No business without information products

Abstract

The only way we can make what we know visible to other people is by putting it into information products - the products in any medium where users meet the information they need, and gain access to the knowledge of others. Without them, little business would get done inside organizations or between them and the outside world. They are essential for the flow, exchange, application, and preservation of information and knowledge. They have great potential for adding - and subtracting - value. And yet businesses seldom look at the information products they create and use in their work as an entity, or try to find out how well they are supporting whatever they are in business for. This article makes the business case for doing that, and suggests steps towards finding out how your information products are doing for your business.