Precoordination

Precoordination is a concept that describes the arrangement or establishment of something in advance of its actual use or need. This term is often encountered in various fields, including library science, information retrieval, and project management. In essence, it refers to the process of preparing and organizing resources, information, or tasks so that they are readily available and integrated when required.

In library and information science, precoordination refers to the process of indexing where terms are combined before a search is performed. This contrasts with postcoordination, where search terms are combined at the time of retrieval. Precoordinated systems often use controlled vocabularies and thesauri to establish relationships between terms, creating compound index terms. This can lead to more precise search results as the relationships between concepts are predefined. For example, instead of searching for "dogs" and "training" separately and then looking for documents that contain both, a precoordinated system might index documents under a combined term like "dog training."

In project management, precoordination involves planning and setting up resources, workflows, and dependencies before a project commences or moves to a new phase. This proactive approach aims to minimize delays and ensure smooth execution by anticipating potential issues and having solutions or necessary elements in place. This might include securing equipment, assigning personnel, or defining project milestones in advance. The goal is to reduce friction and improve efficiency by having everything ready to go when it is needed.