What's in a name? The Information Worker, The Knowledge Worker and The Structured Task Worker
- The Knowledge Worker
- Works with ideas and manages teams
- Wants to be able to develop and improve processes and forms; encourage collaboration; create workspace environments
- Needs to create, consume, transform and analyse data
- Works in an unstructured, free-form way, maybe starting with a set of ideas which are collaborated on and built into a new document/report/form/business process.
- Examples of this type of worker include middle/senior managers, consultants, marketing execs.
- The Structured Task Worker
- Unlike the Knowledge Worker they tend to work only with data and information, not ideas.
- Create and consume, but don't transform or manage information
- Needs to be able to find facts quickly; create documents; Edit, write & process information
- According to some reports this category of Information Worker makes up 80% of the user base in most organisations.
- Examples of this type of user include bank clerk, call centre operator, nurse and people in supervisor roles: Shop Manager, Bank Manager, Nursing Supervisor.
- The Data Entry Worker
- Create and consume, but don't transform or manage information
- Wants easy access to information; Standardised process and forms; list management
- Doesn't tend to do free-form document creation
- This type of user typically works in some kind of administrative, secretarial or receptionist role.