BIG Information and Data

Many organisations say they want data-driven decision making.

But look closely at how governance actually works.

Boards review slide packs.
Managers compile reports manually.
Different teams bring their own numbers.

By the time decisions are made, the information is often fragmented or already out of date.

The result is familiar: decisions shaped as much by narrative and persuasion as by evidence.

In Business Integrated Governance (BIG) we start from a different premise.

Information needed for governance, accountability and assurance should not be assembled meeting by meeting. It should be systematically sourced, traceable, and connected to the objectives and responsibilities that governance bodies oversee.

This idea has been part of BIG for some time. The original thinking focused on building integrated information and management insight across governance, management and delivery.

What is changing now is the technology landscape.

Modern data platforms, integration tools and AI capabilities mean organisations can move much closer to this model than was previously practical. Information can be drawn from multiple systems, structured around governance needs, and surfaced in ways that help leaders understand performance, risks and outcomes – and can follow dependencies, understand obligations and constraints.

So the conversation is evolving – from simply integrating data, to building an information capability that actively supports governance and decision-making.

We have started bringing this thinking together in the BIG Information and Data Theme:

Information and Data Theme

(Beware light readers, this is chunky thinking)

I would be interested to hear from others working on similar challenges.