I need information, what constitutes a good information collection process? - - The ideal basic information collection process has four steps:

1.)  Information Identification:  You identify a need for knowledge or information.

2.)  Information Collection:  Information is collected from many sources.

3.)  Information Analysis:  The collected information is sorted and analyzed.  If significant information gaps appear, a return to steps 1, 2 and 3 may be required to collect the missing/outstanding knowledge.

4.)  Act:  Use the knowledge gained in the analysis step to make a better business decision.

Where do I find information? - - This is the ideal task for a Business Intelligence (BI) Team; this is where IntelDissem can become your valuable partner.  Once a need for information has been determined, the professional BI team can look at the following resources (this is just a partial listing, but most of the major points are covered):

- Libraries (your corporate librarian can take the lead in this category)
- Publications, journals, etc. (both english language and foreign language sources)
- Competitor analysis reports (advertisements, sales brochures, technical manuals, etc.)
- The Internet, RSS feeds, data mining/data warehousing efforts, blogs, forums
- Your customers, clients and professional contacts
- Your personnel
- U.S. Government/State level/County level reports and findings
- World Bank, Asian Development Bank, Export-Import Bank, etc. reports
- Conferences, symposiums and trade shows

Why would I need a Business Intelligence Unit (BIU)?  I have many databases filled with information. - - Databases are developed primarily for only one set of knowledge workers, they are almost always focused on only one line of business, and, they are invariably reactive.  Compounding the problem is that databases change very little over time once they are implemented. A BIU unit goes beyond managing and maintaining databases.  A professionally managed and staffed BIU is a proactive element. Business Intelligence projects involve cross-organizational activities. A BI team can sustain company-wide decision-support efforts - a data base cannot.

What is the difference between "Knowledge Management" and "Business Intelligence"? - - Knowledge Management (KM) is really a subset of Business Intelligence (BI). By managing knowledge and retrieving knowledge at the appropriate time, from the appropriate resources, one can develop better business intelligence.  Better business intelligence leads to better business decisions.