Editing Information management (section)

{{Short description|Organisational activity concerning information lifecycle}}
{{for|the library science degree|Master of Information Management}}
{{distinguish|Content management|Knowledge management|Data management}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=October 2011}}
{{Information science}}
{{LibraryandInformation-TopicSidebar}}
'''Information management''' ('''IM''') is the appropriate and optimized capture, storage, retrieval, and use of [[information]]. It may be [[personal information management]] or organizational. Information management for [[organization]]s concerns a cycle of organizational activity: the acquisition of information from one or more sources, the custodianship and the distribution of that information to those who need it, and its ultimate disposal through [[archiving]] or deletion and extraction.

This cycle of information organisation involves a variety of [[stakeholder (corporate)|stakeholder]]s, including those who are responsible for assuring the [[quality (business)|quality]], [[accessibility]] and [[utility]] of acquired information; those who are responsible for its safe [[Data storage device|storage]] and [[:wikt:disposal|disposal]]; and those who need it for [[decision making]]. Stakeholders might have rights to originate, change, distribute or delete information according to organisational information management [[policies]].

Information management embraces all the generic concepts of management, including the [[planning]], [[organizing (management)|organizing]], structuring, [[Business process|process]]ing, [[Internal control|control]]ling, [[evaluation]] and [[Data reporting|reporting]] of information activities, all of which is needed in order to meet the needs of those with organisational roles or functions that depend on information. These generic concepts allow the information to be presented to the audience or the correct group of people. After individuals are able to put that information to use, it then gains more value.

Information management is closely related to, and overlaps with, the management of [[data]], [[system]]s, [[technology]], [[Business process|process]]es and – where the availability of information is critical to organisational success – [[strategy]]. This broad view of the realm of information management contrasts with the earlier, more traditional view, that the [[Project life cycle|life cycle]] of managing information is an operational matter that requires specific procedures, organisational capabilities and standards that deal with information as a [[product (business)|product]] or a service.