Skip Navigation

2007 Information Management Benchmark: State of the Function

Image of Karen Wilson

Author: Karen Wilson, Director & Lead Analyst

In the fall of 2007, Outsell conducted its ninth annual benchmarking survey of information management (IM) functions. The data from this study adds to our existing knowledge base of operational key metrics and drivers for IM functions in corporate (including non-profit), government, education, and healthcare sectors. IM managers depend on the information from Outsell’s benchmarking studies to make informed decisions on their operations, services, and plans. The data in this Briefing reveals where IM functions in each sector fall, on average, in key operational metrics and activities such as budgeting, staffing, users, key ratios, services, strategic planning, and challenges. IM managers are often asked to provide hard numbers either to prove they are on par with their peers or to justify their own existence. The data in this report provides those numbers. The report contains:

- Data across all sectors, including some trend data;
- Data about IM budgets and staffing levels, including forecasts for 2008;
- Where appropriate, a breakout of high-budget ($2 million or higher) subsectors from corporate, government, and education sectors;
- Most valuable IM services offered and the top three IM challenges;
- Imperatives for information managers.


Pub Date: May 30, 2008
Pages: 34
Format: PDF Application_pdf

We provide a link to download a PDF at the end of the purchase process.

Table of Contents

  • Why This Topic?
    1. Methodology and Background
  • Information Roles Diversify
  • Budget Increases of 5.4% Expected for 2008
  • Slight FTE Increase Expected for 2008 but Contractor Numbers Remain Flat
  • Vendor Portfolios Inching Upward
  • Services, Activities Vary Widely by Sector and Size
  • More Focus Is Required on Strategy, Planning, and Metrics
  • Resource Challenges Persist
  • Imperatives for Information Managers

    • Tables & Figures

  • Figure 1. Respondents by Market Sector
  • Table 1. Information Roles (Activities That Consume 30% or More of Staff Time)
  • Table 2. Information Management Total Budget
  • Table 3. Budget Breakout
  • Table 4. Budget Breakout, High-Budget Sectors
  • Table 5. Percentage of Content Spending Devoted to Digital Sources, 2004, 2007, and 2008 Projected
  • Table 6. Percentage of High-Budget Content Spending Devoted to Digital Sources, 2007 and 2008 Projected
  • Table 7. “High Print” vs. “High Electronic” IM Functions
  • Table 8. FTEs, 2007 and 2008 Projected
  • Table 9. Contractors, 2007 and 2008 Projected
  • Table 10. IM Budgets and Staffing Levels
  • Table 11. IM Budgets and Staffing per Employee and per User
  • Table 12. IM Staff Deployment
  • Table 13. Average Number of Content Vendors Used, 2007 and 2008 Projected
  • Table 14. Percent of Licenses That Are Global or Multi-site, 2007 and 2008 Projected
  • Table 15. Services and Content Management Activities Offered
  • Table 16. Top Five Most Valuable IM Services Offered, by Sector
  • Table 17. Most Valuable Services: Users vs. IM Managers
  • Table 18. IM: New Service Delivery Models
  • Figure 2. Users’ Preferred New Delivery Media, Use and Plan to Use
  • Table 19. Strategic Management, Total Sectors, 2004 and 2007 Comparison
  • Table 20. Strategic Management in Corporate, Government, Education, High-Budget vs. Total, 2007
  • Table 21. Performance Measurement Methodologies, Total Sectors, 2004 and 2007 Comparison
  • Table 22. Top Three IM Challenges