Information Overload is a serious problem for individuals and for businesses. Emails, Twitter feeds, web sites, texting, smartphones, let alone TV and numerous channels available 24×7, all seek to grab our attention and pull our focus away from the tasks at hand. In the business environment, important information — a request, task, meeting, project, and more — is often buried in the overload. Structure is needed to keep the work on track and not have it derailed in the flurry of excessive information.
The purpose of Crow Canyon Software’s applications is to provide this structure and help manage the information overload. Consider a request management process, for example. “Information” comes in – someone makes a request, asks a question, needs support. This request cannot be ignored or summarily deleted. It is information that must be dealt with in some manner.
Inadequacies of an Email-based Request System
If using an email-based system, the request is soon lost in the midst of many other emails. Email exchanges with the requester become just more information with very little structure around them. This type of request management can only go on for so long before it breaks down: requests go unanswered, responses are delayed, and people have a hard time finding out the status of the request, who (if anyone) is working on it, what work has been done, etc.
This lack of structure is what leads to information overload. It is not the volume of information per se, but how it is managed that causes the stress. With a more efficient system, larger amounts of information can be handled with much less impact. The “overload” part is removed and the information flows with very little friction.
SharePoint and Office Applications Provide Structure
Crow Canyon’s request management systems in SharePoint and Office 365 – whether Help Desk, Customer Support, Employee Requests, Work Orders, and more – are set up to manage the information flow efficiently and effectively, easing the work and streamlining processes. Every request, question, inquiry, issue, or problem is tracked, managed, and resolved in a system that keeps the information structured. All aspects of the request — status, progress, work history, resolution – are visible to all involved parties and easy to update and annotate.
The requests can be linked to other requests or other data, such as a work order linked to a piece of equipment or a help desk ticket associated with an IT asset. This results in a network of related, interacting “information” that builds even more structure. Knowing the history of an asset while resolving an issue with that asset becomes useful information, not overload, and results in better resolutions.
Requests can be part of a hierarchy – one request may have multiple related sub-tasks. Alternatively, a group of requests could indicate an underlying problem that needs correction. There are many such ways to organize and inter-relate the information flowing in a business.
Another aspect of structured information is that it is available for both immediate analysis and historical reporting. With relevant, real-time data displayed in dashboards or other visual elements, what needs to be done is clear – the important information is exposed, not buried. At the same time, historical reports can show trends; the information generated drives improvements in business processes.
Managing Information Overload
Rather than succumbing to “Information Overload”, successful organizations implement structures that provide an effective way to manage information and use it to further the goals of the business. Our SharePoint and Office 365 applications drive savings in time and money by turning scattered information into practical, useful, and actionable items. In our systems, information, rather than being a burden, becomes fuel that powers the company’s growth.
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Crow Canyon Software delivers the power of a connected, digital workplace to your organization, helping you be more successful and competitive. We provide the tools that allow you to gain the maximum benefit from SharePoint and Office 365, Microsoft’s premier collaboration platforms.
Want to learn about how our business productivity applications for SharePoint and Office 365 can power up your organization? Give us a call at 1-925-478-3110 or contact us by e-mail at sales@crowcanyon.com. We look forward to hearing from you.
