tietohallinnosta

Tietohallinto, literally information management in Finnish, is the process of acquiring, classifying, storing, maintaining, and delivering information resources within an organization. The discipline integrates principles from library science, information science, and information technology to support decision‑making, operational efficiency, and compliance.

The concept evolved from early data processing in the 1950s and 1960s to the rise of corporate databases in the 1980s and the object‑oriented data models of the 1990s. In Finland, the term gained common usage in the 1990s as enterprises adopted enterprise resource planning systems and sought to formalize data governance practices. Modern tietohallinto aligns with global frameworks such as ISO/IEC 27001 for information security management and ISO 8000 for data quality.

Core activities include data stewardship, which assigns responsibility for data quality and lifecycle management; metadata creation, providing descriptive context for data sets; and information architecture, designing retrieval and access pathways for users. Tietohallinto also encompasses data protection, ensuring compliance with regulations such as the EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), and supports interoperability through the use of standards such as XML, RDF, and the Finnish national data catalog.

Key roles within a tietohallinto team typically involve a chief information officer, data stewards, data architects, and information governance officers. Collaboration with IT infrastructure, business strategy, and legal departments is essential to align technical solutions with strategic objectives. As digital transformation accelerates, the field is increasingly focused on advanced analytics, artificial intelligence, and cloud‑based data services, while maintaining rigorous governance to safeguard data integrity and ensure trustworthiness of information assets.