Getting data  and information to people who need it and to those who can use it to improve their performance and decision-making is important. But advance in technology may lead the company to become a quagmire of information, with employees so overwhelmed by the sheer volume that they miss to dig the valuable from the useless.

In many cases, the ability to produce data and information is outstripping employees’ ability to process it. One British psychologist claims to have mentioned a new mental disorder caused by too much information; he has termed it information fatigue syndrome. Information technology is a primary culprit in contributing to this new “disease.”

However, managers have the ability to encounter the problem and improve information quality. Firstly the suppliers of information technology and CIOs need to ensure to collaborate with employees to identify the kinds of questions they must answer and the kinds of data and information they really need. Specialists are often attracted with the volume of data a system can produce and overlook the need to provide small amounts of quality information in a timely and useful manner for decision making. Top executives should be actively engage in setting limit by focusing the organization on key strategies and on the critical questions that must be answered to pursue those strategies.

Reference: New Era of Management