Strategic Business Development for Information Centres and Libraries

159 Pages·2012·1.277 MB·English

by  Margareta Nelke (Auth.)

Strategic Business Development for
Information Centres and Libraries
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Strategic Business
Development for
Information Centres
and Libraries
M N
ARGARETA ELKE
Chandos Publishing
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English language version fi rst published by Chandos Publishing in 2012
ISBN: 978–1–84334–661–6 (print)
ISBN: 978–1–78063–297–1 (online)
Original Swedish language version, Tid för framtid. Strategisk
verksamhetsutveckling och planering, published electronically by I.C.
at Once in 2010.
Enlarged and translated from “Tid för framtid. Strategisk
verksamhetsutveckling och planering.”
©Margareta Nelke, 2010
British Library Cataloguing-in-Publication Data.
A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library.
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The publisher makes no representation, express or implied, with regard to the accuracy
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responsibility or liability for any errors or omissions.
The material contained in this publication constitutes general guidelines only and does
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List of fi gures and tables
Figures
3.1 PCMAC model for competitive intelligence 26
8.1 Matrix for SWOT analysis 122
8.2 Scenario planning at a public library 124
8.3 Matrix for impact analysis 126
8.4 Example of a template for review of the
business: overview 128
8.5 Example of a template for review of the
business: single services 129
8.6 Example of a spider diagram 132
8.7 Matrix for benchmarking 134
Tables
3.1 Summary of pitfalls and tips 35
4.1 Windows of knowledge 46
5.1 Business plan activities and schedule 81
6.1 Pitfalls and tips: measuring and evaluation 97
ix
Preface
Business development is essential for all business; not least
the library and information service (LIS) sector. To work
with strategic business development is particularly essential
to ensure a viable future business that provides benefi ts to
customers and stakeholders. We all need to have a clear
picture of the aims of our business, where we are heading
and what we must do to achieve our goals. The technology
in the world around us is constantly changing, which in turn
alters the media we manage as well as the behaviour and
expectations of our customers. This of course affects the
basic conditions for the business, not least in the LIS fi eld.
Throughout this book, Margareta Nelke takes an
important step to support the improvement of the strategy
work focusing primarily on the LIS sector. The book is
excellent for both people who are familiar with working
with strategic planning and for the ones not familiar with
this. For the accustomed person the book gives new
perspectives, new ideas and a very good systematic review of
the fi eld. The unaccustomed person gets comprehensive
theories, tips and tools on how the strategy work can be
accomplished.
The book combines theory with examples from practice,
which give a deeper and better understanding of the
importance of strategic planning. One section contains a
number of tools that create a good basis for the strategic
business development. Two important aspects from the book
xi
Strategic Business Development for Information Centres
which I choose to highlight in particular are, on the one
hand, the signifi cance of monitoring and analysing the
outside world and, on the other hand, to involve all employees
in the strategy work.
In a world of constant change it is of importance to have
knowledge of the business environment and to use tools to
see into the future. For this, in Margareta’s own words,
‘a fi ngertip feel for the winds of change is required but also a
scheme of work’. Exactly this was one of Margareta’s
strengths during her work at Tetra Pak in Lund, Sweden. I
was at that time engaged in the pharmaceutical industry and
many of the ideas that I brought from outside and that were
also put into practice came from Margareta. She has an
incredible ability to perceive winds of change and to challenge
parts of the business that many in the LIS world probably
would not dream of doing. In order to do this a true fi ngertip
feeling is required both in business analysis and strategic
planning so that the decisions made and the business carried
out are successful. This book will give readers insight into
how this is done.
Many strategy plans end up in the bookcase as ‘fi nished’
products and at best the dust is removed from time to time.
To make the strategies a real working tool for everyone in
the organisation, this book highlights the importance of all
staff being involved in strategy work. I can really commend
this and I would like to stress that this work can be done
with both large and small groups of staff. In the SLU
(Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences) Library, we
recently conducted strategy work involving all of the staff
(50 people) with good results. The key is to make clear to
everyone what infl uence they can have and at the same time
point out when and where management alone is to make the
decisions. Participation means that stakeholders are part of
the decision-making process and contribute to it with their
xii
Preface
expertise and input, although it does not imply involvement
in all decision making. To do the strategy work in this way
creates a better working environment and becomes part of
the team development process in the organisation.
In Strategic Business Development for Information Centres
and Libraries we become acquainted with solid experience
and knowledge which, I am sure, will be of tremendous
advantage to us all in the LIS sector. I highly recommend
everyone that embrace, read and use this book in their daily
work. And, most importantly, involve the staff in the strategy
work so it becomes what it should be: a living part of the
business.
Read, learn and be inspired!
Catharina Isberg, Deputy Library Director, Swedish
University of Agricultural Sciences
xiii
Acknowledgements
I am most thankful to all who have contributed to this book
with their expertise, knowledge and experience. Jette
Guldborg Petersen, Maria Hugosson Bygge, Charlotte
Håkansson, Katarina Kristoffersson and Helena Vallo kindly
agreed to be interviewed and share their experiences, tips
and advice. Catharina Isberg, an eager business developer
with experience of both private and public business, agreed,
to my great pleasure, to write the preface. Christina
Twengström, former CEO at Gleerups Publishing, has given
valuable comments on the content, text and design, based on
her many years of experience both as a business developer
and editor. A special thanks to my dear husband, Nils-Bo,
for comments and suggestions.
xv
About the author
Margareta Nelke graduated from the Swedish School of
Library and Information Science in 1982 and took a diploma
in Marketing Management in 1990. After a short period at a
public library and a university library, she worked as an
information specialist in corporations. In 1983 she took up a
position as a library manager at Alfa-Laval and, in 1989, she
was appointed to a similar position at Tetra Pak. In Tetra
Pak, the library was transformed to a Technology Intelligence
centre in 1999. In June 2002 she took up the position of
Global Technology Intelligence Process Owner at Tetra Pak.
Since 2004 she has been working as an independent
consultant in her fi rm, I.C. at Once, specialising in
investigations, coaching and training in competitive
intelligence, information management and business
development.
Over the years she has contributed to several publications
and written journal articles and books on knowledge
management and competitive intelligence. She has also
lectured at seminars and conferences, in some cases as keynote
speaker. In 2002 she was awarded the ESLY 2002 (European
Special Librarian of the Year 2002) by the Special Library
Association. She is a member of the Swedish Association of
Information Specialists and was the president of this
association from 2006 to 2009. She has also been a member
of the board of the Swedish School of Library and Information
Science since 2008.
xvii