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96 CHAPTER 9 Align and business value

FIGURE 9-4
Sample List Information Management Needs.
Sample Output

Figure 9-4 shows an initial list and assignment of information management and, therefore, DG needs.
The Farfel case is being used as an example, and we will tie samples to that case study from here
forward. The columns represent the hierarchy of business alignment we use:
• Drivers are industry- or market-inspired trends, usually stated in terms of a direction. These tend to
be categories of business goals.
• Goals are refinements of drivers, expressing the general trend in terms that indicate desired
accomplishments within a timeframe.
• Documented objectives are the specified measurable criteria for achieving the goals and drivers.
• Measurable Attributes are aspects of the business to be measured. These become metrics or
a category of metrics.

Tips for Success

There are occasions when DG is initiated as part of a project with very good business justification and
alignment, but the team is not privy to that information (see the footnote diatribe above again).
This is not a showstopper. It means you need to add another businessperson to the teamdone who
can speak to business needs. In addition, do not hesitate to have the DG team sign an internal
confidentiality agreement if the business goals are such a super-secret deal. If there is a total roadblock,
then look to the next activity to gather business needs.