This issue aims to recommend a basis of company information system for staff use.

Some may have seen advertisements of digital 4 in 1 machines (photocopier, scanner, printer and fax). One such advertisement caught our attention because its headline said “converting paper into knowledge in a matter of seconds”.  Alongside the machine, the advertisement promoted a piece of software for managing documents in a central pool for sharing among staff.  The software is not cheap although the 4-in-1 machine is not expensive as prices of hardware have come down substantially over the year. 

We wish to point out that the advertisement is misleading as a scanner and a piece of software will not turn paper into knowledge.  The pair will turn paper into digitized data.  We still require human input to turn data into information and human knowledge to turn information into knowledge.  Information is “organized data” and the criterion is that information reinforces certainty and removes uncertainties.  Knowledge is the application of information for solving a defined problem or achieving a defined objective.  It is possible to have crystallized knowledge such as FAQ (frequently asked questions) on a website.  However, we must not aim to crystallize everything as the world is moving ahead at a high speed and the permutations of 6.4 billion brains (today world population) are not predictable by machines.

Our recommendation is to organize internal and specific company information in computer folders so that all staff members know where to find it and to use Search Engines to collect external information.  A clear mind in every staff member’s head remains the glue of the company information system.