# Management information from Databeamer

Databeamer is first and foremost a platform for secure collaboration and information exchange. The data that arises during its use can also help to gain insight into how the organisation is set up, how the platform is used and how work processes are progressing.

Which management information is available depends on the data Databeamer records and on the way the organisation sets up the platform. Two sources can be distinguished: metadata about the organisation and the use of Databeamer, and the properties of journals.

## 1. Our approach to management information

Management information helps to answer questions about how the organisation works and the processes that take place within it. For example:

- **Steering:** where is use increasing, how is the work distributed and where might extra attention be needed?
- **Accountability:** which activities have been carried out and which results or numbers can be reported?
- **Control:** have matters been completed, are there backlogs and are the agreements made being kept?
- **Learning and improving:** how are processes developing and where is there reason to evaluate the way of working?

Not every management question can be answered with data from Databeamer. The information available for this is limited.

## 2. Management information from organisation and usage metadata

Databeamer processes a limited amount of metadata that is needed to make the platform function. Unlike the content of messages and files, a small part of this metadata is not encrypted. As a result, this information can be used for certain overviews and counts for your organisation, without the content of confidential information having to be viewed.

Which overviews are actually available depends on the data Databeamer records, the specific settings of your organisation (for example group types and labels) and the reporting options we offer. Your organisation's data is not accessible to users of other organisations.

### What information can this yield?

| Subject                | Possible management questions                                                                                                                                       |
| ---------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| **Users and accounts** | How many accounts are there within the organisation? How many guests have been contacted?                                                                           |
| **Organisations**      | How is use distributed across the organisation?                                                                                                                     |
| **Groups**             | How many groups are there? How are groups distributed by type or status?                                                                                            |
| **Group members**      | What is the average group distribution across the number of groups and group types? How much collaboration takes place within groups or with external participants? |
| **Files**              | How many files are stored? How is the number of journal types distributed across groups, insofar as that data is available?                                         |
| **Use and capacity**   | How does use compare with the available capacity and the subscription limits?                                                                                       |

This information can help to track how Databeamer is set up and used. A growing number of groups, for example, may be a reason to check whether the group structure is still clear. A growing number of files may be a reason to evaluate the storage capacity or the agreements on retention and archiving.

### Note: a snapshot is not the same as a trend

A count shows what the situation looks like at a given moment. To determine whether use is growing, declining or changing, data from several points in time is needed.

Numbers on their own do not tell the whole story either. Many groups do not automatically mean there are unnecessarily many groups. And a group with few files is not by definition less active or less important. So always combine figures with knowledge of the processes and the context of the organisation.

## 3. Management information from journals

In addition to the metadata about the organisation and its use, Databeamer can yield management information based on the properties of journals. These properties can be configured at organisation level by the organisation administrator. These properties are not encrypted.

Journals can be classified with **types, labels and statuses**. By using these properties consistently, numbers can be grouped and the progress of recorded activities can be made visible.

### Which data do you use?

- **Type:** what kind of journal is it? For example an analysis, a report or a progress log.
- **Label:** which additional property applies? For example a kind of report (such as meeting minutes, a review or an introductory meeting) or the category of an activity.
- **Status:** what is the current phase? For example open, closed or archived.
- **Group:** which type of group does the journal fall under? What properties does the group have and what is the current status of that group?
- **Period:** when was a journal created, changed, closed or archived, insofar as these moments are recorded and available?

The combination of this data determines which questions you can answer. A type can indicate the subject, for example, a label the category and a status the progress.

### Examples of management questions

| Goal                       | Examples                                                                                                                                            |
| -------------------------- | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| **Steering**               | Which types of journal occur most often? How is the work distributed across groups? Where is the number of open journals increasing?                |
| **Accountability**         | How many clients were we able to help in a given period? How many agreements were recorded and closed per category?                                 |
| **Control**                | Which journals have been open for a long time? Are there still open journals in groups that have been ended? Were closed journals archived on time? |
| **Learning and improving** | Which categories occur more often? Is the ratio between open and closed journals changing?                                                          |

These are examples of questions that can be investigated with the right setup and the available data. Not every question can be answered automatically. A statement about backlogs, for instance, requires that it is clear when something counts as open for too long. A check on timely archiving also requires that the relevant dates and agreements are available.

## 4. Ensure a reliable setup

Management information is only usable if the underlying data is recorded in a consistent way.

### Agree on how types, labels and statuses are used

Record which types and labels are available, what they mean and when a status changes. Where possible, use fixed organisation-wide lists, so that the same categories are not recorded in different ways.

Read more about this under [journals](https://databeamer.eu/en/docs/files/journals) and [groups](https://databeamer.eu/en/docs/groups/groups).

Limit the number of types and labels to what is really needed. An overly extensive classification makes recording more complicated and can make overviews less reliable.

### Distinguish between open, closed and archived

Agree on when a journal is closed and when it is archived. Use these statuses consistently. For reports over a period, it also matters which date is decisive, for example the date on which a journal was closed.

### Change the setup deliberately

If types or labels change, comparisons with earlier periods can become less reliable. So record what changes and from when a new classification applies.

### Handle personal data with care

Figures per staff member can be sensitive and are easily misinterpreted. Decide in advance what such data is needed for, be transparent about its use and involve the data protection officer or works council where necessary. Overviews at group or organisation level are often preferable when individual figures are not needed.

## 5. Privacy and visibility of metadata

The content of encrypted messages and files is not the same as the metadata that is needed to make the platform function. Some data, such as group names and properties like types, labels and statuses, is not encrypted. That makes counts and certain forms of management information possible, but also calls for care in the setup.

So use types and labels for **neutral categories**, not for names of clients, case numbers, diagnoses or other confidential details. A label such as 'Meeting minutes' can be functional; a label with the name of the person concerned or the nature of a sensitive request is not.

See [Groups](https://databeamer.eu/en/docs/groups/groups) and [Journals](https://databeamer.eu/en/docs/files/journals) for more information on the setup and visibility of data.

## 6. Start with concrete management questions

Do not start by collecting as many figures as possible. First determine which questions the organisation wants to answer and which information is needed for that.

For example:

1. **Use and capacity:** is the number of groups, users or files growing, and does that fit within the available capacity?
2. **Progress:** how many journals are open and how many are closed within an agreed period?
3. **Accountability:** which numbers or categories have to be reported periodically?

Then determine which data is available for this, which setup is needed and who assesses the results. That keeps management information purposeful and prevents figures from being collected that add little.

**Important:** management information supports the conversation and decision-making; figures do not replace a substantive assessment. Use them in combination with knowledge of practice, the agreements made and the purpose for which the information is used.

## 7. Making management information available

Management information is not visible by default. [Contact](https://databeamer.eu/en/contact) us to make this information available within your organisation.