Data are like water, best
when fresh and flowing freely

In an uncertain economy one would think that businesses are doing all they can to maximize opportunities. But many companies still don't seem to “get it.” Too many organizations have developed a barrier mentality that is not conducive to business, then wonder why their competition is beating them.

In an information economy, the quality and accuracy of the information received are directly related to business success. We recently received a letter from a frustrated reader who had tried repeatedly and unsuccessfully to obtain basic product information from several manufacturers. During these attempts, he says, he often encountered tedious phone menus, or Web sites that offered incomplete, incorrect, or no available information. As a news magazine, we appreciate the problem. We often encounter similar frustrations in our efforts to ensure that the information we present to you is as up to date and accurate as possible. For example, when we put together this month's supplement, the Power Directory, we labored to make the source lists in it as accurate and comprehensive as possible. This involved contacting hundreds of companies and visiting countless manufacturer Web sites. We were surprised how difficult it often was to get some companies to provide information for what is essentially free publicity. In fact, many companies have procedures that seem to hinder the dissemination of information. We encountered obstacles ranging from uncooperative telephone receptionists to contacts that required multiple calls before they acted upon their promise to cooperate. If customers do not know how to reach the right person, or if they have to run the voice mail gauntlet when they call to obtain information, the results can be costly. To quote our frustrated reader, “Each company's president should actually call their own company and try to get pricing, or technical information–it could be quite revealing.” Alix L. Paultre, Associate Editor