FreePint for Manufacturing
Jinfo Blog

By Elizabeth Trudell

Abstract

Achieving visibility and demonstrating the value of the information centre can be particularly difficult in the manufacturing industry. We look at some tips for overcoming this challenge, as well as how to keep up with newer technologies and platforms - such as ebooks and text and data mining.

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Achieve Visibility and Value for the Information Centre

In our work with manufacturing organisations, we find that their information centres often struggle for visibility and value compared with other industries. It's not unusual for massive, global manufacturing companies to have an information staff you can count on one hand.

At the same time, there are often separate departments covering knowledge management, competitive insights and (of course) information technology. In too many organisations, these many silos of expertise are competing for visibility, respect and resources.

This makes emerging technologies like text and data mining (TDM) particularly challenging in manufacturing environments: ownership of the projects often lies far afield of the information centre, and those owners may not even think to consult with information staff to support these projects.

Ensure Information Staff Are Part of the Strategy

How to overcome this challenge? There's no easy solution, but we find we make progress by working with these customers steadily over a period of time on:

1. Articulating the unique value of expertise in the information centre or equivalent
   
   
2. Building strong collaborative relationships with relevant departments and finding ways to leverage resources rather than competing for them; and
   
   
3. Keeping the information staff as up-to-date as possible on emerging technology trends, particularly those that cut across these different areas of the business.

Keep Up-to-Date on Complex Subjects

That's why it's so helpful to see the most recent content and resources FreePint has produced of interest to manufacturing: staying up-to-date on TDM and other complex subjects can be time-consuming, but there's plenty in our recent resources to support you and your team.

Recent webinars on ebooks, setting strategy around skills development, and improving relationships with the IT department also offer unique food for thought. Assign viewing to your team, then take 15 minutes to discuss these ideas at your next staff meeting.

Then, create a visibility plan. Recent articles on video and improved presentations may offer some inspiration for new approaches.

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Recent Subscription Content of particular interest to our customers in manufacturing: 

Articles

• At the Commercial Frontier with Text and Data Mining
• Database Development from a User Perspective
• Q&A with Alteryx – Blending Data for Advanced Analytics
• Big Data and GIS – a Case Study on Social Care Chartered Surveyors
• Respecting the Ownership of Knowledge
• How to Create a Training Video in No time at All
• Create Engaging and Memorable Presentations by Going beyond PowerPoint
• Reflecting on the FreePint Topic Series: Best Practices in information Skills Development
• Source Update for EBSCO

Reports

• FreePint Report: Making Information Visible
• FreePint Report: Research into Skills Development 2015
• FreePint Report: Ebook Research 2015
• FreePint Report: Comparative Report on News Products 2015

Webinars - recordings available

• What we Learned about Information Skills Development 
• What We Learned about "Making Information Visible"
• Setting Strategy with FreePint Research 
• Improving Your Connection, Communication and Collaboration with IT

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