3. How do we identify the information we need? (Page 1)

3.1. Objectives

The organisation we work for (increase sales by 6%).
A set of circumstances forced on us (buy a new phone because the current one was left in a shirt pocket and got washed).
A beneficial requirement (book a holiday).

If we don’t understand our objectives, we are never going to be able to define our information requirements.
As an example, let’s assume the organisation we work for is based in London with an Amsterdam office. We have to attend a meeting in the Amsterdam office at 11:00 on a specified day in about a month’s time. This is our objective.

Having identified our objectives, we need to determine the opportunities which might benefit their achievement and the risks which might hinder their achievement.
A risk may be defined as a set of circumstances which threatens the achievement of an objective.
For our trip to Amsterdam, the risks are that we might: be late; arrive exhausted; exceed the budget. The decisions we make about the mode of transport will need to reduce these risks to a level we are prepared to accept.

So we have to decide what action to take in order to reduce the risks to a level acceptable to us.

So, we now need to identify the decisions necessary to minimise the risks to an acceptable level.
A decision is an action which enhances an opportunity or mitigates a risk.
In our example, we must decide how to travel: plane, train or car. This decision may give rise to other decisions; should we go a day early and stay in a hotel. If so which hotel?
In identifying decisions, we need to understand:

A request for more information is not a decision, as it doesn’t mitigate a risk – it just shows you didn’t get the right information in the first place.
A decision to do nothing is a decision. For example, if you have taken a patient’s temperature and it is normal, you will take no action because there is no risk.

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