About the I*I ig

Tomorrow’s Quality Frameworks

In today’s economy, information is becoming more and more of an important asset for organizations. Unlike traditional assets that exist in industries such as manufacturing, the quality of information cannot be realized by just expecting 100% consistency with what is produced. Information, by definition, changes. Therefore, a new paradigm must be explored with how quality principles can adapt to information assets for all organizations of all industries.

I*I is not a new concept, but does have a distinction apart from Data Quality and Information Quality initiatives. Unlike many Data Quality and Information Quality practitioners, we recognize a true difference between data and information. An ongoing struggle with competing standards for Information Quality semantics, processes, and goal objectives prohibits Information Quality from gaining traction and maturing. As a result, out-of-context perspectives with how problems are defined lead to addressing information- critical issues in an ad- hoc manner. Our position to mature our concept accommodates many key benefits towards establishing a common language which can help anchor an evolving framework. This evolving Information Integrity framework incorporates today’s established quality principles with a stronger sense of clarity.

Other professional societies and organizations (e.g. Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society [HIMSS]) that have been engaged with the I*I concept have begun to recognize that a new approach must be realized. Getting buy-in from professional societies and organizations allows this area of interest to gain additional momentum for exploring industry- specific issues that are linked back to information- related errors.

Even ASQ members have been exposed to the concept of Information Integrity. Events including the Northern Illinois Quality Conference (NIQC 2002), the 2 nd International Latin American Quality Conference (2003), and Annual Quality Congress ( AQC,2004) had tremendously positive responses to the I*I message. NIQC 2003 featured an entire I*I track on Healthcare. These events can only show that the I*I IG would be a timely and important addition to ASQ and it members.

The Information Integrity Interest Group [I*I IG] can benefit the Society, its Divisions, Sections and body of members by concentrating the framework development efforts under one interest group umbrella. We are excited to share this opportunity with you, and we do intend to become an established forum of ASQ by 2006.