Balancing your data diet

Abstract

The role of management information systems in turning data into information is not unlike an animal's digestive system which turns food into energy. Data is the “food” of the organization: without it the organization will wither and die. But the mere input of data into a system is not sufficient for the organization's survival. Irrelevant or excess data can be likened to junk food, starving the organization of the necessary vitamins, minerals and trace elements and leading to an inefficient (perhaps even fat?) organization.