Information Engineering is a term we use to describe the act of delivering what you need to know about your business in order to run your business.

Like any such generic term, it has been coined before. A quick search in Google or Wikipedia will produce a variety of conflicting definitions, sources and trademarks. Our use of the term is derived from Information Management, which is characterised by the phrase "Getting the right information to the right person at the right place at the right time".

At this point it is common to hear the phrase "methodology" sneak into the conversation (as in "Information Management Methodology") in an attempt to sell you a shrink-wrapped, done-it-all-before package at a never-to-be-repeated price, provided (of course) that you sign up today.

Having been tasked with the delivery of such "packages" on many occasions, I can confirm they don't really exist. What you actually agree to buy is a body of experience wrapped in a set of assumptions. The experience is real and valuable, but some of the assumptions inevitably turn out to be wrong, resulting in re-work which costs more than you anticipated. Who pays for this is determined by the contract and flexibility within your budget.

Having experience in both management and engineering in technical projects, we agree that both are essential in delivering a quality solution. It is, however, the engineers who really make it happen, so our use of the phrase Information Engineering is about turning the "what" into a "how" and making it happen.