How can communication deficits within the company be compensated for? Within the company, good corporate communication is also of particular importance for data protection.
But what types of communication are there actually? In order for internal communication within the company to be successful, three core contents can be used:
- Formal internal communication: this covers all processes that are intended to shape the structure and actions within an organisation, both internally and externally, and is always “linked to an objective”.
- Informal internal communication: It inevitably arises in group processes and can support an organisation but also bring it out of balance. Topics and content do not have to relate directly to the organisation in question, its purpose, objectives and goal achievement. Informal communication accordingly lacks the direct organisational goal commitment of formal communication.
- Instrumental internal communication: By observing and dealing with the reciprocity of formal and informal communication, the possibility opens up to discuss, understand, change and optimise communication and consequences of internal processes and relationships in the company.
Good communication processes between IT department and business units
IT departments and specialist departments work on their own issues, so they usually have no contact with each other and real cooperation only takes place on an occasion-related basis.
But what is the possibility of strengthening communication?
Security management must function across the board for the company to be able to act effectively and requires a willingness to cooperate.
Primary and secondary activities should be defined and sufficiently documented. The description should include at least the following attributes:
- Objective/Content,
- responsibility/roles involved,
- preceding process/input and
- subsequent process/output.
The departments should know the permanent contact persons of the IT department. There should be a regular exchange of information (no informal exchange) between the IT department and the business department. This should also clarify how tasks are to be completed and with what procedure. When communicating, the business department should be precise with the IT department.
The IT department, on the other hand, must make sure that it communicates complex IT processes as simply as possible (complexity reduction).
In practice, a so-called requirement engineering method can be used for this purpose, for example, and in general attention should be paid to the use of simple vocabulary. How can the methods of requirements engineering be implemented?
Requirements engineering methods are based on four pillars and can be put into practice by following the four pillars:
- Determine: Requirements are elicited, detailed and refined.
- Document: Requirements are adequately described, e.g. in prose or model-based.
- Check and agree: The quality of the requirements is ensured
- Manage: Activities such as requirements for roles should be prepared
Joint work can be based on established process models such as Scrum or Prince 2. A ticket system also has a positive effect on cooperation. No matter what you decide, the concept must be reviewed regularly.