Defense ADP: Corporate Information Management Must Overcome Major Problems

The Deputy Secretary of Defense laid the foundation for CIM in October1989 by convening an Executive Level Group (ELG) of high-level industry and Defense officials to evaluate Defense business practices and suggest an overall direction for the Department. The ELG noted that Defense viewed information management as merely automating existing business methods in order to cut costs. Little effort was made to improve the methods themselves; therefore, when new technology was applied to old methods the expected benefits did not materialize. In response, the ELC recommended that the Department adopt a management philosophy that emphasizes continuous improvement of business methods before identifying specific computing and communication technologies. This wider view of information management is incorporated in the ELG'S model for CIM.