What Counts?

2022 Episode 34 – Using training to implement change management seems logical. What type of training best fits your organization’s learning style? What kind of training is available; who is your audience; how do you gauge impact; is more better when training for change? These are all good questions that will be answered in this episode regarding achieving successful training to help improve your chances for successful information and data governance project implementation. In this episode, Maura Dunn and Lee Karas bring back our special guest, Donna Vitalie, to discuss how to use training for change management. Understanding what to...

2022 Episode 33 – This is our fourth episode in a series on using change management to help improve your chances for successful information governance project implementation. Today, we talk about using your project plan as a communication tool to connect with your stakeholders at every stage of a particular project. In this episode, Maura Dunn and Lee Karas discuss how your project plan should be used to incorporate and communicate change management activities through out project implementation. A project plan is a great way to show your clients all the work that needs to go into a particular project....

2022 Episode 32 – This is our third episode in a series on using change management to help move your information governance projects forward. We continue our conversation with Donna Vitalie to uncover creative ways to implement change management and understand the “why” and “how” to do change management. In this episode, Maura Dunn, Lee Karas, and special guest Donna Vitalie talk about using push and pull communications, champions, project plans, and quick reference guides to help change certain aspects of your organization. (Episode length 16:48) Learn more by visiting our website, or by sending TrailBlazer an email at [email protected]....

2022 Episode 31 – This is our second episode in a series on using change management to help move your information governance projects forward. Today, we welcome Donna Vitalie to the conversation to help give us an understanding of this important tool in your toolbox. In this episode, Maura Dunn, Lee Karas, and special guest Donna Vitalie define and discuss change management (CM), organizational development (Org Dev), management of change (MOC), digital transformation (DT), and process improvement when it comes to information governance projects. (Episode length 12:46) Learn more by visiting our website, or by sending TrailBlazer an email at...

2022 Episode 30 – This is the first episode in a series on change management approaches we have used to implement successful information governance projects. Remember back to Episode 3. That’s where we discuss our process for developing assessment questions and how to hone in on data management challenges. In this episode, we discuss linking what you learned during the assessment to refine your change management approach. Maura Dunn and Lee Karas discuss in this 13 minute 46 second episode making your information governance project a leadership effort and not just a technology implementation and the importance of listening when...

2022 Episode 29 – Monitoring progress, showing immediate impact, and keeping stakeholders engaged is an important part of project status reporting. In this episode, we discuss a few ways for measuring and monitoring project progress, as well as, celebrating key victories along the way. Maura Dunn and Lee Karas discuss in this 16:51 episode a few important real-time progress reporting suggestions for keeping people updated and in the loop. Learn more by visiting our website, or by sending TrailBlazer an email at [email protected]. This is What Counts by TrailBlazer Consulting, LLC. In this podcast, we highlight proven solutions that we...

2022 Episode 28 – Hey, who was that person that worked on the customization of XYZ software? Who was the vendor that made the decision to fill in the requirements gaps during the implementation process? It is a substantial risk to any organization not to plan for the knowledge transfer process when taking on large-scale projects. Documentation is key to the knowledge transfer process, but what else can help an organization ensure important information gets passed on when the time is right. In this episode, you will learn what to do and what not to do for making the knowledge...

2022 Episode 27 – Taking a risk management approach to project planning. Thinking through large-scale risks and assigning cost to those risks will help focus resource allocation in your project plan. Does this approach add more time to the planning process? Is it worth assessing all these risks upfront? Decide for yourself after listening to this episode where we share our experience developing project plans for client organizations. Maura Dunn and Lee Karas discuss in this 14 minute episode how they use risk management as a key project planning and project management tool. Learn more by visiting our website, or...

2022 Episode 26 – Internal and external key resources to have on your team to get your information governance (IG) projects completed. From IT to Legal, but more importantly, the business side of your organization. Maura Dunn and Lee Karas discuss how selecting the correct key resources to have on your team will dramatically increase buy-in and commitment for implementing your information governance projects. Learn more by visiting our website, or by sending TrailBlazer an email at [email protected]. This is What Counts by TrailBlazer Consulting, LLC. In this podcast, we highlight proven solutions that we have developed through our experience...

2022 Episode 25 – In this episode, we discuss developing a detailed project plan for implementing your information governance projects. From simple to complex projects, learn certain activities and tasks that you should build into your project plan that will help prepare stakeholders and better communicate project timing and milestones. Listen as Maura Dunn and Lee Karas discuss how to document the important activities, tasks, and milestones that depend upon each other and help build up your resources. Learn more by visiting our website, or by sending TrailBlazer an email at [email protected]. This is What Counts by TrailBlazer Consulting, LLC....

2022 Episode 24 – In this episode, we discuss business case development for moving your information governance initiatives forward through your internal process. We include areas where you can find hard and soft costs to use in your return on investment calculations. Listen as Maura Dunn and Lee Karas talk about building your information governance business case, including areas to perform efficiency calculations to determine cost savings. Learn more by visiting our website, or by sending TrailBlazer an email at [email protected]. TrailBlazer Consulting, LLC, is a small, woman-owned business that provides information and data management services to client organizations in...

2022 Episode 23 – In this episode, we talk about our approach to information governance projects resulting from your information governance roadmap and taking into consideration high risk areas and high-level business strategy. Listen as Maura Dunn and Lee Karas talk about three to five year information governance projects and how to avoid the pitfalls of point solutions. Learn more by visiting our website, or by sending TrailBlazer an email at [email protected]. TrailBlazer Consulting, LLC, is a small, woman-owned business that provides information and data management services to client organizations in the public and private sectors. Our work with infrastructure,...

2022 – In this episode, we break down information governance initiatives into phases to strategically span multiple years and show actionable progress along the way. Listen as Maura Dunn and Lee Karas talk about the importance of establishing the appropriate phases for your information governance initiatives so that activities get accomplished, resources are shared, and budget is not wasted. Learn more by visiting our website, or by sending TrailBlazer an email at [email protected]. TrailBlazer Consulting, LLC, is a small, woman-owned business that provides information and data management services to client organizations in the public and private sectors. Our work with...

2022 – We work with organizations to develop an information governance roadmap to illustrate, at a high-level, how they can go from current state assessment to an improved information governance program end state. Listen as Maura Dunn and Lee Karas discuss how to develop a multi-year roadmap/plan that will help guide and track your information governance implementation progress. Learn more by visiting our website, or by sending TrailBlazer an email at [email protected]. TrailBlazer Consulting, LLC, is a small, woman-owned business that provides information and data management services to client organizations in the public and private sectors. Our work with infrastructure,...

2022 – How to use a visioning discussion to determine your information governance program’s near, mid, and long-term goals. Listen as Maura Dunn and Lee Karas discuss the best way to setup, prepare, and lead a visioning discussion for your information governance program. Learn more by visiting our website, or by sending TrailBlazer an email at [email protected]. TrailBlazer Consulting, LLC, is a small, woman-owned business that provides information and data management services to client organizations in the public and private sectors. Our work with infrastructure, energy, renewables, and healthcare clients, both in the United States and globally, gives us practical...

Business process redesign may be in store for organizations storing records in 3rd Party repositories, SharePoint sites, file shares, or e-mail. It may be best to initiate a business process redesign to drive employees to use the organization’s systems of record. Listen as Maura Dunn and Lee Karas talk about the most common records storage locations that organizations use and the risks associated with them. Learn more by visiting our website, or by sending TrailBlazer an email at [email protected]. TrailBlazer Consulting, LLC, is a small, woman-owned business that provides information and data management services to client organizations in the public...

Workarounds and manual processes can lead to serious risk for your organization. Two specific risks are discussed in detail in today’s episode. Look out for these specific workaround risks in your organization and learn what to do to keep your organization compliant. Listen as Maura Dunn and Lee Karas talk about information governance risks that they have found working at different client organizations. Learn more by visiting our website, or by sending TrailBlazer an email at [email protected]. TrailBlazer Consulting, LLC, is a small, woman-owned business that provides information and data management services to client organizations in the public and private...

Information governance risks and solution selection – not a trivial task. Reviewing the list of top risks found after performing an information governance assessment can be overwhelming. Finding a solution to address more than one risk can be a daunting task. In this episode, Maura Dunn and Lee Karas discuss some of the top risks that they have encountered at client organizations and how to select a solution to address more than one item. Learn more by visiting our website, or by sending TrailBlazer an email at [email protected]. TrailBlazer Consulting, LLC, is a small, woman-owned business that provides information and...

This is the final part of this three (3) part series that pertains to a valuable tool called an Enterprise Information Map (EIM). An Enterprise Information Map provides a comprehensive view of all of the information systems throughout your organization and how they interact. In this episode, we discuss how to use the EIM to dive deep into your organization’s systems to support strategic objectives. Listen as Maura Dunn, Lee Karas, and Jeff Pierantozzi discuss an EIM case study where we use the EIM to help build a roadmap for system modernization and system of record selection. Learn more by...

This is part two (2) of a three (3) part series that pertains to a valuable tool called an Enterprise Information Map (EIM). An Enterprise Information Map provides a comprehensive view of all of the information systems throughout your organization and how they interact. In this episode, we talk about the beginning steps for creating an EIM and building a basic system profile. Every information governance program could use an EIM to assist with staying compliant with data privacy and data retention regulations. Learn more by listening to Maura Dunn, Lee Karas, and Jeff Pierantozzi talk more about an EIM...

This three part series pertains to a valuable tool called an Enterprise Information Map (EIM). An Enterprise Information Map provides a comprehensive view of all of the information systems throughout your organization and how they interact. An EIM catalogues what systems your company uses, records how information is stored within those systems, and shows how information moves across your organization. A powerful tool for any information governance program that wants to stay compliant with data privacy and data retention regulations. Learn more by listening to Lee Karas and Jeff Pierantozzi talk about an EIM in this episode, or by sending...

How do you decide which information governance challenge to tackle first within your organization? In today’s episode, you will learn three key approaches for prioritizing your organization’s information governance challenges that TrailBlazer uses to help sort out the complexity. Learn more by listening to this episode, or by sending TrailBlazer an email at [email protected]. TrailBlazer Consulting, LLC, is a small, woman-owned business that provides information and data management services to client organizations in the public and private sectors. Our work with infrastructure, energy, renewables, and healthcare clients, both in the United States and globally, gives us practical insight into making...

TrailBlazer’s framework facilitates regulatory compliance and addresses critical aspects of an information governance program. Our framework takes into consideration various components to ensure program implementation is comprehensive. The components of TrailBlazer’s framework consist of governance, policy, process, data|content, applications, and infrastructure. These are all the components necessary to make your information governance program complete. TrailBlazer Consulting, LLC Framework Learn more by listening to this episode, or by sending TrailBlazer an email at [email protected]. TrailBlazer Consulting, LLC, is a small, woman-owned business that provides information and data management services to client organizations in the public and private sectors. Our work with...

In this episode, we discuss the importance of Sponsors, Champions, Liaisons, Steering and Governance Committees for driving an organization’s Information Governance Program forward. Change management is a large part of moving an organization towards regulatory records compliance. Do you have the correct components together to make an organizational change? Part of your business case for moving people towards regulatory compliance is to show them that they are doing this work now and it only needs support in order to have employees follow the same process. Learn more by listening to this episode, or by sending TrailBlazer an email at [email protected]....

You may find recordkeeping strengths during your data and information management assessment that are worth capitalizing on to use within other departments of your organization. Capitalizing on recordkeeping strengths found within your organization can facilitate change management in other departments. Listen as the owners of TrailBlazer, Maura Dunn and Lee Karas, discuss what to do when you find strong examples recordkeeping practices within your organization during an assessment. Learn more by listening to this episode, or by sending TrailBlazer an email at [email protected]. TrailBlazer Consulting, LLC, is a small, woman-owned business that provides information and data management services to client...

Finding unexpected data and information governance risks. It is very possible that you may discover unexpected data and information governance risks and vulnerabilities that may cause your organization serious problems. In this episode of What Counts we discuss some examples of hidden risks that we discovered hiding behind the original goal of our assessment. You could be set out to discover and fix a document management challenge and discover that you have contract management issues. Or, maybe your current assessment goal is to review critical document sets your organization acquired through a recent merger and/or acquisition and find antiquated system...

Can workarounds and shadow repositories be putting your organization’s data and information at risk? Do your employees fill gaps in business processes when the systems they use are not convenient? Data and information management workarounds and shadow repositories are serious problems that companies must get a handle on or risk noncompliance. Listen as TrailBlazer’s owners, Maura Dunn and Lee Karas, explain more about what workarounds and shadow repositories are within this episode. Learn more by listening to this episode, or by sending TrailBlazer an email at [email protected]. TrailBlazer Consulting, LLC, is a small, woman-owned business that provides information and data...

You may have a surprise finding from your data and information assessment interviews that cause you to be non-compliant with company policies. If you ask why during a data and information management assessment interview be prepared to get a surprise. You may find out that individuals are avoiding the official records repository, creating workarounds to make their job easier, and developing shadow repositories that they didn’t know they were making. Listen as the owners of TrailBlazer, Maura Dunn and Lee Karas, discuss capturing the real findings from data and information assessment interviews. Learn more by listening to this episode, or...

Scheduling strategies for data and information management assessment interviews. Easy process, right? Actually, it’s not as simple as one would think. Should you start with top leaderships positions, should you start with mid-level positions, or should you start in a particular department, for example Information Technology. Listen as the owners of TrailBlazer, Maura Dunn and Lee Karas, discuss scheduling strategies for setting up and conducting data and information management assessment interviews. Learn what their experience has shown to be the key ways to organize your interview list and make an interview as effective as possible. Learn more by listening to...

Selecting the right interviewees for your data and information recordkeeping assessment is a critical component to understanding the flow of information throughout the organization. This is not a simple process. Sometimes the interviewees are selected for you, sometimes it’s a different person for each process within a department, sometimes the list of people to interview grows and grows, and sometimes you get one person that tells you everything about how your organization does data and information recordkeeping in every department. Listen as TrailBlazer consultants, Maura Dunn and Lee Karas, tell you about their experience helping organizations select interviewees for a...

If you are planning on performing a data and information management assessment within your organization, consider listening to the information discussed in this episode. Listen as Maura Dunn and Lee Karas discuss the data and information background collection process. The data and information background collection process is an important step in the assessment planning process. Information about your organization can be found in a number of different places. Review public facing information and collect internal organization charts, policies, data inventories, and other available information to give you a head start on your assessment. Learn more by listening to this episode,...

In this episode, consultants from TrailBlazer Consulting, LLC, Maura Dunn and Lee Karas talk about how to best structure your information and data assessment questions to get the appropriate results. Sometimes, it might just be best to have a conversation with the person you are interviewing about how they get things accomplished at their organization, because we want to know how do they do their job. Focus your information and data management questions to get to the root of the problem at your organization. Learn more by listening to this episode, or by sending TrailBlazer an email at [email protected]. TrailBlazer...

When it comes to analyzing your organization's information and data management environment, it is important to establish the appropriate goals and scope for an assessment.

Is it a challenge to find something in your co-worker's office or on their computer?