Increasing the safety of decision-making – the work of Information Consultant (abstract)

Although decision-makers often feel incomplete the information available, they often deal with the processing of relevant information too little. Their goal in decision-making process can be action oriented or knowledge-enhancing use.

An Information Consultant (information broker), specialized in information searching and processing looks for and sells information for business and technology problem solving, decision-making. Its projects are typically unique and fulfil them with telephone interviews, internet and database search and data analysis. The clients find advantageous that the consultant searches in several kind of sources, involving external point of view with quick, professional skills.
In: p. 227-237., VIII. Magyar (Jubileumi) Jövőkutatási Konferencia (Budapest, 2018. november 14.15.) Budapest, 2018. – 423 p.

Information consulting – Guide for good practice (Introduction) – Irene Wormell, Annie Joan Olesen, Gábor Mikulás

Setting up a consulting business requires a series of practical steps. While not always getting done in the most logical order, the steps do have to be done. Superbly talented consultants in information services may be less talented at filling out tax forms or creating professional-looking promotional materials. So do what you hope your clients will do: secure the appropriate expertise. Spend the time at the outset to create a professional image and set up a professional operation. Don’t cut corners.

For those considering a venture into consultancy – and to those who see their work in an Information Center as a form of consulting, the book highlights some questions to ponder.

• Success factors and realities any prospective independent consultant would do well to keep in mind
• Advantages and challenges of this profession
• Skills and qualities needed in information consultancy
• Concerns about planning and practicalities of the business
• Ethical and legal issues of the business
• Specific types of marketing activities
• “Business savvy” requirements of a successful consultancy, punctuated by the ten steps of getting and doing the job. Also consulting veterans offer some tips from their experiences.
• Focus on the client perspective, delving into the successful and productive relationship between consultant and the clients. Based on an international empirical study, this chapter highlights the motivation clients have and how they find the right consultant. The “top five” list of qualities clients desire from the consultants are emphasized. Clients advise future clients about the critical issues of the client—consultant relations. …

(Oxford, Chandos [Elsevier], 2011. – 187 p. (Chandos Information Professional Series) ISBN 978 1 84334 662 3)

Identifying competitive cultural orientations made from executive’s narratives

The aim of the thesis is to identify predictive competitive cultural orientations of organizations with different techniques and to make a suggestion for their practical utilizations.
Overall hypothesis: with the analysis of executive’s narratives predictive conclusion can be drawn concerning the future competitiveness of their organizations.
PhD-theses at the Szent István University, 2012. In details.

Gábor Mikulás, Lilla Habók: Measuring predictive competitiveness of library managers from their narratives – a new approach

The purpose of this paper is – To predict competitiveness – to study the narrative patterns. The aim of this paper is demonstrated in two phases:
Phase 1.: understanding the narrative patterns for predicting competitiveness
Phase 2.: apply the findings in narratives of library managers (opinion leaders).
In: p. 230-237, Finding new ways : proceedings of the 19th BOBCATSSS Symposium. University of West Hungary Press, Sopron, 2011.

The business of press monitoring

The article provides an overview of the Hungarian and the international market of press monitoring from the point of view of specific user neeeds, listing the most important for-profit and free of charge providers and presenting their services. The market convergence and new development trends are demonstrated with concrete examples. The article also deals with the legislation of press monitoring, and includes a glossary as well as a brief history of press monitoring.
In: Tudományos és Műszaki Tájékoztatás (2005) 3, Fulltext in Hungarian: A hírfigyelők üzlete

Marketing for information brokers

The article provides marketing approaches and practices primarily for independent information professionals. The following main elements of the marketing practice are presented: getting to know the information marketplace, identifying its segments, and adopting the concept of sales orientation, quality management and ongoing service development. Based on practical recommendations from experienced information brokers, the author offers an overview of information services tailored to various segments of the information market. Topics include the diverse information needs, the selection criteria of information brokers, the models and tools of service quality development, as well as the processes of service development.
In: Tudományos és Műszaki Tájékoztatás (2004) 12, Fulltext in Hungarian: Marketing információbrókereknek

Reengineering and information suppliers

A substantial attention has been paid in the mid-nineties to reengineering of organizations which is also a challenge for information suppliers. The significant growth of interest in this field is proved by the result of a literature search. The fundamentals of the discipline are not new, its every elements are known from the past. The novelty is that this kind of combination of the methodological elements has never appeared yet. The author discusses the basic principles, elements and steps of reengineering. He considers the effects of its introduction, and proposes ways of the application of reengineering processes in information supplier organizations.
In: Tudományos és Műszaki Tájékoztatás (1997) 6, Fulltext in Hungarian: Újjáalakítás (reengineering) információs és könyvtári szolgáltatásokban

From knowledge management to competitive intelligence

The first conference of the Association of Hungarian Information Brokers, established in 2001, was held on 5 December 2001. The conference papers are summarized and evaluated for librarians. The information broker offers customized information or knowledge for his/her customers. A growing demand has been recorded for this type of services. The information in itself has proved to invoke a decreasing, though the knowledge an increasing interest. An information broker in general becomes subject oriented, the specific fields of interest might be knowledge management, data mining, company information, market survey, competitive intelligence etc. The market position and its environment of fee-based information services, including those of the information broker are overviewed. An insight is presented to the basic techniques of competitive intelligence and knowledge management.
In: Tudományos és Műszaki Tájékoztatás (2002) 9, Fulltext in Hungarian: A tudásmenedzsmenttől a versenytársfigyelésig

Kaye, D.–Mikulás, G.: Strategic management project works at the Library and Information Department of the Manchester University

The project studies have been introduced first in postgraduate training. Now, three groups of MA graduate students of day courses have been organized to prepare three versions of a „large-scale” project. Its subject is the evaluation and development of business information services at the Lancashire Public Library. The results of the project works are presented by the authors by publishing three documents of the Department. They are: Preliminary information for students on the preparation of project studies; Teachers’ evaluation of the project study; Report on the experiences with the „large-scale” project study.
In: Tudományos és Műszaki Tájékoztatás (1996) 6, Fulltext in Hungarian: Stratégiai menedzsment projektmunkák a Manchesteri Egyetem könyvtári és információs tanszékén