Quantum2 Highlights - February 2004

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You are receiving Quantum2 Highlights, a newsletter of the Dialog leadership development program for information professionals. Unsubscribe information can be found at the bottom of this message.

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Dear Quantum2 Member,

This month, our focus is on defining the impact of the Information Research Center (IRC) in supporting key business initiatives.  For more information, read on.

In this issue of Quantum2 Highlights:

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Quantum2 Web Sessions
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The following WebEx sessions are being offered for the Quantum2 program in the coming months. The World Clock at http://www.worldtimeserver.com will translate the hours to match your local time.

Defining the Value of Information: Beyond ROI
March 11, 2004  - 2.00 p.m. EST

Creating Value-Added Research & Analysis
April 8, 2004  - 2.00 p.m. GMT

Linking Information Services to Compelling Business Events
May 13, 2004  - 2.00 p.m. EST

Assessing Clients' Needs: Map the Information Flow
June 17, 2004  - 2.00 p.m. GMT

The following WebEx sessions are being conducted for the Special Libraries Association's Leadership Management Division

Achieving Results through Relationships: the Power of Influence
March 11, 2004  - 2.00 p.m. GMT

Assessing Clients' Needs: Map the Information Flow
May 6, 2004  - 2.00 p.m. EST

Defining the Value of Information Services: Beyond ROI
July 22, 2004  - 2.00 p.m. EST

To register and for more information, please visit http://scientific.thomson.com/quantum/training/workshops/.


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Upcoming Quantum2 Sessions
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Dialog will be holding a Quantum2 day at the following locations:

Milan, Tuesday, March 2, 2004
(To register, e-mail customer.italy@dialog.com or call 00 39 02 569 40 47)

Barcelona, Tuesday, March 23, 2004
(To register, e-mail emeaap.comms@dialog.com or fax 00 44 20 7940 6823)

Madrid, Wednesday, March 24, 2004
(To register, e-mail emeaap.comms@dialog.com or fax 00 44 20 7940 6823)

The presentations each day will be:
... Assessing Clients' Needs: Map the Information Flow
... Marketing Information Services
... Defining the Value of Information Services: Beyond ROI

Paris, Tuesday, May 4, 2004
(To register, email contact.france@dialog.com or call 00 33 1 55 23 52 53)

The presentations at this location will be:
... Defining the Impact of Information Services: Cost Justify the IRC
... Assessing Clients' Needs: Map the Information Flow
... Linking Information Services to Compelling Business Events

In addition, Quantum2 will be conducted at the following SLA chapter events:
... Southern Appalachian Chapter, Thursday, March 18, 2004, Marketing Information Services
... Western Canada Chapter, Wednesday, March 17 & Thursday, March 18, 2004, Achieving Results through Relationships: the Power of Influence

(To register for these events, please contact your local chapter program chair.)



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IMPACT Statements
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In a 2004 Quantum2 workshop on Cost Justification for the IRC, we will be emphasizing IMPACT Statements as a tool for defining the point of investing in the service, from the customer's perspective. An IMPACT Statement is important as a cost-justification step to answer the often-asked question "What impact does the IRC really have?"

What makes a meaningful IMPACT Statement? IMPACT Statements connect "money spent" to "value gained," and should show outcomes and deliverables, rather than just activity measures.  A good IMPACT Statement should cover:

... The nature of the IRC effort (e.g., searches, accomplishments, time savings, etc.),
... Who benefits - not just who was billed
... The business/organization the effort contributes to
... The overall cost to the enterprise.

To give statements IMPACT, it is essential to use metrics gathered whenever IRC services are consumed. Connecting IRC work to compelling business events that affect the organization, collecting transactional figures from searches conducted, allocating subscription costs proportionally to projects and departments, and tracking of researcher time are all meaningful metrics to use when writing the impact statement.

An effective IMPACT Statement (along with Outcomes and Deliverables) could be:

"This year, the IRC provided search information to R&D in response to specific requests on ABC Pharmaceutical's newest drug, XYZ. This resulted in a three-day reduction of days to market for the drug, at a rate of $100,000 per day ($300,000 total). The cost of the specific searches for R&D was $50,000 in staff time and third-party information costs, representing $250,000 in savings."

A statement such as this covers the specific nature of the service, who benefits, the organizational project and goal achieved, and finally, the cost and net savings.

The following example from Jerry Baldwin, library program director of the Minnesota Department of Transportation Library, of the metrics that can be collated for activity statements to support an impact statement can be found at: http://www.dot.state.mn.us/library/mndot_library_benefits.html.

Want to know more? We will begin to offer the Quantum2 Cost Justification workshop beginning this summer.



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Getting to Know ... Your Quantum2 Coach
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This month's featured Coach is Benno Jensen from our Denmark office.

Q: How long have you worked for Dialog?
A: One-and-a-half years.


Q: How did you come to join Dialog?
A: I was lucky enough to be asked when a position opened up in the Copenhagen office. My background covers the teaching of Information Seeking (including Dialog) at the Royal School of Library & Information Science in Denmark.


Q: What are your key responsibilities?
A: I'm an account manager for customers in Denmark, but the Danish office is quite small (only two employees), so I get involved in all practical sorts of work.


Q: What is the most rewarding aspect of your job?
A: When customers express satisfaction with the services we provide.


Q: What is the most challenging aspect of your work?
A: Two things. The first is sometimes having to say "No," and the second is prioritizing my work.  There are so many people at Dialog with great ideas that to be able to be involved in everything, I might have to work 20 hours per week above and beyond my normal duties to accomplish everything that I want to.


Q: How do you balance work and personal life?
A: Fortunately we have very flexible working arrangements. I try to spend as much time with my son as possible when he's in my care - and then work longer hours when he's with his mom. This gives me a really good balance.


Q: What did you want to be, growing up?
A: A librarian, of course! I didn't always have a precise idea, but I was always fond of books and of working with people. So when the time came to decide, it wasn't very hard. Although most of the information I now work with is in an electronic form, I sure do enjoy the look, feel and even the smell of a good, old book.


Q: What three words would you use to describe yourself today?
A: Busy, curious, patient.


Q: What are your plans for the future?
A: To evolve personally and professionally.


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As always, your suggestions for workshop topics are always welcome and encouraged. If you know a friend or colleague who would benefit from Quantum2, please encourage him or her to sign up today at http://scientific.thomson.com/quantum/.

Regards,
Liz Blankson-Hemans
Manager, Information Professional Development
Dialog


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