Build Confidence
Focus on the three key tactics for success when implementing change: Communicate,
Collaboration, and Confidence

35. IMaaS is as much about IT staffing as it is about choosing the right
platforms
• Start by determining how similar the key intra- and
inter-departmental information movement patterns are
across key IT platforms.
• Start with SERVICE issue; “Salesforce isn’t working
may be the equivalent of “I can’t find the customer
ID” to users. The Application support team and
Service desk team need to work in concert.
• IT Asset Management and Capacity planning are
they the necessary skills for technical success.
• Communicate, Communicate, Communicate. Every
aspect of any “aaS” is about have clear lines of
communication between support and users.

36. Thank you
Have questions or want a copy of the presentation:
Email me: chrisw@thinkdox.com
Don’t want to email me:
See our websites presentation page
http://thinkdox.com/news/white-papers-and-presentations/
We are on twitter and LinkedIn
@Thinkdox
@ChrisW_thinkdox
https://www.linkedin.com/company/thinkdox-inc-?trk=biz-companies-cym