With all the tech-related lingo that floats around the internet, it can be very difficult to properly differentiate and understand their true meanings. A great example of this is data management versus information management – while both of these concepts are quite closely linked, there are still some key differences that make them dissimilar. In this article, we take a closer look at these managerial services to give you a much clearer understanding of what sets them apart.
What does data management involve?
Data management in Australia involves the management of information that exists in a binary form. Unlike the idea of information, the concept of data is strictly tied to any information that has already been converted into a digital binary form by software on computers and/or some kind of transmission media. Data management is therefore a type of information management, and one that relates to the management of this form of information as a valuable resource. Management in this case can relate to the creation, discovery, transformation, sharing, protection, documentation and preservation of any relevant and important data. The overall management of most of these processes will be based around established and precise file-naming conventions and the documentation of metadata, with these steps guaranteeing not only the simple searchability of data, but helping the contained data be consistently accurate, available and secure. Data management also ensures that the development and execution of architectures are properly understood and managed and addresses all of the important policies, practices and procedures related to the entire data life cycle.
What does information management involve?
Unlike data management which strictly deals with the management of electronic digital information, Information management can also include physical data, meanings that information management not only includes what you might find in the cloud or on a hard drive, but can also consist of hard copies of information, such as things in a filing cabinet or a desk drawer like paper records, files and folders. This makes information management much more expansive than data management and more often than not relates to an organisational structuring, whether it be a program or system. This system will manages any of the processes that control the structure, processing, delivery and application of information within an organisation, making it particularly valuable in the case of business intelligence. When an organisation develops an information management system it should ideally be built with scope and growth in mind, carrying the needs of the organisation through the complete life cycle management of the huge amount of information it typically requires on a daily basis – regardless of whether it be digital or paper-based information.
Still uncertain about information and data management?
Although we’ve illustrated the key differences between both data management and information management, we can imagine how there might still be a little bit on confusion (particularly with one being a subset of the other). If you’re wanting to look into the topic further, it’s never a bad idea to conduct some more research yourself and even to reach out to information management companies to learn more, particularly if its your intention to get more out of information or data management.
